Manual Chapter : Platform Overview

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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

100/1000/10000 (100Base-T, 1GBase-T, 10GBase-T) capable management port

USB 3.0 port

Console serial port

Serial (hard-wired) failover port

40GbE QSFP+ ports (8)

100GbE QSFP28 ports (4)

Indicator LEDs

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

Fan tray (removable)

Power input panel 1 (AC power receptacle)

Power input panel 2 (AC power receptacle)

Chassis ground terminals

Back view of the i15000 Series DC-powered platform

Fan tray (removable)

Power input panel 1 (DC terminal)

Power input panel 2 (DC terminal)

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.

Touch the screen to activate the LCD menus.

Tap

System

The System screen displays.

On the System screen, tap

Soft Reboot

Tap

Confirm

to reboot the unit.

Reset the unit

You can use the touchscreen LCD to perform a hard reset of the unit.

Touch the screen to activate the LCD menus.

Tap

System

The System screen displays.

On the System screen, tap

Hard Reset

Tap

Confirm

to reset the unit.

Halt the unit

You can use the touchscreen LCD to halt the unit.

Touch the screen to activate the LCD menus.

Tap

System

The System screen displays.

On the System screen, tap

Halt

Tap

Confirm

to halt the unit.

Power off/on the unit

You can use the touchscreen LCD to power the unit off and on.

Touch the screen to activate the LCD menus.

Tap

System

The System screen displays.

On the System screen, swipe up to scroll down and tap

Power Off

Power On

Tap

Confirm

to power off/on the unit.

Clear alerts

You can use the touchscreen LCD to clear alerts from the LCD.

Touch the screen to activate the LCD menus.

Tap

Alerts

The Alerts screen displays.

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.

Touch the screen to activate the LCD menus.

Tap

Options

The Options screen displays.

Tap

Display

The Brightness screen displays.

Use the left and right arrows to adjust the brightness of the LCD in real-time.

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.

Touch the screen to activate the LCD menus.

Tap

Options

The Options screen displays.

Click

Locator LED

The Locator LED screen displays.

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.

Open a command prompt on the system.

Change to the

/config

directory.

cd /config

Using a text editor, such as vi or Pico, open the

/config/user_alert.conf

file.

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"
}

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.

Open the TMOS Shell (

tmsh

Change to the network module.

net

The system prompt updates with the module name:

user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#

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

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).

Open the TMOS Shell (

tmsh

Change to the network module.

net

The system prompt updates with the module name:

user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#

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.

Open the TMOS Shell (

tmsh

Change to the network module.

net

The system prompt updates with the module name:

user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#

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.

Open the TMOS Shell (

tmsh

Change to the network module.

net

The system prompt updates with the module name:

user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#

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.

Open the TMOS Shell (

tmsh

Change to the network module.

net

The system prompt updates with the module name:

user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#

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.

On the Main tab, click

Network

Interfaces

Interface List

This displays the list of available interfaces.

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

Open the TMOS Shell (

tmsh

Change to the network module.

net

The system prompt updates with the module name:

user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#

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.

Connect to the system using the serial console.

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.

Connect to the system using the serial console.

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.

Type the username you want.

Type the required password.

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.

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.

Connect to the system using the serial console.

Open the AOM Command Menu.

Esc (

Type

to open the AOM management network configurator.

Assign a management IP address, netmask, and gateway:

To use DHCP to assign the addresses, type

when prompted about using DHCP.

To manually assign the addresses, type

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.

Type

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.

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>

Type the previously configured AOM user password.

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.

Connect to the system using the serial console.

Open the AOM Command Menu.

Esc (

Type

to configure a timeout value for idle SSH sessions.

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.

Connect to the system using the serial console.

Open the AOM Command Menu.

Esc (

Type

to open the AOM management network configurator.

When prompted about using DHCP, type

At the IP address prompt type

0.0.0.0

A confirmation message displays the configured management IP address, netmask, and gateway.

Type

to verify that network configuration is disabled.

Subscriptions

Product Usage

Trials

Registration Keys

Downloads

Applies To:

Platform Overview

About i15000 Series models

About the platform

Hardware included with the platform

Peripheral hardware required

About LCD menus

System menu

Alerts menu

Options menu

Setup menu

About using the LCD

Reboot the unit

Reset the unit

Halt the unit

Power off/on the unit

Clear alerts

Configure LCD brightness

Enable/Disable the chassis locator LED

About platform LEDs

Status LED

Alarm LED

Power 1 and Power 2 LEDs

AC power supply unit (PSU) LEDs

DC power supply unit (PSU) LEDs

Define custom alerts

About platform interfaces

About 40GbE QSFP+ interfaces

Configure bundling for 40GbE QSFP+ interfaces using tmsh

About 100GbE interfaces

Configure bundling for 100GbE interfaces using tmsh

Configure FEC for 100GbE interfaces using tmsh

About managing interfaces

View the status of a specific interface using tmsh

View the status of all interfaces using tmsh

View the status of all interfaces using the Configuration utility

About interface media type and duplex mode

View valid media types for an interface

Valid media types

About network interface LED behavior

QSFP+ port LED behavior

QSFP28 port LED behavior

About Always-On Management (AOM)

Access the AOM Command Menu from the serial console

AOM Command Menu options

Create an AOM admin user account

Configure the AOM management network

Access the AOM Command Menu using SSH

Set an SSH idle session timeout

Disable network configuration

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