Manual Chapter :
Getting started with F5
VELOS
Applies To:
Show Versions
F5OS-C
- 1.3.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.0, 1.2.2, 1.2.1, 1.2.0, 1.1.4, 1.1.3, 1.1.2, 1.1.1, 1.1.0
Getting started with F5
VELOS
F5
VELOS
F5
VELOS
platforms are a modular (chassis and blade) form factor, designed to meet the
needs of large enterprise networking environments that require the ability to
scale and process a large volume of increasing application workloads.This guide walks you through getting started with a new
installation of a
VELOS
platform,
including essential steps like configuring DHCP, network settings, chassis
partitions, and tenants. After you complete these procedures, your system will
be running a basic configuration that includes a chassis partition and a
tenant.F5 strongly recommends that you upgrade to F5OS-C
version 1.2.1 or later software after you complete initial configuration. For more
information, see
VELOS Systems: Installation and
Upgrade
on the F5OS Knowledge Center at support.f5.com/csp/knowledge-center/software/F5OS.Before you begin, be sure that you have this
information:
- Proposed new passwords forVELOSadmin and root accounts
- Proposed management IP addresses for system controllers, partition, and tenant (if not using DHCP)
- IP address of DHCP server running in network (if using DHCP)
- IP address of NTP server
- IP address of DNS server
- BIG-IP base registration key
For additional information on installing and configuring F5OS on
VELOS
systems, refer to the
documentation on the F5OS Knowledge Center at support.f5.com/csp/knowledge-center/software/F5OS.About chassis installation
For detailed information about installing your platform, see the document
titled
Setting Up the VELOS CX Series AC and DC
Platforms
that is included with the
chassis.At a high level, to install the chassis into your data center, you perform these tasks:
- Rack the chassis using the rack mount kit provided.
- Connect the power supply units (PSUs) and apply power to the chassis.
- Insert blades into the chassis, starting at slot 1.
- Ensure the front bezel with LCD is secured to the chassis.
- Connect the serial console cables, management interfaces, and networking cables.
About the internal chassis network
The VELOS system uses an internal chassis network for control plane
and management plane communication between firmware and software on the blades
and system controllers. Traffic on this internal network is firewall-protected
and is not exposed to a customer’s management network. The internal chassis
network uses a predefined range of IP addresses. By default, it uses
100.64.0.0/12.
IP addresses in the predefined range are reserved for the chassis network and cannot be
used for any of the following:
- VELOS management IP addresses for the system controllers, chassis partitions, and tenants
- Any external service configured on the VELOS system, such as a DNS server and NTP server
- Source IP addresses of any device used to communicate with the VELOS system (such as a laptop, workstation, or other device that connects)
If your network uses addresses in the predefined range for any of the above, you will not
be able to access the VELOS system by means of the VELOS management interfaces
(including the CLI, webUI, or RESTCONF APIs). This is only an issue if using
100.64.0.0/12 addresses for VELOS management IP addresses, external servers, or source
IP addresses described here.
To prevent this issue, F5 provides a procedure that enables you to
select a different internal IP address range during initial provisioning of a
system, as an alternative to using the default range. For more information on
how to change the internal network IP address range, see
VELOS Systems: Administration and
Configuration
at support.f5.com.VELOS terminology and taxonomy
These are some of the terms and
taxonomy that you will encounter when configuring the VELOS system.
Term |
Definition |
|---|---|
chassis | The main component of the unit that houses the blades, system controllers, and other components. The chassis can be divided into multiple chassis partitions. |
system controllers | Components of the chassis that provide a unified point for external management and connectivity to the platform and applications running in the chassis. The chassis contains a redundant pair of system controllers that provides a high bandwidth interconnect between blades and high availability. The system controllers also provide REST APIs, a system controller CLI, and a webUI. |
blade | The primary hardware component that handles traffic management including disaggregation, packet classification, and traffic-steering for the VELOS platform. Up to eight blades can be installed into the slots on the chassis. |
chassis partition | A virtual system or subset of the chassis that handles the management and separation of disjoint sets of blades within the chassis. Chassis partitions form chassis level management and traffic partitions. Each chassis partition is a separate managed system, unlike the BIG-IP system’s administrative partitions within a single managed system. You can manage a chassis partition using REST APIs, the chassis partition CLI, and a webUI. |
tenant | A guest system (similar to a vCMP guest) running software within a chassis partition (for example, a BIG-IP system). Multiple tenants can be deployed in one chassis partition. |
chassis terminal service | Built into the system controller software, the chassis terminal service provides a way to access the console for the system controllers and all blades. |
