Manual Chapter : Platform Overview

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Manual Chapter

Platform Overview

About
i15000 Series
models

The
i15000 Series
platform is a powerful system that is designed specifically for application delivery performance and scalability.
The i15000F platforms (i15820-DF) are available with a FIPS-validated hardware security module (HSM) as a factory-installed option. These platforms have dual solid-state drives (SSDs).
The i15000 Series platform is available in a Network Equipment-Building System (NEBS) compliant version (i15000-N). The i15000-N with stock DC power supply units (PSUs) is NEBS compliant. The i15000-N with AC PSU upgrades (UPGs) is not NEBS compliant. The i15000 with stock AC PSUs is not NEBS compliant.
For more information, please see the data sheet at www.f5.com/pdf/products/big-ip-platforms-datasheet.pdf.

About the platform

Before you install this platform, review information about the controls and ports located on both the front and back of the platform.
On the front of the platform, you can use the LCD touchscreen to view information about, manage, and reset the system. You can also use the front-panel LEDs to assess the condition of the system.
Front view of the i15000 Series platform
Front view of the i15820-DF platform
  1. 100/1000/10000 (100Base-T, 1GBase-T, 10GBase-T) capable management port
  2. USB 3.0 port
  3. Console serial port
  4. Serial (hard-wired) failover port
  5. 40GbE QSFP+ ports (8)
  6. 100GbE QSFP28 ports (4)
  7. Indicator LEDs
  8. 2.2 inch LCD touchscreen
The back of the i15000 Series platform includes the fan tray, two power supply units (PSUs), the chassis ground terminals, and the storage drives (located behind the fan tray).
Back view of the i15000 Series AC-powered platform
  1. Fan tray (removable)
  2. Power input panel 1 (AC power receptacle)
  3. Power input panel 2 (AC power receptacle)
  4. Chassis ground terminals
Back view of the i15000 Series DC-powered platform
  1. Fan tray (removable)
  2. Power input panel 1 (DC terminal)
  3. Power input panel 2 (DC terminal)
  4. Chassis ground terminals

Hardware included with the platform

This platform includes all of the hardware components listed here.
Quantity
Hardware
2
Power cables (black), AC power only, per platform configuration. Might include multiple power cable types if product is delivered outside of the US/Canada.
2
DC PSU connectors, standard DC power only. By default, this platform includes two DC PSUs and two PSU connectors.
1
RJ45 to RJ45 failover cable, CAT 5 crossover (blue)
1
RJ45 to DB9 console port cable (beige)
1
RJ45F to RJ45M rolled adapter (beige)
1
Quick-install rail kit
2
Rail lock brackets
4
M3 x 8mm flathead screws, black with patch
4
#8-32 pan head screws, steel zinc

Peripheral hardware required

For each platform, you might need to provide additional peripheral hardware. If you plan to remotely administer the system, it would be helpful to have a workstation already connected to the same subnet as the management interface.
Type of hardware
Description
Network hubs, switches, or connectors to connect to the platform network interfaces
You must provide networking devices that are compatible with the network interface ports on the platform.
You can use either 10000-Megabit switches with a breakout cable or 40/100-Gigabit Ethernet switches.
External USB CD/DVD drive or USB flash drive
You can use any USB-certified CD/DVD mass storage device or a USB flash drive for installing upgrades and for system recovery.
External CD/DVD drives must be externally powered.
Serial console
You can remotely manage the platform by connecting to a serial console terminal server through the console port.
In the event that network access is impaired or not yet configured, the serial console might be the only way to access the unit. You should perform all installations and upgrades using the serial console, as these procedures require reboots, in which network connectivity is lost temporarily.
Management workstation on the same IP network as the platform
You can use the default platform configuration if you have a management workstation set up.

About LCD menus

The touchscreen LCD provides the ability to manage the unit without attaching a console or network cable. You can configure the display options to meet your needs. There are four menu options available on the LCD.
When using the LCD to configure the unit, be sure to use the
Commit
option to save all settings.

System menu

You can use the System menu to reboot, reset, halt, power off, or power on the system.
Option
Description
Soft Reboot
Performs a properly sequenced reboot of the unit.
Hard Reset
Performs a hard reset on the unit.
Halt
Halts or shuts down the unit.
Power Off
Powers off the unit.
Power On
Powers on the unit.

Alerts menu

You can use the Alerts menu to view system alerts by priority, or to clear all alerts from the LCD.
Option
Description
Emergency
Displays alerts that match the Emergency priority.
Critical
Displays alerts that match the Critical priority.
Error
Displays alerts that match the Error priority.
Warning
Displays alerts that match the Warning priority.
Alert
Displays alerts that match the Alert priority.
Info
Displays alerts that match the Informational priority.

Options menu

You can use the Options menu to configure the LCD brightness and enable/disable the chassis locator LED.
Option
Description
Display
Adjusts LCD backlight brightness.
Locator LED
Controls the use of the chassis locator feature, which causes the
F5
logo ball on the chassis front panel to flash on and off. Select from these options:
  • OFF (default)
  • ON

Setup menu

You can use the Setup menu to configure the management interface, AOM management interface, and serial port baud rate.
Option
Description
Management
Changes the management interface information. Select from these options:
  • Type indicates whether to use an IPv4 or IPv6 address.
  • DHCP indicates whether DHCP is enabled or disabled (default).
  • IP Address sets the management interface IP address and routing prefix. You can use an IPv4 or IPv6 address.
  • Gateway sets the default route for the management interface. This route is necessary if you plan to manage the unit from a different subnetwork.
AOM Management
Changes the AOM management interface information. Select from these options:
  • Type indicates that the AOM management interface uses an IPv4 address.
  • DHCP indicates whether DHCP is enabled or disabled (default).
  • IP Address sets the management interface IP address and routing prefix. You can use only an IPv4 address.
  • Gateway sets the default route for the management interface. This route is necessary if you plan to manage the unit from a different subnetwork.
Baud Rate
Changes the baud rate of the management serial port. Select from these options:
  • 9600
  • 19200 (default)
  • 38400
  • 57600
  • 115200

About using the LCD

To manage the platform using the LCD menu options, tap the touchscreen LCD to put it into menu mode. The LCD is operational even when the Host is powered off, provided that Always-On Management and the LCD are fully booted.
It might take a few minutes for the LCD to become operational when the system is started from a powered off state.
When using the LCD to configure the unit, be sure to use the
Commit
option to save all settings.

Reboot the unit

You can use the touchscreen LCD to perform a soft reboot of the unit.
  1. Touch the screen to activate the LCD menus.
  2. Tap
    System
    .
    The System screen displays.
  3. On the System screen, tap
    Soft Reboot
    .
  4. Tap
    Confirm
    to reboot the unit.

Reset the unit

You can use the touchscreen LCD to perform a hard reset of the unit.
  1. Touch the screen to activate the LCD menus.
  2. Tap
    System
    .
    The System screen displays.
  3. On the System screen, tap
    Hard Reset
    .
  4. Tap
    Confirm
    to reset the unit.

Halt the unit

You can use the touchscreen LCD to halt the unit.
  1. Touch the screen to activate the LCD menus.
  2. Tap
    System
    .
    The System screen displays.
  3. On the System screen, tap
    Halt
    .
  4. Tap
    Confirm
    to halt the unit.

Power off/on the unit

You can use the touchscreen LCD to power the unit off and on.
  1. Touch the screen to activate the LCD menus.
  2. Tap
    System
    .
    The System screen displays.
  3. On the System screen, swipe up to scroll down and tap
    Power Off
    or
    Power On
    .
  4. Tap
    Confirm
    to power off/on the unit.

Clear alerts

You can use the touchscreen LCD to clear alerts from the LCD.
  1. Touch the screen to activate the LCD menus.
  2. Tap
    Alerts
    .
    The Alerts screen displays.
  3. On the Alerts screen, clear either all alerts or alerts of a specific priority:
    • To clear all alerts, tap
      Clear All
      .
    • To clear only alerts of only a specific priority, tap the priority name to view alerts with that priority, and then tap
      Clear
      .

Configure LCD brightness

You can use the touchscreen LCD to adjust the brightness of the display.
  1. Touch the screen to activate the LCD menus.
  2. Tap
    Options
    .
    The Options screen displays.
  3. Tap
    Display
    .
    The Brightness screen displays.
  4. Use the left and right arrows to adjust the brightness of the LCD in real-time.
  5. Click
    Back
    to return to the previous screen.

Enable/Disable the chassis locator LED

You can use the touchscreen LCD to enable and disable the chassis locater LED.
  1. Touch the screen to activate the LCD menus.
  2. Tap
    Options
    .
    The Options screen displays.
  3. Click
    Locator LED
    .
    The Locator LED screen displays.
  4. Tap to enable or disable the chassis locator LED.

About platform LEDs

The behavior of the various LEDs on the platform indicate the status of the system or component.

Status LED

The status LED indicates the operating state of the system.
State
Description
off/none
System is powered down.
green solid
System is running in normal mode. Also indicates that the system is in an Active state of a device group.
amber solid
System is running in an impaired mode or is operating in one of these conditions:
  • It is in the standby power state
  • It is powered on and in the process of booting to
    TMOS
  • It is powered on, but offline, such as when booted to the End-User Diagnostic (EUD)
  • It is booted to
    TMOS
    and is operating as a Standby member of a device group
amber blinking
System might be in a state in which a software or hardware problem is interfering with control of the LCD or communication is lost between the system and the LCD.

Alarm LED

The alarm LED indicates system alarm conditions and the severity of the alarm condition.
There are five levels of messages.
The alarm LED remains lit until you have used the LCD panel to clear alerts above an informational level.
State
Description
off/none
Informational or no alarm conditions are present. System is operating properly.
amber solid
Warning (0). System may not be operating properly, but the condition is not severe or potentially damaging.
amber blinking
Error (1). System is not operating properly, but the condition is not severe or potentially damaging.
red solid
Alert (2) or Critical (3). System is not operating properly, and the condition is potentially damaging.
red blinking
Emergency (4). System is not operating, and the condition is potentially damaging.

Power 1 and Power 2 LEDs

The Power 1 and Power 2 LEDs on the front of the chassis indicate the general operating state of the power supply units (PSUs).
Power supply unit (PSU) state
Description
green solid
PSU is present and operating properly. Also indicates when the system is in power standby mode.
amber solid
PSU is present, but not operating properly.
off/none
No PSU is present.

AC power supply unit (PSU) LEDs

The LEDs located on the AC power supply units (PSUs) indicate the operating state of the PSUs.
Input LED
Output LED
Condition
green solid
green solid
Normal operation
off
off
Fault: Input UV, Input OV, VSB SC
off
amber solid
Not valid
green solid
amber solid
Warning: VSB OC
Fault: Fan, OTP, OC, VOUT OV/UV
green solid
amber blinking
Warning: FAN, OTP, OC, VOUT OV/UV
green blinking
amber solid
Fault: Input OV
green blinking
amber blinking
Warning: Input OV, Input UV
green blinking
off
Not valid
green solid
green blinking
PS_ON_L is high
green solid
off
PS_KILL PSU not inserted
OV - Over Voltage; OTP - Over Temperature Protection; UV - Under Voltage; OC - Over Current; VSB - Standby Voltage

DC power supply unit (PSU) LEDs

The LEDs located on the DC power supply units (PSUs) indicate the operating state of the PSUs.
Input LED
Output/Fault LED
Condition (PUB-0342-01 and later)
green solid
green solid
Normal operation
off
off
Fault: Input UV
off
amber solid
Not valid
green solid
amber solid
Fault: Fan, OTP, OC, VOUT OV/UV, VSB OV/UV
green solid
amber blinking
Warning: FAN, OTP, OC, VOUT OV/UV, VSB OV/UV
green blinking
amber solid
Fault: Input OV
green blinking
amber blinking
Warning: Input OV/UV
green blinking
off
Not valid
green solid
green blinking
PS_ON_L is high
green solid
off
PS_KILL PSU not inserted
OV - Over Voltage; OTP - Over Temperature Protection; UV - Under Voltage; OC - Over Current; VSB - Standby Voltage

Define custom alerts

Two files on the system define alerts that could cause the LED behavior to change:
  • The
    /etc/alertd/alert.conf
    file defines standard system alerts. Do not edit this file.
  • The
    /config/user_alert.conf
    file defines custom settings. You should edit only this file.
  1. Open a command prompt on the system.
  2. Change to the
    /config
    directory.
    cd /config
  3. Using a text editor, such as vi or Pico, open the
    /config/user_alert.conf
    file.
  4. Edit the file, as needed.
    For example, add these lines to the end of the file to create a custom alert in which the front panel LEDs indicate when a node is down:
    alert BIGIP_MCPD_MCPDERR_POOL_MEMBER_MON_DOWN "Pool member (.*?):(.*?) monitor status down." { snmptrap OID=".1.3.6.1.4.1.3375.2.4.0.10"; lcdwarn description="Node down" priority="1" } alert BIGIP_MCPD_MCPDERR_NODE_ADDRESS_MON_DOWN "Node (.*?) monitor status down." { snmptrap OID=".1.3.6.1.4.1.3375.2.4.0.12"; lcdwarn description="Node address down" priority="1" } alert BIGIP_MCPD_MCPDERR_POOL_MEMBER_MON_UP "Pool member (.*?):(.*?) monitor status up." { snmptrap OID=".1.3.6.1.4.1.3375.2.4.0.11" } alert BIGIP_MCPD_MCPDERR_NODE_ADDRESS_MON_UP "Node (.*?) monitor status up." { snmptrap OID=".1.3.6.1.4.1.3375.2.4.0.13" }
  5. Save the file and exit the text editor.

About platform interfaces

Every platform includes multiple interfaces. The exact number of interfaces that are on the system depends on the platform type.
Each interface on the platform has a set of properties that you can configure, such as enabling or disabling the interface, setting the requested media type and duplex mode, and configuring Ethernet flow control.

About 40GbE QSFP+ interfaces

On platforms that include 40GbE interface ports, you can use the ports as a single 40GbE port or as four 10GbE SFP+ ports.
Each 40GbE port supports four bicolor green/amber LEDs to indicate the combined link and activity status of each port while operating in both native 40GbE modes (bundled), in addition to in 4 x 10GbE breakout mode (unbundled). When operating in a native 40GbE mode, all four LEDs operate in unison per port to indicate the combined link and activity status for a given port. When operating in a 4 x 10GbE breakout mode, all four LEDs are used independently to indicate the combined link and activity status for each 10GbE breakout port.
On i15000 Series platforms, the 40GbE ports (1.0-8.0) default to 40GbE.
The cable that you use when operating at 40GbE is an industry-standard OM3 qualified multi-mode fiber optic cable with female MPO/MTP connectors at both ends. You must provide your own cable for 40GbE operation.
You can also disable the 40GbE bundle and use them as individual 10GbE ports using a QSFP+ breakout cable. This cable has a female MPO/MTP connector at one end, which connects to the QSFP+ port, and four LC duplex connectors at the other end, which connect to SFP+ modules on an upstream switch.
If you are using a breakout cable for 10GbE connectivity, you should use the supported distance as detailed in the
Specifications for fiber QSFP+ modules
section and not the
Specifications for fiber SFP+ modules
section of the
F5 Platforms: Accessories
guide at
techdocs.f5.com/en-us/hw-platforms/f5-plat-accessories.html
.
You can order these QSFP+ components from F5:
  • QSFP+ breakout cables (MTP to LC), provided as a pair, in these lengths:
    • 1 meter (F5-UPG-QSFP+-1M-2)
    • 3 meter (F5-UPG-QSFP+-3M-2+)
    • 10 meter (F5-UPG-QSFP+-10M-2)
  • F5-branded 40GbE QSFP+ transceiver modules (F5-UPG-QSFP+)

Configure bundling for 40GbE QSFP+ interfaces using tmsh

You can use
tmsh
to configure bundling for the 40GbE QSFP+ interfaces on a platform. When you disable bundling, you can use the 40GbE ports as individual 10GbE ports.
  1. Open the TMOS Shell (
    tmsh
    ).
    tmsh
  2. Change to the network module.
    net
    The system prompt updates with the module name:
    user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#
  3. Configure bundling for a specific interface.
    modify interface <
    interface-key
    > bundle [ enabled | disabled ]

About 100GbE interfaces

On platforms that include 100GbE interface ports, you can use only F5-branded 100GbE QSFP28 transceiver modules in those ports.
When a 100GbE interface operates at either 40GbE and 100GbE speeds, it is considered to be
bundled
.
On
i15000 Series platforms, the 100GbE ports (9.0-12.0)
default to 100GbE. The cable that you use when operating at 100GbE with 100GBASE-SR4 transceiver modules is an industry-standard OM4 qualified multi-mode fiber optic cable with female MPO/MTP connectors at both ends. The cable that you use with 100GBASE-LR4 transceiver modules is an industry-standard SMF fiber optic cable with LC duplex connectors and a reach of up to 10km. You must provide your own cable and F5-branded QSFP28 transceiver modules for 100GbE operation.
If you are using a breakout cable for 10GbE connectivity, you should use the supported distance as detailed in the
Specifications for fiber QSFP+ modules
section and not the
Specifications for fiber SFP+ modules
section of the
F5 Platforms: Accessories
guide at
techdocs.f5.com/en-us/hw-platforms/f5-plat-accessories.html
.

Configure bundling for 100GbE interfaces using tmsh

You can use
tmsh
to configure bundling for the 100GbE QSFP28 interfaces on the platform at either 100GbE or 40GbE speeds.
The i10010 platform does not support breaking out the 100GbE interfaces (that is, disabling bundling).
  1. Open the TMOS Shell (
    tmsh
    ).
    tmsh
  2. Change to the network module.
    net
    The system prompt updates with the module name:
    user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#
  3. Configure bundling for a specific interface using this syntax.
    modify interface <
    interface-key
    >
    bundle
    [
    enabled
    |
    disabled
    ]
    bundle-speed
    [
    100G
    |
    40G
    |
    not-supported
    ]
    The default value of
    bundle-speed
    is determined by the interface type. Unbundled interfaces have
    bundle-speed
    set to
    not-supported
    .

Configure FEC for 100GbE interfaces using tmsh

If your upstream switch does not support Reed-Solomon Forward Error Correction (RS-FEC), you can use
tmsh
to disable it for the 100GbE interfaces on your platform.
RS-FEC is intended to be enabled with 100GBASE-SR links and disabled for 100GBASE-LR4 links.
  1. Open the TMOS Shell (
    tmsh
    ).
    tmsh
  2. Change to the network module.
    net
    The system prompt updates with the module name:
    user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#
  3. Configure FEC for a specific interface using this syntax.
    modify interface <
    interface-key
    >
    forward-error-correction
    [
    enabled
    |
    disabled
    ]

About managing interfaces

You can use the TMOS Shell (
tmsh
) or the Configuration utility to manage platform interfaces.

View the status of a specific interface using tmsh

You can use
tmsh
to view the status of a specific interface on a platform.
  1. Open the TMOS Shell (
    tmsh
    ).
    tmsh
  2. Change to the network module.
    net
    The system prompt updates with the module name:
    user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#
  3. Display the current status of a specific interface.
    show interface <
    interface-key
    >
    This is an example of the output that you might see when you run this command on a specific interface:
    -------------------------------------------------------------------- Net::Interface Name Status Bits Bits Pkts Pkts Drops Errs Media In Out In Out -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.0 up 254.6M 10.2K 339.8K 15 339.7K 0 40000SR4-FD

View the status of all interfaces using tmsh

You can use
tmsh
to view the status of all interfaces on the platform.
  1. Open the TMOS Shell (
    tmsh
    ).
    tmsh
  2. Change to the network module.
    net
    The system prompt updates with the module name:
    user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#
  3. Display the current status of all interfaces.
    show interface
    This is an example of the output that you might see when you run this command.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------- Net::Interface Name Status Bits Bits Pkts Pkts Drops Errs Media In Out In Out --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.0 up 227.0M 10.2K 303.0K 15 302.8K 0 40000SR4-FD 1.1 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 1.2 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 1.3 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 1.4 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 2.0 miss 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 2.1 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 2.2 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 2.3 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 2.4 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 3.0 miss 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 3.1 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 3.2 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 3.3 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 3.4 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 4.0 miss 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 4.1 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 4.2 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 4.3 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 4.4 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 5.0 miss 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 5.1 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 5.2 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 5.3 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 5.4 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 6.0 miss 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 6.1 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 6.2 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 6.3 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 6.4 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 7.0 miss 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 7.1 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 7.2 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 7.3 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 7.4 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 8.0 miss 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 8.1 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 8.2 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 8.3 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 8.4 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 9.0 miss 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 9.1 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 9.2 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 9.3 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 9.4 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 10.0 miss 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 10.1 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 10.2 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 10.3 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 10.4 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 11.0 miss 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 11.1 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 11.2 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 11.3 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 11.4 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 12.0 miss 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 12.1 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 12.2 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 12.3 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none 12.4 uninit 0 0 0 0 0 0 none mgmt up 6.2M 386.0K 9.1K 439 0 0 1000T-FD

View the status of all interfaces using the Configuration utility

You can use the Configuration utility to view the status of all interfaces on the platform.
  1. On the Main tab, click
    Network
    Interfaces
    Interface List
    .
    This displays the list of available interfaces.
  2. On the menu bar, click
    Statistics
    .
    The Statistics screen for all interfaces opens.

About interface media type and duplex mode

All interfaces on the system default to auto-negotiate speed and full duplex settings. We recommend that you also configure any network equipment that you plan to use with the system to auto-negotiate speed and duplex settings. If you connect the system to network devices with forced speed and duplex settings, you must force the speed and duplex settings of the system to match the settings of the other network device.
If the system is attempting to auto-negotiate interface settings with an interface that has the speed and duplex settings forced (that is, auto-negotiation is disabled), you will experience severe performance degradation.
By default, the media type on interfaces is set to automatically detect speed and duplex settings, but you can specify a media type as well. Use this syntax to set the media type:
tmsh modify net interface <
interface-key
> media <
media-type
> | auto
If the media type does not accept the duplex mode setting, a message appears. If media type is set to
auto
, or if the interface does not accept the duplex mode setting, the duplex setting is not saved to the
/config/bigip_base.conf
file.
Auto-MDI/MDIX functionality is retained when you manually configure an interface to use specific speed and duplex settings. You can use either a straight-through cable or a crossover cable when media settings are forced, and you will be able to successfully link to either DTE or DCE devices.

View valid media types for an interface

You can use
tmsh
to view the valid media types for an interface.
This platform might not support all of the media type options that are available in
tmsh
.
  1. Open the TMOS Shell (
    tmsh
    ).
    tmsh
  2. Change to the network module.
    net
    The system prompt updates with the module name:
    user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#
  3. Display the valid media types for a specific interface.
    list interface <
    interface-key
    > media-capabilities
    In all Gigabit Ethernet modes, the only valid duplex mode is full duplex.
    This is an example of the output that you might see when you run this command on a specific interface:
    net interface 10.1 { media-capabilities-sfp { none auto 1000T-FD 1000LX-FD 1000SX-FD 1000CX-FD 10000SR-FD 10000LR-FD 10000SFPCU-FD } }

Valid media types

This table lists the valid media types for the
tmsh
interface
command.
This platform might not support all of the media type options that are available in the TMOS Shell (
tmsh
).
10baseT half
1000baseLX full
10baseT full
1000baseCX full
10GbaseER full
1000baseT half
10GbaseLR full
1000baseT full
10GbaseSR full
1000baseSX full
10GbaseT full
100GbaseSR4 full
10SFP+Cu full
100GbaseLR4 full
40GbaseSR4 full
auto
40GbaseLR4 full
none
100baseTX half
no-phy
100baseTX full

About network interface LED behavior

The appearance and behavior of the network interface LEDs on the platform indicate network traffic activity, interface speed, and interface duplexity.

QSFP+ port LED behavior

The appearance and behavior of the QSFP+ port LEDs indicate network traffic activity, interface speed, and interface duplexity.
State
Description
off (not lit)
No link.
green solid
Linked at 40GbE when operating as a single 40GbE port (with all four LEDs operating in unison).
green blinking
Link is actively transmitting or receiving data at 40GbE (with all four LEDs operating in unison).
amber solid
Linked at 10GbE when operating as four 10GbE ports.
amber blinking
Link is actively transmitting or receiving data at 10GbE.

QSFP28 port LED behavior

The appearance and behavior of the QSFP28 port LEDs indicate network traffic activity, interface speed, and interface duplexity.
State
Module
Description
off (not lit)
QSFP+ or QSFP28
No link.
blue solid
QSFP28
Linked at 100GbE (with all four LEDs operating in unison).
blue blinking
QSFP28
Link is actively transmitting or receiving data at 100GbE (with all four LEDs operating in unison).
green solid
QSFP+
Linked at 40GbE when operating as a single 40GbE port (with all four LEDs operating in unison).
green blinking
QSFP+
Link is actively transmitting or receiving data at 40GbE (with all four LEDs operating in unison).
amber solid
QSFP+
Linked at 10GbE when operating as four 10 GbE ports.
amber blinking
QSFP+
Link is actively transmitting or receiving data at 10GbE.

About Always-On Management (AOM)

The Always-On Management (AOM) subsystem enables you to manage the system remotely using the serial console or SSH, even if the host is powered down. The AOM Command Menu operates independently of the
Traffic Management Operating System
(
TMOS
).
You can use the command menu to reset the unit if TMOS has locked up or get access to TMOS directly, so that you can configure it from the command-line interface.

Access the AOM Command Menu from the serial console

You can access the AOM Command Menu after connecting to the front panel serial console.
  1. Connect to the system using the serial console.
  2. Open the AOM Command Menu.
    Esc (

AOM Command Menu options

The AOM Command Menu provides the AOM options for the platform. You can access the AOM Command Menu using either a serial console or SSH.
The availability of menu options varies depending on the platform type.
Letter
Option
Description
B
Set console baud rate
Configures the baud speed for connecting to AOM using the serial console. Select from these options:
  • 9600
  • 19200 (default)
  • 38400
  • 57600
  • 115200
I
Display platform information
Displays information about the AOM firmware, bootloader, and management network configuration; chassis serial and part numbers; MAC address; power supply status; LCD status; FIPS initialization error status (if applicable); and power status for the active console.
P
Power on/off host subsystem
Powers the host subsystem on or off.
R
Reset host subsystem
Resets the host subsystem with a hardware reset.
F5 does not recommend using this option under normal circumstances. It does not allow for graceful shutdown of the system.
N
Configure AOM network
Runs the AOM network configuration utility. This utility enables you to reconfigure the IP address, netmask, and default gateway used by AOM. If you use this option while connected using SSH, your session will be disconnected as a part of the network configuration operation.
This option is not available when you are connected using SSH.
S
Configure SSH Server
Sets a session idle timeout (in seconds) for the AOM SSH server. Available values are 0 (no timeout; default value), or between 30 and 86400 (one day).
A
Reset AOM
Resets the AOM subsystem. In this case, the system is reset with a hardware reset.
F5 does not recommend using this option under normal circumstances. It does not allow for graceful shutdown of the system.
Q
Quit menu and return to console
Exits the AOM Command Menu and returns to terminal emulation mode.

Create an AOM admin user account

If you would like to access AOM over the network rather than using the serial console, you need to create an AOM admin user account.
This account is created on the AOM subsystem only and is not saved to your BIG-IP system configuration.
  1. Connect to the system using the serial console.
  2. Create an admin user account:
    • On a newly configured BIG-IP system, type
      aom_setup_user
      .
    • On a previously configured BIG-IP system, type
      aom_setup_user -o
      to override the existing AOM admin user account.
  3. Type the username you want.
  4. Type the required password.
  5. Type the new password again to confirm it.
    When the account creation is successful, a message similar to this one displays:
    AOM username aom-admin successfully set and enabled. Note that the AOM network must be configured via the AOM menu.
  6. Verify that the AOM admin user account is enabled and set up correctly.
    aom_setup_user -l
    A message similar to this one displays:
    Current AOM username: aom-admin (enabled)

Configure the AOM management network

You can assign a management IP address, netmask, and gateway to access AOM either manually or with DHCP.
  1. Connect to the system using the serial console.
  2. Open the AOM Command Menu.
    Esc (
  3. Type
    n
    to open the AOM management network configurator.
  4. Assign a management IP address, netmask, and gateway:
    • To use DHCP to assign the addresses, type
      y
      when prompted about using DHCP.
    • To manually assign the addresses, type
      n
      when prompted about using DHCP. At the prompts, type values for IP address (required), netmask (required), and gateway (optional).
    A confirmation message displays the configured management IP address, netmask, and gateway.
  5. Type
    i
    to verify the assigned addresses.

Access the AOM Command Menu using SSH

Before you access the AOM Command Menu using SSH, you must assign a management IP address, netmask, and gateway for AOM. You can assign the addresses manually or with DHCP. You must also create an AOM admin user account.
You can access the AOM Command Menu remotely using SSH from a management workstation that is connected to the same subnet as the platform's management (MGMT) interface.
On this platform, AOM allows only one SSH connection at a time.
  1. Open an SSH session, where <
    aom-username
    > is the AOM admin user account that you configured for the system, and <
    ip-address
    > is the IP address that you configured for AOM.
    ssh <
    aom-username
    >@<
    ip-address
    >
  2. Type the previously configured AOM user password.
  3. Open the AOM Command Menu.
    Esc (

Set an SSH idle session timeout

You can specify a timeout value (in seconds) for idle AOM SSH sessions. You can access the AOM Command Menu using either a serial console or SSH.
  1. Connect to the system using the serial console.
  2. Open the AOM Command Menu.
    Esc (
  3. Type
    s
    to configure a timeout value for idle SSH sessions.
  4. Type a timeout value.
    The default value is 0 (no timeout). Available values are 0, or between 30 and 86400 (one day).

Disable network configuration

You can connect to the system's serial console to disable SSH access to AOM over the network. This does not affect console access to AOM.
  1. Connect to the system using the serial console.
  2. Open the AOM Command Menu.
    Esc (
  3. Type
    n
    to open the AOM management network configurator.
  4. When prompted about using DHCP, type
    n
    .
  5. At the IP address prompt type
    0.0.0.0
    .
    A confirmation message displays the configured management IP address, netmask, and gateway.
  6. Type
    i
    to verify that network configuration is disabled.