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Manual Chapter : Install or Upgrade Software

Applies To:

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F5OS-C

  • 1.8.2, 1.8.1
Manual Chapter

Install or Upgrade Software

Installation and upgrade options

There are several types of installation and upgrade options for
F5OS
 software:
  • Rolling upgrade
  • Out-of-service system upgrade
  • Clean (or bare metal) installation

Rolling upgrade

A rolling upgrade installs new
F5OS
 version 1.2.0 or later software on one system controller or blade in a chassis partition at a time, without an interruption to system controller availability.
This method preserves old image and configuration data, and includes these three sub-types:
ISO upgrade
Upgrades both the operating system (os) and services for system controllers or chassis partitions.
Partial upgrade
Upgrades OS or services for system controllers or partitions only. The partial update os file has a .os extension and the service file has a .img extension. You import partial upgrade files by using either the
file import
 command, the webUI, or by logging in as a root user and using SCP to copy files to the active system controller at the
images/import/os
 or
images/import/services
 directories respectively.
Patch upgrade
Upgrades or patches a subset of system controller or partition services. The patch file has a .patch extension. You import patch upgrade files by using either the
file import
 command, the webUI, or by logging in as a root user and using SCP to copy files to the active system controller at the
images/import/services
 directory.

Out-of-service system upgrade

An out-of-service system upgrade installs new software on both system controllers or all blades in a chassis partition and results in a service outage.
This was the default upgrade method for software versions prior to
F5OS
 version 1.2.0. It preserves old image and configuration data, and includes these three sub-types:
ISO upgrade
Upgrades both the operating system (OS) and services for system controllers or chassis partitions.
Partial upgrade
Upgrades os or services for system controllers or partitions only. The partial update OS file has a .os extension and service file has a .img extension. You import partial upgrade files by using either the
system import
 command, the webUI, or by logging in as a root user and using SCP to copy files to the active system controller at the
images/import/os
 or
images/import/services
 directories respectively.
Patch upgrade
Upgrades or patches a subset of system controller or partition services. The patch file has a .patch extension. You import patch upgrade files by using either the
file import
 command, the webUI, or by logging in as a root user and using SCP to copy files to the active system controller at the
images/import/services
 directory.

Clean installation

A clean installation reformats the disk of specific components and restores the system to factory defaults.
Formatting erases all data on your system.
For information on configuring your
VELOS
 system after you complete a software installation or upgrade, see
VELOS Systems: Administration and Configuration
 in the F5OS Knowledge Center at support.f5.com.

Rolling upgrades

You perform a rolling upgrade of
F5OS
 software when you want to upgrade the software on one system controller or chassis partition software at a time with a point release or engineering hot fix. This installation method completes without a system controller outage, however, F5 recommends that you perform the update during a maintenance window. After the installation completes, the system reboots the system controllers or blades automatically.
During a rolling upgrade, you might lose access to tenant management interfaces for up to two minutes.

Rolling upgrades of
F5OS
 software from the CLI

You can use the CLI to perform a rolling upgrade of
F5OS
 software.

Perform a rolling upgrade on a system controller from the CLI

Verify that you have downloaded and imported the
F5OS
 image files from
F5
 before you attempt to upgrade.
You can upgrade
F5OS
 software on a system controller from the CLI. This method upgrades only one system controller at a time. When the installation succeeds, the second system controller updates.
When upgrading from F5OS v1.6.2 to F5OS v1.8.1 or higher version in FIPS mode, both the system controllers will be upgraded at the same time. When the installation succeeds, you need to manually update the Chassis partition using the command mentioned in ‌step 7. Ensure that the system controller and chassis partition software images are of the same version and in a ready state.
  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 system controller using an account with admin access.
    When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
  3. Verify that the image you want to install is listed, and the status is
    ready
    .
    show image
    This verifies that the ISO is imported properly to the image server on the system controllers, and the system controllers can access these images when it reboots.
    A summary similar to this excerpt displays: 
    syscon-1-active# show image
VERSION OS                                  IN
CONTROLLER  CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE
--------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  1           ready   2022-12-19  true

VERSION
SERVICE                                     IN
CONTROLLER  CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE
--------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  1           ready   2022-12-19  true

VERSION
ISO                                         IN
CONTROLLER  CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE
---------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  1           ready   2022-12-19  false

VERSION OS                                  IN
CONTROLLER  CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE
--------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  2           ready   2022-12-19  true

VERSION
SERVICE                                     IN
CONTROLLER  CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE
--------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  2           ready   2022-12-19  true

VERSION
ISO                                         IN
CONTROLLER  CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE
---------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  2           ready   2022-12-19  false

VERSION OS                                  IN
PARTITION   CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE   NAME     ID
---------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  1           ready   2022-12-19  true  default  1
                                                  second   2
                                                  third    3
...
  4. Change to config mode.
    config
    The CLI prompt changes to include
    (config)
    .
  5. Set the ISO version to the new version.
    When upgrading from F5OS v1.6.2 to F5OS v1.8.1 or higher version in FIPS mode, ensure that the system controller and chassis partition software images are of the same version and in a ready state.
    system image set-version iso-version <
    version
    > proceed [ yes | no ]
    By default, you will be prompted to confirm the upgrade. To bypass the confirmation prompt, include
    proceed yes
     at the end of the command sequence.
    This example shows upgrading the ISO version: 
    syscon-1-active(config)# system image set-version iso-version 1.6.0-7890
    These examples show upgrading
    os-version
     and
    service-version
    :
    Upgrade OS version: 
    syscon-1-active(config)# system image set-version os-version 1.6.0-7890
    Upgrade service version: 
    syscon-1-active(config)# system image set-version service-version 1.6.0-7890
  6. When the compatibility check succeeds, enter
    yes
     to proceed with the installation process.
    A summary similar to this excerpt displays:
    syscon-1-active(config)# system image set-version iso-version 1.6.0-7890
response Controller iso version has been set
						
Controller will reboot here, wait for reboot to complete and services to come up. Check controller networking, cluster status, partition status
  7. This step is only applicable to when upgrading from F5OS v1.6.2 to F5OS v1.8.1 or higher version in FIPS mode. After you complete an upgrade of the system controller software, you upgrade the chassis partition software. See
    Perform a rolling upgrade in FIPS mode on a chassis partition from the CLI
    .
The upgrade installs on the standby system controller, while the active system controller maintains production functionality of the chassis. After a successful upgrade, the active system controller reboots and switches to standby. Traffic is interrupted briefly during the failover from one system controller to the other, and you will have to log in again after failover occurs. The upgrade then installs on the second system controller. If, for any reason, the update is not successful, the system reverts to the last working software version on both system controllers.
After you complete an upgrade of the system controller software, you upgrade the chassis partition software.

Perform a rolling upgrade on a chassis partition from the CLI

Verify that you have downloaded and imported the
F5OS
 image files from F5 before you attempt to upgrade.
You can upgrade
F5OS
 software on a chassis partition from the CLI. This method upgrades only one blade in a chassis partition at a time and might cause an outage on any running tenants. When the installation succeeds, the remaining blades update.
  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 system controller using an account with admin access.
    When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
  3. Verify that the image you want to install is listed, and the status is
    ready
    .
    show image partition state
    This verifies that the ISO is imported properly to the image server on the system controllers, and the system controllers can access these images when the blade reboots. The imported file replicates automatically to the standby controller.
    A summary similar to this excerpt displays: 
    syscon-1-active# show image partition state
VERSION OS                                  IN
PARTITION   CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE   NAME     ID
---------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  1           ready   2022-12-19  true  default  1
                                                  px26     2

VERSION
SERVICE                                     IN
PARTITION   CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE   NAME     ID
---------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  1           ready   2022-12-19  true  default  1
                                                  px26     2

VERSION
ISO                                         IN
PARTITION   CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE    NAME  ID
-------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  1           ready   2022-12-19  false

VERSION OS                                  IN
PARTITION   CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE   NAME     ID
---------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  2           ready   2022-12-19  true  default  1
                                                  px26     2

VERSION
SERVICE                                     IN
PARTITION   CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE   NAME     ID
---------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  2           ready   2022-12-19  true  default  1
                                                  px26     2

VERSION
ISO                                         IN
PARTITION   CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE    NAME  ID
-------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  2           ready   2022-12-19  false
  4. Change to config mode.
    config
    The CLI prompt changes to include
    (config)
    .
  5. Set the ISO, OS, or service version for the chassis partition so that its member blades are upgraded.
    partitions partition <
    name
    > set-version {
    iso-version
     |
    os-version
     |
    service-version
     } <
    version
    > proceed [
    yes
     |
    no
     ]
    By default, you will be prompted to confirm the upgrade. Type
    yes
     to proceed with the upgrade.
    To bypass the confirmation prompt, include
    proceed yes
     at the end of the command sequence.
    This example shows upgrading the ISO version on the default chassis partition: 
    syscon-1-active(config)# partitions partition default set-version iso-version 1.6.0-7890
    These examples show upgrading
    os-version
     and
    service-version
    :
    Upgrade OS version on a chassis partition named
    PartitionA
    : 
    syscon-1-active(config)# partitions partition PartitionA set-version os-version 1.6.0-7890
    Upgrade service version on a chassis partition named
    PartitionB
    : 
    syscon-1-active(config)# partitions partition PartitionB set-version service-version 1.6.0-7890
  6. When the compatibility check succeeds, enter
    yes
     to proceed with the installation process.
    A summary similar to this excerpt displays:
    syscon-1-active(config)# partitions partition default set-version iso-version 1.6.0-7890
Partition database compatibility check succeeded.
Changing running partition software version will interrupt tenant operation. Proceed? [yes/no]: yes
result Version update successful.
These commands upgrade the selected chassis partition to the specified version. The blades might reboot, depending on the changes in the install. After a successful upgrade, the upgrade installs on the remaining blades.

Perform a rolling upgrade in FIPS mode on a chassis partition from the CLI

Verify that you have downloaded and imported the
F5OS
 image files from F5 before you attempt to upgrade. Ensure that the system controller and chassis partition software images are of the same version
  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 system controller using an account with admin access.
    When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
  3. Verify that the image you want to install is listed, and the status is
    ready
    .
    show partitions partition state controllers
    A summary similar to this excerpt displays: 
    syscon-1-active# show partitions partition state controllers 
                                    RUNNING              
                    PARTITION       SERVICE      STATUS  
NAME    CONTROLLER  STATUS          VERSION      AGE     
---------------------------------------------------------
none                                                     
de      1           running-active  1.6.2-37604  13m     
        2           starting        -            33s     
second  1           running-active  1.6.2-37604  12m     
        2           starting        -            33s     
third   1           running-active  1.6.2-37604  11m     
        2           starting        -            32s
  4. Change to config mode.
    config
    The CLI prompt changes to include
    (config)
    .
  5. Set the ISO, OS, or service version for the chassis partition so that its member blades are upgraded.
    system image set-version-fips iso-version <
    version
    > proceed [
    yes
     |
    no
     ]
    A summary similar to this excerpt displays:
    syscon-1-active(config)# system image set-version-fips iso-version 1.8.1-24271 proceed yes
  6. When the compatibility check succeeds, enter
    yes
     to proceed with the installation process.
These commands upgrade the selected chassis partition to the specified version.

Rolling upgrades of
F5OS
 software from the webUI

You can use the system controller webUI to perform a rolling upgrade of
F5OS
 software.

Perform a rolling upgrade on a system controller from the webUI

Verify that you have downloaded and imported the
F5OS
 image files from
F5
 before you attempt to upgrade.
You can upgrade
F5OS
 software on a system controller using the system controller webUI. This method upgrades only one system controller at a time. When the installation succeeds, the second system controller updates.
  1. Log in to the VELOS system controller webUI using an account with admin access.
  2. On the left, click
    SYSTEM SETTINGS
    Controller Management
    .
  3. In the Update Software section, for
    Update System Controller Software
    :
    • To install a full F5OS-C version release, select
      Bundled
      .
    • To install F5OS-C and service version releases independently, select
      Unbundled
      .
    When upgrading from F5OS v1.6.2 to F5OS v1.8.1 or higher version in FIPS mode, ensure that the system controller and chassis partition software images are of the same version and in a ready state. FIPS mode only supports
    Bundled
     Upgrades.
  4. For
    ISO Image
    , select the full version release ISO image.
    This field is available when
    Bundled
     is selected.
  5. For
    Base OS Version
    , select the F5OS version.
    This field is available when
    Unbundled
     is selected.
  6. For
    Service Version
    , select the service version release.
    This field is available when
    Unbundled
     is selected.
  7. Leave the advanced options hidden.
  8. Click
    Save
    .
The upgrade installs on the standby system controller, while the active system controller maintains production functionality of the chassis. After a successful upgrade, the active system controller reboots and switches to standby. Traffic is interrupted briefly during the failover from one system controller to the other, and you will have to log in again after failover occurs. The upgrade then installs on the second system controller. If, for any reason, the update is not successful, the system reverts to the last working software version on both system controllers.
After you complete an upgrade of the system controller software, you upgrade the chassis partition software.
When upgrading from F5OS v1.6.2 to F5OS v1.8.1 or higher version in FIPS mode, both the system controllers will be upgraded at the same time. After you complete an upgrade of the system controller software, you can upgrade the chassis partition software.

Perform a rolling upgrade on a chassis partition from the webUI

Verify that you have downloaded and imported the
F5OS
 image files from F5 before you attempt to upgrade.
You can upgrade
F5OS
 software on a chassis partition from the system controller webUI. This method upgrades only one blade in a chassis partition at a time and might cause an outage on any running tenants. When the installation succeeds, the remaining blades in the chassis partition update.
  1. Log in to the VELOS system controller webUI using an account with admin access.
  2. On the left, click
    CHASSIS PARTITIONS
    .
    The Chassis Partitions screen opens.
  3. In the Partition list, select the chassis partition that you want to upgrade.
  4. Click
    Edit
    .
  5. Select an installation type:
    • Choose
      Bundled
       to install an ISO image.
    • Choose
      Unbundled
       to install a base OS version and service version independently.
  6. In the Partition Image section, select the software image version (or versions if performing an unbundled upgrade).
  7. Click
    Save
    .
The upgrade installs on the blades in the chassis partition. If, for any reason, the update is not successful, the system reverts to the last working software version on the chassis partition.

Out-of-service system
 upgrades

You perform a system upgrade of
F5OS
 software when you want to upgrade the software on
both system controllers or on a chassis partition
 with a point release or engineering hotfix. This installation method results in a full service outage and reboots the
system controller or blade
 automatically when installation completes.

Out-of-service upgrades of F5OS software from the CLI

You can use the CLI to perform an out-of-service upgrade of
F5OS
 software.

Perform an out-of-service upgrade of
F5OS
 software on a system controller from the CLI

Verify that you have downloaded and imported the F5OS-C image files from F5 before you attempt to upgrade.
You can use the
out-of-service
 option to upgrade
F5OS
 software on a system controller from the CLI. This method upgrades the software on both system controllers and results in a service outage.
You must use this method if you are upgrading to a software version earlier than
F5OS
 version 1.2.0.
  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 system controller using an account with admin access.
    When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
  3. Verify that the image you want to install is listed, and the status is
    ready
    .
    show image
    This verifies that the ISO is imported properly to the image server on the system controllers, and the system controllers can access these images when the blade reboots.
    A summary similar to this excerpt displays: 
    syscon-1-active# show image
VERSION OS                                  IN
CONTROLLER  CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE
--------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  1           ready   2022-12-19  true

VERSION
SERVICE                                     IN
CONTROLLER  CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE
--------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  1           ready   2022-12-19  true

VERSION
ISO                                         IN
CONTROLLER  CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE
---------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  1           ready   2022-12-19  false

VERSION OS                                  IN
CONTROLLER  CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE
--------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  2           ready   2022-12-19  true

VERSION
SERVICE                                     IN
CONTROLLER  CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE
--------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  2           ready   2022-12-19  true

VERSION
ISO                                         IN
CONTROLLER  CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE
---------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  2           ready   2022-12-19  false

VERSION OS                                  IN
PARTITION   CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE   NAME     ID
---------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  1           ready   2022-12-19  true  default  1
second   2
third    3
...
  4. Change to config mode.
    config
    The CLI prompt changes to include
    (config)
    .
  5. Set the ISO version to the new version and use the
    out-of-service
     option to update the software on both system controllers.
    system image set-version iso-version <
    version
    > out-of-service [ true | false ] proceed [ yes | no ]
    By default, you will be prompted to confirm the upgrade. To bypass the confirmation prompt, include
    proceed yes
     at the end of the command sequence.
    This example shows upgrading the ISO version: 
    syscon-1-active(config)# system image set-version iso-version 1.6.0-7890 out-of-service true
    These examples show upgrading
    os-version
     and
    service-version
    , using the
    out-of-service
     option:
    Upgrade OS version: 
    syscon-1-active(config)# system image set-version os-version 1.6.0-7890 out-of-service true
    Upgrade service version: 
    syscon-1-active(config)# system image set-version service-version 1.6.0-7890 out-of-service true
  6. When the compatibility check succeeds, enter
    yes
     to proceed with the installation process.
    A summary similar to this excerpt displays:
    syscon-1-active(config)# system image set-version iso-version 1.6.0-7890 out-of-service true
response Controller iso version has been set
						
Controller will reboot here, wait for reboot to complete and services to come up. Check controller networking, cluster status, partition status
Both system controllers install the upgrade and reboot to the new version. This might result in a temporary service outage. After you complete an upgrade of the system controller software, you upgrade the chassis partition software.

Perform an out-of-service upgrade of
F5OS
 software on a chassis partition from the CLI

Verify that you have downloaded and imported the F5OS-C image files from F5 before you attempt to upgrade.
You can use the
out-of-service
 option to upgrade
F5OS
 software on a chassis partition from the CLI. This method upgrades the software on both system controllers and results in a service outage.
You must use this method if you are upgrading to a software version earlier than F5OS version 1.2.0.
  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 system controller using an account with admin access.
    When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
  3. Verify that the image you want to install is listed, and the status is
    ready
    .
    show image partition state
    This verifies that the ISO is imported properly to the image server on the system controllers, and the system controllers can access these images when the blade reboots. The imported file replicates automatically to the standby controller.
    A summary similar to this excerpt displays: 
    syscon-1-active# show image partition state
VERSION OS                                  IN
PARTITION   CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE   NAME     ID
---------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  1           ready   2022-12-19  true  default  1
                                                  px26     2

VERSION
SERVICE                                     IN
PARTITION   CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE   NAME     ID
---------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  1           ready   2022-12-19  true  default  1
                                                  px26     2

VERSION
ISO                                         IN
PARTITION   CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE    NAME  ID
-------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  1           ready   2022-12-19  false

VERSION OS                                  IN
PARTITION   CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE   NAME     ID
---------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  2           ready   2022-12-19  true  default  1
                                                  px26     2

VERSION
SERVICE                                     IN
PARTITION   CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE   NAME     ID
---------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  2           ready   2022-12-19  true  default  1
                                                  px26     2

VERSION
ISO                                         IN
PARTITION   CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        USE    NAME  ID
-------------------------------------------------------------
1.6.0-7890  2           ready   2022-12-19  false
  4. Change to config mode.
    config
    The CLI prompt changes to include
    (config)
    .
  5. Set the ISO version for the chassis partition so that its member blades are upgraded.
    partitions partition <
    name
    > set-version iso-version <
    version
    > proceed [ yes | no ]
    By default, you will be prompted to confirm the upgrade. Type
    yes
     to proceed with the upgrade.
    To bypass the confirmation prompt, include
    proceed yes
     at the end of the command sequence.
    This example shows upgrading the ISO version on the default chassis partition: 
    syscon-1-active(config)# partitions partition default set-version iso-version 1.6.0-7890
    These examples show upgrading
    os-version
     and
    service-version
    :
    Upgrade OS version on a chassis partition named
    PartitionA
    : 
    syscon-1-active(config)# partitions partition PartitionA set-version os-version 1.6.0-7890
    Upgrade service version on a chassis partition named
    PartitionB
    : 
    syscon-1-active(config)# partitions partition PartitionB set-version service-version 1.6.0-7890
  6. When the compatibility check succeeds, type
    yes
     to proceed with the installation process.
    A summary similar to this excerpt displays:
    syscon-1-active(config)# partitions partition default set-version iso-version 1.6.0-7890
Partition database compatibility check succeeded.
Changing running partition software version will interrupt tenant operation. Proceed? [yes/no]: yes
result Version update successful.
These commands upgrade the selected chassis partition to the specified version. The blades might reboot, depending on the changes in the install. This might result in a service outage.

Out-of-service upgrades of F5OS software from the webUI

You can use the system controller webUI to perform an out-of-service upgrade of
F5OS
 software.

Perform an out-of-service upgrade of
F5OS
 software on a system controller from the webUI

Verify that you have downloaded and imported the F5OS-C image files from F5 before you attempt to upgrade.
You can use the
out-of-service
 option to upgrade
F5OS
 software on a system controller from the webUI. This method upgrades the software on both system controllers and results in a service outage.
You must use this method if you are upgrading to a software version earlier than
F5OS
 version 1.2.0.
  1. Log in to the VELOS system controller webUI using an account with admin access.
  2. On the left, click
    SYSTEM SETTINGS
    Controller Management
    .
  3. In the
    Update Software
     section, for
    Update System Controller Software
    :
    • To install a full F5OS-C version release, select
      Bundled
      .
    • To install F5OS-C and service version releases independently, select
      Unbundled
      .
  4. For
    ISO Image
    , select the full version release ISO image.
    This field is available when
    Bundled
     is selected.
  5. To enable out-of-service upgrades, you must downgrade to a software version that does not support rolling upgrades (for example, software prior to F5OS-C software version 1.2.0). Click
    Show Advanced Options
    , then for
    Allow Out-of-Service Upgrades
    , select
    True
    .
  6. For
    Base OS Version
    , select the F5OS version.
    This field is available when
    Unbundled
     is selected.
  7. For
    Service Version
    , select the service version release.
    This field is available when
    Unbundled
     is selected.
  8. Leave the advanced options hidden.
  9. Click
    Save
     to continue with the update.
Both system controllers install the upgrade and reboot to the new version. This might result in a temporary service outage. After you complete an upgrade of the system controller software, you upgrade the chassis partition software.

Clean installation

You perform a clean installation of
F5OS
 software when you want to start from scratch or when the system is not recoverable. This installation method requires you to use either
the built-in
 PXE server or a USB flash drive or USB DVD.
Performing a clean installation destroys all information on your system.
Before performing a clean installation of
F5OS
 software on your
VELOS
 system, you must meet these prerequisites:
  • Be able to access the system from a management console or console server
  • Have root account access
    If your system has appliance mode enabled, you must first disable appliance mode before you can perform a clean installation using a USB flash drive or USB DVD.

Clean installation using a USB flash drive or USB DVD

When you perform a clean installation of
F5OS
 software on your system using a USB flash drive or USB DVD, you must first enable the front panel USB port on your system
controller
.
For security purposes, the USB port on the system controller is disabled by default. You can use Always-On Management (AOM) to enable the front panel USB port. For more information, see
Platform Guide: VELOS CX Series
 at techdocs.f5.com/en-us/hardware/platform-guide-velos-cx-series.html.

Enable the USB port on a system controller

The USB port on VELOS system controllers is disabled by default, but you can use Always-On Management (AOM) to enable the USB port.
  1. Connect to the system using the serial console.
  2. Open the AOM Command Menu.
    Esc (
    The system displays the AOM Command Menu, the active console, and physically-connected console: 
    [root@controller-1 ~]# 
Active console               : system controller 1
Physically connected console : system controller 1 serial port
AOM Command Menu:
B --- Set baud rate
C --- Capture blade console
CC -- Capture system controller console
I --- Display chassis information
P --- Power on/off blade
PC -- Power on/off system controller
R --- Reset blade CPU
RC -- Reset system controller CPU
U --- Front panel USB port
Q --- Quit menu and return to console
Enter Command:
  3. Type
    U
     to configure the USB port on the system controller.
    The system displays the current status of the USB port: 
    Front panel USB next boot setting: enabled
0 -- Disable front panel USB port
1 -- Enable front panel USB port
Note: Reboot is necessary for change to take effect.
Select Option:
  4. Type
    1
     to enable the USB port.
    The AOM Command Menu displays.
  5. Type
    R
     to reboot the blade.

Create a bootable USB flash drive or USB DVD

Before you create a bootable USB flash drive or USB DVD, be sure that you have used Always-On Management (AOM) to enable the USB port on your system controller, as the USB port is disabled by default. Also, be sure that you have copied the ISO images to
images/staging/
 on your system controller.
You can use an existing VELOS system to create a bootable USB flash drive or USB DVD that contains an F5OS-C software ISO image.
  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 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.
  3. Create a bootable drive.
    dd if=<
    iso-image
    > of=/dev/sda bs=1M oflag=sync status=progress
    This example writes a specified software ISO to the flash drive:
    [root@controller-1 ~]# dd if=/var/import/staging/F5OS-C-1.5.0 of=/dev/sda bs=1M 
  oflag=sync status=progress
    This command sequence writes the ISO image to the flash drive. The flash drive creation process might take several minutes.
You can now use this USB flash drive or USB DVD to boot VELOS systems, as needed.

Perform a clean installation of
F5OS
 software on a system controller

You can use a USB flash drive or USB DVD to perform a clean installation of
F5OS
 software onto the system controllers from the CLI.
  1. Plug the USB flash drive or USB DVD into the USB port for the system controller that you are installing onto.
  2. Connect to the system using a management console or console server.
    The default baud rate and serial port configuration is 19200/8-N-1.
  3. 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.
  4. Reboot the system controller.
    reboot
  5. Intercept the boot by typing
    b
     at the BIOS setup screen, and then select the USB flash drive or USB DVD that you created.
  6. From the Installer menu, select
    Install F5OS-C 1
    .
    The installation proceeds automatically.
When the installation completes, you can remove the USB flash drive or USB DVD after the reboot into the Host OS completes.
It might take 10-15 minutes for the system controller to fully boot after a clean installation.

Perform a clean installation of
F5OS
 software on a blade

You can use a USB flash drive or USB DVD to perform a clean installation of
F5OS
 software onto a blade from the CLI.
  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 blade using an account with root access.
    When logging in as root for the first time, the system prompts you to change the password.
  3. Reboot the blade.
    reboot
  4. Intercept the boot by typing
    b
     at the BIOS setup screen, and then select the USB flash drive or USB DVD that you created.
  5. From the Installer menu, select
    Install F5OS-C 1
    .
    The installation proceeds automatically. When the installation completes, you are prompted to confirm a reboot of the system.
    It might take 10-15 minutes for the blade to fully boot after a clean installation.
After you have completed the installation, you can upgrade the image version that is running on your chassis partitions.

Clean installation using the PXE server

When you perform a clean installation of
F5OS
 software on your system, the installation uses an built-in PXE server on the system controllers.
This method requires that at least one system controller in your chassis is fully functioning.

Install
F5OS
 software on a system controller using the PXE server

Before you install using the built-in PXE server on the system controllers, be sure to use the
file import
 command to import the
F5OS
 software image files to the
images/staging
 directory on your system controllers.
You can use the built-in PXE server on the system controllers to perform a clean installation of F5OS software onto the system controllers from the CLI. For PXE installs of system controllers, you can boot one system controller off the peer controller for recovery purposes.
  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.
    Alt-Tab functionality is not available over a console connection. To navigate between tabs during the installation process, utilize the key combination Ctrl-b followed by the corresponding tab number.
  2. 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.
  3. Reboot the system controller.
    reboot
  4. Intercept the boot by typing
    b
     at the BIOS setup screen.
  5. Select a PXE server and press Enter.
    The installation proceeds automatically.
When the installation completes, the system restarts automatically and synchronizes the standby system controller with the active one.

Install
F5OS
 software on a blade using the PXE server

Before you install using the built-in PXE server on the system controllers, be sure to use the
file import
 command to import the
F5OS
 software image files to the
images/staging
 directory on your system controllers.
You use the built-in PXE server on the system controllers to perform a clean installation of F5OS software onto a blade from the CLI.
  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.
    Alt-Tab functionality is not available over a console connection. To navigate between tabs during the installation process, utilize the key combination Ctrl-b followed by the corresponding tab number.
  2. Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the system controller using an account with admin access.
    When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
  3. Verify that the default chassis partition is running.
    show partitions partition default
  4. Verify that the built-in PXE server is enabled.
    show running-config partitions partition config pxe-server
    In this example, the PXE server is enabled: 
    syscon-1-active# show running-config partitions partition config pxe-server
partitions partition default
 config pxe-server internal
    In this example, the PXE server is not defined: 
    syscon-1-active# show running-config partitions partition config pxe-server
% No entries found.
  5. If the built-in PXE server is not enabled, change to config mode, enable it, and commit the changes.
    In this example, you enable the built-in PXE server on a specified partition. 
    syscon-1-active# config
syscon-1-active(config)# partitions partition <
    partition-name
    > config pxe-server internal
syscon-1-active(config-partition-<
    partition-name
    >)# commit
  6. Exit the current submode.
    exit
    This command exits config-mode only when you are not in a submode. The CLI prompt changes to the
    bash
     prompt.
  7. Connect to the blade console.
    In this example,
    x
     is the blade number from 1-
    8
    : 
    ssh admin@localhost -p 700
    x
  8. Open the AOM Command Menu.
    Esc (
    The system displays the AOM Command Menu, the active console, and physically-connected console: 
    [root@controller-1 ~]# 
Active console               : system controller 1
Physically connected console : system controller 1 serial port
AOM Command Menu:
B --- Set baud rate
C --- Capture blade console
CC -- Capture system controller console
I --- Display chassis information
P --- Power on/off blade
PC -- Power on/off system controller
R --- Reset blade CPU
RC -- Reset system controller CPU
U --- Front panel USB port
Q --- Quit menu and return to console
Enter Command:
  9. Reset the blade by typing
    R
    .
  10. After the blade resets, enable one-time PXE boot by typing
    p
     at the BIOS setup screen.
    The blade restarts automatically and installs the software.
When the installation completes, the system restarts automatically.
After you have completed the installation, you can upgrade the image version that is running on your chassis partitions.

Installation and upgrade in FIPS mode

Overview

This release supports the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-3 compliant mode license for F5 VELOS platforms. By integrating the FIPS 140-3 Level 2 validated license to your VELOS platform, you can significantly enhance the security of your networking and security operations, ensuring compliance and protecting sensitive data from various threats.
You can upgrade or install F5OS v1.8.1 or higher version of FIPS-validated software. During the upgrade, the System Controller and Partition Software upgrade will be carried out in a sequence and only ISO image and out-of-service upgrade modes are supported.

Prerequisites

Before you upgrade or install the FIPS validated software version in your F5OS system:
  • Import the updated system controller and chassis partition software image before you can do the update. For more information, see section Software Management in
    VELOS Systems: Administration and Configuration
     guide.
    Ensure that system controller and chassis partition software images are of the same version and system controllers are in ready state.
  • Set the primary key for your VELOS system. For more information, see, Set the primary key
  • Back up the VELOS system configuration. For more information, refer
    VELOS Systems: Backup, Restore, and Migration
     guide.
  • Activate the FIPS license using the add-on keys. For more information, see section System licensing overview
    VELOS Systems: Administration and Configuration
     guide.
    After you activate the FIPS license, a process of zeroization will be initiated, permanently erasing all cryptographic keys and sensitive data. This measure is necessary to maintain compliance with FIPS 140 standards and to prevent any possibility of data recovery. It may trigger a device reset, require re-initialization, and disrupt services relying on the erased keys.
  • Restore the system configuration using the primary key set before the zeroization. For more information, refer VELOS Systems: Backup, Restore, and Migration guide.

Update system controller and chassis partition software in FIPS mode from the webUI

Before you begin, you must also have imported the updated system controller software image before you can do the update. Go to
SYSTEM SETTINGS
File Utilities
to import the software image file.
Ensure that system controller and chassis partition software images are of the same version and system controllers are in ready state.
You can update system controller software while the system is up and running with only a brief interruption from the system controller webUI.
  1. Log in to the VELOS system controller webUI using an account with admin access.
  2. On the left, click
    SYSTEM SETTINGS
    Controller Management
    .
  3. In the
    Update Software
     section, for
    Update System Controller Software
    , select the full version release ISO image.
    The system controller and chassis partition software images are of the same version and in a ready state.
  4. Click
    Save
    .
    A confirmation dialogue displays, providing an explanation to proceed with the update.
  5. Click
    OK
     to continue with the update.
    Before proceeding with the update, the system will verify if the version is compatible. Upon completion, a confirmation dialogue will display the successful compatibility status, along with the estimated time and number of required reboots.
    F5 recommends updating the system during a maintenance window. Do not perform any configuration operations while the system is being updated.
Both the system controllers are updated at a time and as per the upgrade process, the system controllers will reboot. After the system controller upgrade is completed, chassis partition Software upgrade will automatically begin.

Update system controller and chassis partition software in FIPS mode from the CLI

Before you begin, you must also have imported the updated system controller software image before you can do the update. To import the software image file, use File Utilities from the webUI or the
file import
 command.
Ensure that system controller and chassis partition software images are of the same version and system controllers are in ready state.
You can update system controller software while the system is up and running from the CLI. F5 recommends, however, that you perform the update during a maintenance window.
  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 system controller using an account with admin access.
    When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
  3. Verify that the image you want to install is listed, and the status is
    ready
    .
    show image
    This verifies that the ISO is imported properly to the image server on the system controllers, and the system controllers can access these images when it reboots.
    A summary similar to this excerpt displays: 
    syscon-1-active# show image
VERSION OS                                             IN                     
PARTITION    CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        SIZE      USE    TYPE  NAME  ID  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------             
1.8.1-22546  1           ready   2025-01-28  832.81MB  false  LTS             
1.8.1-23045  1           ready   2025-02-04  832.78MB  false  LTS             

VERSION                                                                     
SERVICE                                              IN                     
PARTITION    CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        SIZE    USE    TYPE  NAME  ID  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------            
1.8.1-22546  1           ready   2025-01-28  1.18GB  false  LTS             
1.8.1-23045  1           ready   2025-02-04  1.18GB  false  LTS             

VERSION ISO                                          IN                        
PARTITION    CONTROLLER  STATUS  DATE        SIZE    USE    TYPE  NAME     ID  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------               
1.8.1-22546  1           ready   2025-01-28  4.28GB  false  LTS                
1.8.1-23045  1           ready   2025-02-04  4.28GB  true   LTS   default  1   second   2
  4. Change to config mode.
    config
    The CLI prompt changes to include
    (config)
    .
  5. Verify the version compatibility.
    system image check-version-fips iso-version <
    version
    >
    In this example, the system checks the current version’s compatibility with the version 1.8.1-23045
    syscon-2-active(config)# system image check-version-fips iso-version 1.8.1-23045 
response Compatibility verification succeeded.
Estimated time: 11 minutes
Reboot(s): 1
  6. When the compatibility check succeeds, type yes to proceed with the installation process. Set the ISO version to the new version.
    system image set-version-fips iso-version <
    version
    > proceed [ yes | no ]
    By default, you will be prompted to confirm the upgrade. To bypass the confirmation prompt, include
    proceed yes
     at the end of the command sequence.
    This example shows upgrading the ISO version: 
    syscon-2-active(config)# system image set-version-fips iso-version 1.8.1-23045 
You have selected an out-of-service software update. The system, chassis partitions, and any deployed tenants will have their traffic disrupted and be unavailable until both system controllers have fully completed their updates and associated reboots. Estimated time: 11 minutes
Reboot(s): 1. Proceed? [yes/no]: yes
Both the system controllers are updated at a time and as per the upgrade process, the system controllers will reboot. After the system controller upgrade is completed, chassis partition Software upgrade will automatically begin.

Blade Support on CX410 and CX1610

F5OS supports mixed blade configurations for the CX410 and CX1610 chassis. The below table shows the mixed balde support matrix.
Chassis
Blade support
BX110
BX520
CX410
Yes
-
CX410
-
Yes
CX410
Yes
Yes
CX1610
-
Yes

Adding BX520 blades to an existing CX410 chassis with BX110 blades

You can add BX520 blades to an existing CX410 chassis with BX110 blades.
  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 system controller using an account with admin access.
    When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
  3. Upgrade controllers to F5OS 1.8.1. For detailed upgrade steps, see Perform a rolling upgrade on a system controller from the CLI.
  4. Upgrade partitions to F5OS 1.8.1. For detailed upgrade steps, see Perform a rolling upgrade on a chassis partition from the CLI.
  5. Create a new partition for the new BX520 blades with F5OS 1.8.1. To create a new partition, see Create a chassis partition from the CLI.
  6. Wait for the partition to startup.
    The following example shows the new BX520 blades with F5OS 1.8.1:
    syscon-2-active# show partitions
                 BLADE OS     SERVICE                  PARTITION        SERVICE      STATUS  
NAME         ID  VERSION      VERSION      CONTROLLER  STATUS           VERSION      AGE    
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
none         -   -            -                                                             
default      1   1.8.1-23399  1.8.1-23399  1           running-standby  1.8.1-23399  4d     
                                           2           running-active   1.8.1-23399  4d     
bx520        2   1.8.1-23399  1.8.1-23399  1           running-standby  1.8.1-23399  2m     
                                           2           running-active   1.8.1-23399  2m
  7. Assign the slots where the BX520 blades will be inserted into to the new partition. To add slots, see Add a slot to a chassis partition from the CLI.
    This example adds slots 5 and 7 to a chassis partition named bx520:
    syscon-2-active(config)# slots slot 5,7 partition bx520
syscon-2-active(config)# commit
SLOT                      BLADE    BLADE  BLADE  PLATFORM 
NUM   ENABLED  PARTITION  PRESENT  POWER  WIDTH  ID       
-----------------------------------------------------------
1     true     default    true     on     1      BX110
2     true     default    true     on     1      BX110
3     true     default    true     on     1      BX110
4     true     default    true     on     1      BX110
5     true     bx520      true     on     2      BX520    
6     -        -          aux      -      0      -        
7     true     bx520      true     on     2      BX520    
8     -        -          aux      -      0      -
  8. Insert the new BX520 blades into the configured slots.
  9. Wait for the blades to move to the new partition and startup.
    This example shows the status of the BX520 blades.
    bx520-2# show cluster summary
                                      NODE                                                             
                   VIRTUAL            RUNNING           PLATFORM                                       
NAME      ENABLED  SLOT     ASSIGNED  STATE    PRESENT  ID        SLOTS      NODE STATUS        READY 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
blade-1   -        -        false     -        -        -         -          -                  -
blade-2   -        -        false     -        -        -         -          -                  -     
blade-3   -        -        false     -        -        -         -          -                  -     
blade-4   -        -        false     -        -        -         -          -                  -     
blade-5   true     -        true      running  double   BX520     [ 5 6 ]    services running   true  
blade-6   -        -        false     -        -        -         -          -                  -     
blade-7   true     -        true      running  double   BX520     [ 7 8 ]    services running   true  
blade-8   -        -        false     -        -        -         -          -                  -

Swapping BX110 blades or BX520 blades

You can swap BX110 or BX520 blades.
  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 system controller using an account with admin access.
    When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
  3. Verify the blade slots.
    show slots
    The following example shows the slots assigned to BX110.
    syscon-2-active# show slots
SLOT                      BLADE    BLADE  BLADE  PLATFORM  
NUM   ENABLED  PARTITION  PRESENT  POWER  WIDTH  ID       
-----------------------------------------------------------
1     true     default    true     on     1      BX110
2     true     default    true     on     1      BX110
3     true     default    true     on     1      BX110
4     true     default    true     on     1      BX110
5     -        -          false    -      0      -        
6     -        -          false    -      0      -        
7     -        -          false    -      0      -        
8     -        -          false    -      0      -
  4. Upgrade controllers to F5OS 1.8.1. For detailed upgrade steps, see Perform a rolling upgrade on a system controller from the CLI.
  5. Upgrade partitions to F5OS 1.8.1. For detailed upgrade steps, see Perform a rolling upgrade on a chassis partition from the CLI.
  6. Remove BX110 blades from any existing tenants on the BX110 blades that are planned for swapping out.
  7. Move the BX110 blades to the "None" partition. To remove a slot from a chassis partition, see Remove a slot from a chassis partition from the CLI.
    The following example shows the BX110 blades moved to none.
    syscon-2-active# show slots
SLOT                      BLADE    BLADE  BLADE  PLATFORM  
NUM   ENABLED  PARTITION  PRESENT  POWER  WIDTH  ID       
-----------------------------------------------------------
1     true     none       true     on     1      BX110
2     true     none       true     on     1      BX110
3     true     none       true     on     1      BX110
4     true     none       true     on     1      BX110
5     -        -          false    -      0      -        
6     -        -          false    -      0      -        
7     -        -          false    -      0      -        
8     -        -          false    -      0      -
  8. Physically remove the BX110 blades from the chassis. To remove the blade, see Remove a blade.
  9. Create a new partition for the new BX520 blades with F5OS 1.8.1. To create a new partition, see Create a chassis partition from the CLI.
  10. Wait for partition startup.
    The following example shows the new BX520 blades with F5OS 1.8.1.
    syscon-2-active# show partitions
                 BLADE OS     SERVICE                  PARTITION        SERVICE      STATUS  
NAME         ID  VERSION      VERSION      CONTROLLER  STATUS           VERSION      AGE    
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
none         -   -            -                                                             
default      1   1.8.1-23399  1.8.1-23399  1           running-standby  1.8.1-23399  4d     
                                           2           running-active   1.8.1-23399  4d     
bx520        2   1.8.1-23399  1.8.1-23399  1           running-standby  1.8.1-23399  2m     
                                           2           running-active   1.8.1-23399  2m
  11. Assign the slots where the BX520 blades will be inserted into to the new partition. To add slots, see Add a slot to a chassis partition from the CLI.
    This example adds slots 5 and 7 to a chassis partition named bx520:
    syscon-2-active(config)# slots slot 5,7 partition bx520
syscon-2-active(config)# commit; exit
syscon-2-active# show slots
SLOT                      BLADE    BLADE  BLADE  PLATFORM  
NUM   ENABLED  PARTITION  PRESENT  POWER  WIDTH  ID       
-----------------------------------------------------------
1     true     bx520      true     on     2      BX520    
2     -        -          aux      -      0      -        
3     true     bx520      true     on     2      BX520    
4     -        -          aux      -      0      -       
5     -        -          false    -      0      -       
6     -        -          false    -      0      -       
7     -        -          false    -      0      -       
8     -        -          false    -      0      -
  12. Insert the new BX520 blades into the configured slots.
  13. Wait for the blades to move to the new partition and startup.
    This example shows the status of the BX520 blades.
    bx520-2# show cluster summary
                                      NODE                                                             
                   VIRTUAL            RUNNING           PLATFORM                                       
NAME      ENABLED  SLOT     ASSIGNED  STATE    PRESENT  ID        SLOTS      NODE STATUS        READY 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
blade-1   true     -        true      running  double   BX520     [ 1 2 ]    services running   true  
blade-2   -        -        false     -        -        -         -          -                  -     
blade-3   true     -        true      running  double   BX520     [ 3 4 ]    services running   true  
blade-4   -        -        false     -        -        -         -          -                  -
blade-5   -        -        false     -        -        -         -          -                  -
blade-6   -        -        false     -        -        -         -          -                  -     
blade-7   -        -        false     -        -        -         -          -                  -     
blade-8   -        -        false     -        -        -         -          -                  -
  14. Create and configure tenants in the new partition to use the new BX520 blades. See Tenant management from the CLI.

Tenant software installation

When you install a tenant from the
VELOS
 system chassis partition webUI or CLI, you are deploying a new tenant installation.
If you want to upgrade the software for an existing tenant, you must log in to the tenant using the tenant's web-based management interface or command line interface (CLI), upload the updated software version, and then perform the upgrade inside the tenant.
F5
VELOS
 systems support running these tenants, for which the installation files are available as .bundle images:
  • BIG-IP
     software
  • BIG-IP Next
     software
When you deploy a BIG-IP Next tenant on a VELOS system, there will be a decrease in available memory on the VELOS blades.
For information on
F5OS
 software compatibility with
F5
 hardware, see K9476: The F5 hardware/software compatibility matrix.
For documentation about installing and configuring tenant software, see the BIG-IP LTM Knowledge Center for your specific
BIG-IP
or
BIG-IP Next
 software version.
For information about performing in-tenant upgrades on the VELOS platform via the tenant CLI in the TMOS shell, see K33251052: Considerations when performing an upgrade or update for a BIG-IP tenant on a VELOS system and K34745165: Managing software images on the BIG-IP system.

Tenant image overview

BIG-IP tenant images

These
BIG-IP
 tenant images are available to deploy on
F5
VELOS
 systems:
  • ALL-F5OS
  • T4-F5OS
  • T2-F5OS
  • T1-F5OS (see note)
T1-F5OS has limitations, so using the other images is recommended. Other images must be downloaded from F5 Downloads.
Each image type has different uses so you need to be sure to use the correct type for your tenant needs. For additional information about BIG-IP tenant image types, see K45191957: Overview of the BIG-IP tenant image types.
F5OS-C v1.8.2 or later releases supports BIG-IP tenant software packages in the
.tar.bundle
 format only. This file is available from the same location on the MyF5 Downloads site.

BIG-IP Next tenant images

Information about BIG-IP Next tenant image types is available on my.f5.com.

Create and deploy tenants from the CLI

Before you get started, be sure that you have already imported the tenant images that you want to use for the tenant deployments into the chassis partition. You need to know into which slots you want to deploy the tenant. You must also have previously created any required VLANs in the chassis partition. Before you can create and deploy tenants, you also need to estimate resource requirements so you know how many vCPUs, memory, and other options to assign to the tenant.
You can create and deploy tenants in a chassis partition from the CLI.
  1. Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.
    When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
  2. Change to config mode.
    config
    The CLI prompt changes to include
    (config)
    .
  3. Create and deploy the tenant.
    tenants tenant <
    tenant-name
    > config <
    options
    >
    For more information about CLI options, see Tenant CLI command syntax.
    This example creates a
    BIG-IP
     tenant named
    velos-bigip
     that spans two nodes and is in the Configured running state, by default: 
    default-1(config)# tenants tenant velos-bigip config type BIG-IP image  
  BIGIP-1x.x.x-x.x.x.ALL-F5OS.qcow2.zip.bundle mgmt-ip 192.0.2.200
  prefix-length 24 gateway 192.0.2.254 nodes [ 1 2 ]
    This example creates a
    BIG-IP
     tenant named
    velos-bigip
     that spans 16 nodes and is in the Configured running state, by default: 
    default-1(config)# tenants tenant velos-bigip config type BIG-IP image BIGIP-1x.x.x-x.x.x.ALL-F5OS.tar.bundle mgmt-ip 192.0.2.200 prefix-length 24 gateway 192.0.2.254 max-nodes 16
    Once the tenant has been deployed, you cannot ‌set the configuration back to eight blades. Set the configuration to 16 blades only if the tenant is planned to consume more than eight blades.
    For more information about DAG IPv6 prefix length, see Configure DAG IPv6 prefix length from the CLI.
  4. Commit the configuration changes.
    commit
  5. Monitor the operational state of the tenant and move the tenant into the provisioned state.
    tenants tenant <
    tenant-name
    > config running-state provisioned
    This example moves the tenant into the provisioned state, which causes the system to start and maintain VMs on each node to which the tenant is assigned.
    default-1# tenants tenant velos-bigip config running-state provisioned
    This causes the system to assign the tenant to nodes and create virtual disks for the tenant on those nodes.
  6. Show the current status for the tenant:
    show tenants tenant <
    tenant-name
    >
    When the system is creating the virtual disk and installing the image on a disk, the operational state of the tenant shows this information:
    • PHASE – Allocating resources to the tenant is in progress
    • status – Provisioning
    A summary similar to this example displays:
    default-1# show tenants tenant velos-bigip
tenants tenant velos-bigip
 state unit-key-hash oa9gv8VYHcSoApv1234GQMn2uM9UzNKiDz78cIbqKv26LVjlIo9TCdp56z5UnXcVvr3hj0/ym2kbdWyBhPbkLA==
 state type          BIG-IP
 state image         BIGIP-bigip15.1.x-europa-15.1.5-0.0.222.ALL-F5OS.qcow2.zip.bundle
 state nodes         [ 1 2 ]
 state mgmt-ip       192.0.2.59
 state prefix-length 24
 state gateway       192.0.2.254
 state cryptos       enabled
 state vcpu-cores-per-node 2
 state memory        7680
 state storage size 76
 state running-state deployed
 state mac-data base-mac 00:94:a1:8e:70:0a
 state mac-data mac-pool-size 1
 state appliance-mode disabled
 state status        Provisioning
 state image-version "BIG-IP 15.1.5 0.0.222"
 state instances instance 1
  instance-id   1
  phase         Running
  image-name    BIGIP-bigip15.1.x-europa-15.1.5-0.0.222.ALL-F5OS.qcow2.zip.bundle
  creation-time 2022-12-01T19:56:49Z
  ready-time    2022-12-01T19:56:49Z
  status        "Allocating resources to tenant is in progress"
  mgmt-mac      f2:48:a7:f1:aa:ab
 state instances instance 2
  instance-id   2
  phase         Running
  image-name    BIGIP-bigip15.1.x-europa-15.1.5-0.0.222.ALL-F5OS.qcow2.zip.bundle
  creation-time 2022-12-01T19:56:50Z
  ready-time    2022-12-01T19:56:50Z
  status        "Allocating resources to tenant is in progress"
  mgmt-mac      f2:48:a7:f1:aa:ab
    When the system completes the virtual disk creation, the operational state shows this information:
    • PHASE – Ready to deploy
    • status – Provisioned
    A summary similar to this example displays:
    default-1# show tenants tenant velos-bigip
tenants tenant velos-bigip
 state unit-key-hash oa9gv8VYHcSoApv1234GQMn2uM9UzNKiDz78cIbqKv26LVjlIo9TCdp56z5UnXcVvr3hj0/ym2kbdWyBhPbkLA==
 state type          BIG-IP
 state image         BIGIP-bigip15.1.x-europa-15.1.5-0.0.222.ALL-F5OS.qcow2.zip.bundle
 state nodes         [ 1 2 ]
 state mgmt-ip       192.0.2.59
 state prefix-length 24
 state gateway       192.0.2.254
 state cryptos       enabled
 state vcpu-cores-per-node 2
 state memory        7680
 state storage size 76
 state running-state deployed
 state mac-data base-mac 00:94:a1:8e:70:0a
 state mac-data mac-pool-size 1
 state appliance-mode disabled
 state status        Provisioned
 state image-version "BIG-IP 15.1.5 0.0.222"
 state instances instance 1
  instance-id   1
  phase         "Ready to deploy"
  image-name    BIGIP-bigip15.1.x-europa-15.1.5-0.0.222.ALL-F5OS.qcow2.zip.bundle
  creation-time ""
  ready-time    ""
  status        " "
 state instances instance 2
  instance-id   2
  phase         "Ready to deploy"
  image-name    BIGIP-bigip15.1.x-europa-15.1.5-0.0.222.ALL-F5OS.qcow2.zip.bundle
  creation-time ""
  ready-time    ""
  status        " "
  7. You can then deploy the tenant.
    tenants tenant <
    tenant-name
    > config running-state deployed
    This example moves the tenant into the deployed state, which causes the system to start and maintain VMs on each node to which the tenant is assigned.
    default-1# tenants tenant velos-bigip config running-state deployed
  8. Commit the configuration changes.
    commit
  9. You can check the status of the tenant.
    show tenants tenant <
    tenant-name
    > state instances
    A summary similar to this example displays: 
    default-1# show tenants tenant velos-bigip state instances
      INSTANCE
NODE  ID        PHASE    IMAGE NAME          CREATION TIME     READY TIME        STATUS                  MGMT...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1     1         Running  BIGIP-bigip15.1...  2022-12-01T23...  2022-12-01T23...  Started tenant instance ce:1...
2     2         Pending  BIGIP-bigip15.1...  2022-12-01T23...  2022-12-01T23...  Started tenant instance 22 5..
After you configure and deploy the tenant, and the Status is updated to Running, then you can use the management IP address to access the tenant system using SSH, the web-based Configuration utility, or TMOS Shell (
tmsh
).
Once a tenant is Deployed (and is up and running), changing its state back to Configured or Provisioned stops the tenant. You will receive a warning message before this occurs.
If the Status is Pending instead of Running, this might mean that there are not enough resources (vCPUs, memory, or other resources) for the tenant to be deployed. See the Tenant Details screen in the chassis partition webUI for more information about the specific tenant.

Create and deploy tenants from the webUI

Before you get started, be sure that you have already imported the tenant images that you want to use for the tenant deployments into the chassis partition. You need to know into which slots you want to deploy the tenant. You must also have previously created any required VLANs in the chassis partition. Before you can create and deploy tenants, you also need to estimate resource requirements so you know how many vCPUs, memory, and other options to assign to the tenant.
The chassis partition administrator can deploy tenants from the chassis partition webUI.
  1. Log in to the VELOS 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
    , enter 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. For
    Type
    , select the tenant type:
    BIG-IP
     or
    BIG-IP Next
    .
    If you select
    BIG-IP Next
    , the
    Deployment File
     field displays. Select the deployment file.
  6. For
    Image
    , select the software image that was previously imported onto the system.
    Ensure that the image you selected meets your tenant deployment needs.
  7. For
    Allowed Slots
    , first select the appropriate option, and then select the slots (or blades) that you want the tenant to span from the list:
    Option
    Description
    Partition Member Slots
    Lists only slots included in the chassis partition you are logged into.
    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 enables you to preconfigure tenant deployments before the hardware is installed and before the chassis partition is configured to include it.
  8. For
    IP Address
    , enter the IPv4 address, IPv6 address, or Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) for the tenant.
  9. For
    Prefix Length
    , enter a number for the length of the prefix.
    The maximum prefix length is 32 for IPv4 and 128 for IPv6.
  10. For
    Gateway
    , enter the IPv4 address or IPv6 address of the gateway.
  11. For
    VLANs
    , select one or more VLANs that are available to the tenant.
    You can assign VLANs to more than one tenant in the same partition.
  12. For
    MAC Data/MAC Block Size
    , select one of these options:
    One
    Represents a block with one MAC. This is used when l2-inline-device functionality is not needed. This is the default value.
    Small
    Represents a block of 8 MACs. When this value is used, the l2-inline-device is enabled, and the tenant gets a block of 8 contiguous MACs.
    Medium
    Represents a block of 16 MACs. When this value is used, the l2-inline-device is enabled, and the tenant gets a block of 16 contiguous MACs.
    Large
    Represents a block of 32 MACs. When this value is used, the l2-inline-device is enabled, and the tenant gets a block of 32 contiguous MACs.
  13. For
    DAG IPv6 Prefix Length
    , enter the prefix length used by disaggregator algorithms.
    The range is from 1 to 128, with a default value of 128.
    For more information about the prefix length, see Configure DAG IPv6 prefix length from the CLI.
  14. For
    Resource Provisioning
    , select one of these options:
    Option
    Description
    Recommended
    Recommended values for vCPUs and memory for the tenant.
    Advanced
    Enables you to configure custom values for vCPUs and memory on the tenant. For example, if you want to configure a single vCPU tenant, or a tenant that uses more than the recommended amount of memory per slot.
  15. For
    vCPUs Per Slot
    , select the number of vCPUs to provide to the tenant.
    The minimum recommended number of vCPUs per typical tenant is two (one vCPU is sufficient only for lightweight tenants that cannot be updated). Each blade has up to 22 vCPUs. The number of vCPUs needed depends on the amount of traffic the tenant will be handling. More vCPUs provide faster throughput.
  16. For
    Memory Per Slot
    , specify the amount of RAM, in MB, to allocate to the tenant.
    The amount of memory needed depends on the number of vCPUs assigned. The minimum amount of memory needed is determined by the formula
    [(3.5 * 1024 * #ofvCPUs) + 512]
    , so a two vCPU tenant needs a minimum of 7680 MB, and a four vCPU tenant needs a minimum of 14,848MB.
    If you do not allocate sufficient memory, you receive a warning message.
  17. For
    Virtual Disk Size
    , specify the storage quota, in GB, for the tenant virtual disk.
    The default size is 82 GB.
  18. For
    State
    , select one of these options:
    Options
    Description
    Configured
    The tenant configuration exists on the chassis partition, but the tenant is not running, and no hardware resources (CPU, memory) are allocated to it. This is the initial state and the default.
    Provisioned
    Moves the tenant into the Provisioned state, which causes the system to install the software, assign the tenant to nodes, and create virtual disks for the tenant on those nodes. If you choose this option, it takes a few minutes to complete the provisioning. The tenant does not run while in this state.
    Deployed
    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.
    Once a tenant is Deployed (and is up and running), changing its state back to Configured or Provisioned stops the tenant. You will receive a warning message before this occurs.
  19. For
    Crypto/Compression Acceleration
    , select
    Enabled
     if the tenant requires high-performance crypto processing and compression.
    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. When the option is disabled, the tenant receives no crypto devices. This is not supported on BIG-IP Next.
  20. To restrict usage of the Bash shell for tenant administrators, set
    Appliance Mode
     to
    Enabled
     (this is
    Disabled
     by default.)
  21. Click
    Save & Close
    .
The tenant is now configured and in the Deployed state. When the status says Running, the tenant administrator can log in to the tenant webUI or CLI using the management IP address (with HTTPS or SSH) and continue configuring the tenant system.
If the Status says Pending instead of Running, this may mean that there are not enough resources (vCPUs, memory, or other resources) for the tenant to be deployed. See the Tenant Details screen in the chassis partition webUI for more information about the specific tenant.
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