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Manual Chapter : Overview: VELOS system initial configuration

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Manual Chapter

Overview: VELOS system initial configuration

The VELOS Setup wizard is available to assist you in setting up basic management networking for the system controllers on the VELOS system. You can opt to enable DHCP and have your IP address settings configured automatically or disable DHCP and manually configure your IP address settings.
After you have configured network settings using the Setup wizard, you can use the VELOS webUI to perform additional configuration of your VELOS system, including:
  • Running the Setup wizard
  • Logging in to the system controller webUI
  • Licensing the VELOS system
  • Editing the default chassis partition
  • Creating a VLAN
  • Adding a tenant image
  • Deploying a tenant

Run the VELOS Setup wizard

After the VELOS chassis is physically installed and powered on in your data center, you can access the CLI of the system and run the Setup wizard to perform basic configuration. In this scenario, you run the Setup wizard and enable DHCP. The wizard steps you through configuration of DHCP, DNS, and NTP on the system controllers. With DHCP enabled, management IP addresses are assigned automatically, so you do not need to configure them.
Upon completion, the Setup wizard automatically puts the system into appliance mode, which disables the root account and
bash
 access.
  1. Connect to the system using a management console or console server.
    The default baud rate and serial port configuration is 19200/8-N-1.
  2. Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the active system controller using an account with admin access.
    The default login credentials are admin/admin. When logging in as admin for the first time, the system prompts you to change the password.
    When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
  3. Verify that you are logged in to the active controller by checking the system prompt.
    The system prompt includes "active" when you are logged in to the active controller, as shown in this example:
    syscon-1-active#
  4. After you change the admin password, log out as the admin user.
    exit
    You run the Setup wizard using the root account, but will need the admin user credentials to commit the configuration changes that you make using the Setup wizard.
    The prompt changes back to the
    login
     prompt.
  5. Log in as the root user.
    The default login credentials are root/default. When logging in as root for the first time, the system prompts you to change the password.
    The chassis has completed the boot sequence when a
    bash
     prompt displays.
    bash-4.2#
  6. Run the Setup wizard.
    velos-setup-wizard
    The interactive Setup wizard displays. As you enter IP addresses during the setup process, the wizard populates those values in the appropriate fields on the screen.
    ___VELOS_SETUP_WIZARD___
					
DHCP: false
IPv4: false     prefix: [IPv4]
floating: [IPv4]             controller-2: [IPv4]
controller-1: [IPv4]                  gateway: [IPv4]

DNS: false     server: [DNS]              port: [DNS]
NTP: false     server: [NTP]              port: [NTP]
					
Would you like to enable DHCP for management IP/DNS configuration?
Y/y: Yes    N/n: No    Q/q: Quit    Enter: Submit
  7. When prompted whether you want to enable DHCP, type
    n
     and press Enter.
    If you do want to enable DHCP, type
    y
    , press Enter, and skip to step 9.
  8. When prompted whether you want to configure IPv4 management networking, type
    y
     and press Enter.
    1. Type the floating management IPv4 address for the system controllers and press Enter.
    2. Type the management IPv4 address for controller-1 and press Enter.
    3. Type the management IPv4 address for controller-2 and press Enter.
    4. Type the IPv4 gateway address and press Enter.
    5. Type the IPv4 prefix length (0-32) and press Enter.
  9. When prompted whether you want to configure a DNS server, type
    y
     and press Enter.
    1. Type the IPv4 address for your DNS server and press Enter.
    2. Type the port number for your DNS server and press Enter.
      The default value is 53. To use the default, press Enter at the prompt, and the system will use the default value automatically.
  10. When prompted whether you want to configure an NTP server, type
    y
     and press Enter.
    1. Type the IP address for your NTP server and press Enter.
    2. Type the port number for your NTP server and press Enter.
      The default value is 123. To use the default, press Enter at the prompt, and the system will use the default value automatically.
  11. When prompted whether you want to commit the configuration, type
    y
     and press Enter.
  12. When prompted for a login username, type your admin username and press Enter.
  13. When prompted for a login password, type your admin password and press Enter.
    When the configuration commits successfully, these messages display in sequence: 
    DHCP...Committed

NTP server IPv4 address...Committed

Enabling appliance mode...Committed

Configuration committed. Appliance mode enabled. Press Enter to exit.
  14. Verify that all networking settings are configured correctly.
    1. Log in using the admin account.
      su admin
    2. Verify whether DHCP is enabled.
      In this example, DHCP is confirmed as being enabled:
      syscon-1-active# show running-config system mgmt-ip config dhcp-enabled
system mgmt-ip config dhcp-enabled true
    3. Verify that the management port IP addresses are configured.
      In this example, IPv4 addresses are confirmed as being configured:
      syscon-1-active# show system mgmt-ip
system mgmt-ip state floating ipv4-address 192.0.2.10
system mgmt-ip state floating ipv6-address ::
IPV4                             IPV6
PREFIX                  IPV6     PREFIX  IPV6
CONTROLLER  IPV4 ADDRESS    LENGTH  IPV4 GATEWAY    ADDRESS  LENGTH  GATEWAY
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1           192.0.2.1       24      192.0.2.254     ::       0       ::
2           192.0.2.2       24      192.0.2.254     ::       0       ::
    4. Verify that the DNS server is configured.
      In this example, two DNS servers are confirmed as being configured:
      syscon-1-active# show system dns
ADDRESS       ADDRESS  PORT
-----------------------------
192.0.2.100   -        53
192.0.2.101   -        53
    5. Verify that the NTP is configured.
      In this example, a DNS server is confirmed as being configured:
      syscon-1-active# show system ntp
							system ntp state enabled
ASSOCIATION                           ROOT   ROOT                POLL
ADDRESS       ADDRESS       PORT  VERSION  TYPE         IBURST  PREFER  STRATUM  DELAY  DISPERSION  OFFSET  INTERVAL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pool.ntp.org  pool.ntp.org  123   4        POOL         false   true    -        -      -           -       -
The system controllers are now set up. The Setup wizard automatically puts the system into appliance mode, which disables the root account and
bash
 access. You can disable appliance mode from the CLI or webUI by using an admin account. For more information, see
VELOS Systems: Administration and Configuration
 at support.f5.com.
Next, you will continue configuring the system by accessing the webUI using the floating management IP address and applying a license.

Log in to the system controller webUI

Before you can log in to the system controller, you need to have completed initial configuration using the Setup wizard (or using CLI commands) on a management console or console server. You use the floating IP address that was specified during initial configuration in this task.
You can now begin to administer the VELOS system by logging in to the system controller webUI. Here you can adjust settings, create partitions, and view system status.
  1. From a web browser, log in to the system controller using the floating IP address and the admin account.
    The System Controller Dashboard is displayed and shows a graphical view of the chassis initially preconfigured with one default chassis partition. The slots for all blades are automatically assigned as members of that partition.
  2. To get contextual online Help, click the button in the upper right.
    Online Help for that particular screen displays.
  3. To get an idea of the available menu items on the left, click on them.
    Different sections in the menu let you manage chassis partitions, networking, system settings, and user authentication and accounts.
When you are done exploring the webUI, continue with initial configuration tasks.

License the system automatically from the webUI

You can license the VELOS system automatically from the webUI, as long as the system has Internet access.
  1. Log in to the system controller webUI using an account with admin access.
  2. On the left, click
    SYSTEM SETTINGS
    Licensing
    .
  3. For the
    Base Registration Key
     field, the registration key is auto-populated.
    You can choose to overwrite this field with a new registration key.
  4. For the
    Add-On Keys
     field, the associated add-on keys are auto-populated.
    You can click
    +
     or
    x
     to add or remove additional add-on keys.
    To add add-on keys to a licensed system, type the keys in the
    Add-On Keys
     field and click
    Reactivate
    .
  5. For the
    Activation Method
    , select
    Automatic
    .
  6. Click
    Activate
    .
    The End User License Agreement (EULA) displays.
  7. Click
    Agree
     to accept the EULA, .
The system is now licensed. If a base registration key or add-on key fails to activate, try re-activating the license or contact support.f5.com.

Edit the default chassis partition from the webUI

After you have licensed the system, you can configure the
default
 chassis partition, which comes preconfigured on the system with the software already installed on it. The slots for all blades are automatically assigned as members of the default partition, and you can use the default partition to get started.
  1. Log in to the system controller webUI using an account with admin access.
  2. On the left, click
    CHASSIS PARTITIONS
    .
    The Chassis Partitions screen opens where you can see a graphical view of the VELOS chassis and see that the default chassis partition is already set up with all slots associated with it.
  3. Click the check box next to the default partition.
  4. Click the
    Edit
    button.
  5. In the IPv4 section:
    1. For
      IP Address
      , type the IP address of the chassis partition.
    2. For
      Prefix Length
      , type a number from 1-32 for the length of the prefix.
    3. For
      Gateway
      , type the IP address of the gateway.
  6. For
    Partition Image
    , define the software to use for the chassis partition:
    If you don't select a partition image, the partition state will be disabled, and you will get an error message.
    1. Click
      Bundled
       to install the entire operating system for the chassis partition.
    2. Under ISO Image, select the uploaded software image to run on the chassis partition.
  7. Click
    Save
    .
    The changes you made to the default partition are saved and the partition is set to
    Enabled
    .
    It might take a few minutes for the Operational State to update to say
    Running
    .
When the Operational State says Running, you can log into the default chassis partition using its management IP address to access the partition webUI and create a VLAN.

Create a VLAN from the webUI

You can create a VLAN and associate physical interfaces or LAGs with that VLAN. In this way, any host that sends traffic to an interface is logically a member of the VLAN or VLANs to which that interface or LAG belongs. You need to create a VLAN before you can deploy a tenant.
  1. Log in to the chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.
    The default login credentials are admin/admin. When logging in as admin for the first time, you should change the password.
  2. On the left, click
    NETWORK SETTINGS
    VLANs
    .
    The screen shows VLANs that are configured for that chassis partition.
  3. Click
    Add
    .
  4. In the
    Name
     field, type a name for the VLAN.
  5. In the
    VLAN ID
    , type a number between 1-4094 for the VLAN.
    The VLAN ID identifies the traffic from hosts in the associated VLAN for an associated interface or LAG.
  6. Click
    Add VLAN
     to create the VLAN.
    The VLAN is created and displayed in the VLAN list. You can use the VLANs when configuring interfaces and creating LAGs.
You can now deploy a tenant using the same chassis partition webUI.

Deploy tenants from the webUI

Before you get started, decide on which slots you want to deploy the tenant. You must also have created a VLAN in the chassis partition.
You can deploy a tenant from within the default chassis partition.
  1. Log in to the chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.
  2. On the left, click
    TENANT MANAGEMENT
    Tenant Deployments
    .
    The Tenant Deployment screen displays showing the existing tenant deployments and associated details.
  3. To add a tenant deployment, click
    Add
    .
    The Add Tenant Deployment screen displays.
  4. For
    Name
    , type a name for the tenant deployment (up to 49 characters).
    The first character in the name cannot be a number. After that, only lowercase alphanumeric characters and hyphens are allowed.
  5. Leave
    Type
     set to the default
    BIG-IP
    .
  6. For
    Image
    , select a software image.
  7. For
    Allowed Slots
    , first select the appropriate option:
    • Partition Member Slots
       lists only slots that the chassis partition includes.
    • Any Slots
       lists any slot on the chassis even if not associated with the chassis partition, and even if no blade is installed in that slot. You have the option of selecting slots 1-8 whether or not they are associated with the chassis partition. This allows you to preconfigure tenant deployments before the hardware is installed and before the partition is configured to include it.
    Then, select the slots (or blades) that you want the tenant to span from the list.
  8. For
    IP Address
    , type the IP address of the tenant.
  9. For
    Prefix Length
    , type a number from 1-32 for the length of the prefix.
  10. For
    Gateway
    , type the IP address of the gateway.
  11. For
    VLANs
    , select the VLAN that you created.
  12. For
    Resource Provisioning
    , select
    Recommended
    This specifies recommended values for vCPUs and memory for the tenant.
  13. For
    vCPUs Per Slot
    , select
    2
    .
  14. For
    Memory Per Slot
    , accept the default values.
  15. For
    State
    , choose
    Deployed
    .
    This changes the tenant to the Deployed state. The tenant is set up, resources are allocated to the tenant, the image is moved onto the blade, the software is installed, and after those tasks are complete, the tenant is fully deployed and running. If you choose this option, it takes a few minutes to complete the deployment and bring up the system.
  16. For
    Crypto/Compression Acceleration
    , select
    Enabled
    .
    When this option is enabled, the tenant receives dedicated crypto devices proportional to number of vCPU cores. Crypto processing and compression are off-loaded to the hardware.
  17. For
    Appliance Mode
    , accept the default value (
    Disabled
    .)
  18. Click
    Save & Close
    .
The tenant is now configured and in the Deployed state. When the status says Running, the tenant administrator can use the management IP address to connect to the tenant's web-based user interface or connect using SSH to the CLI, and then continue configuring the tenant system.
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