Manual Chapter : BIG-IP Reference Guide v4.5.10: bigdb Configuration Keys

Applies To:

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BIG-IP versions 1.x - 4.x

  • 4.5.14, 4.5.13, 4.5.12, 4.5.11, 4.5.10
Manual Chapter


B

bigdb Configuration Keys


Supported bigdb keys

The bigdb database contains configuration elements for the BIG-IP system. Configuration options that the bigdb database supports include:

The bigdb keys for each of these features are described in the following series of tables. Note that these keys are set automatically when you use the Configuration utility to configure the BIG-IP system.


Using the bigpipe db command

You can view and set the bigdb keys using following options of the bigpipe db command.

b db get <key | reg_exp>

b db set <key> [= <value>]

b db unset <key | reg_exp>

b db dump [filename]

To display the current setting of a bigdb configuration key

To display the value of a bigdb key, use the following syntax:

b db get <key | regular_exp>

For example, the following command displays the value of the Local.Bigip.Failover.ForceActive key, which causes the unit to always be the active unit in a redundant system. By default, this key is set to 0 (zero), which is off.

b db get Local.Bigip.Failover.ForceActive

You can use the following command to display the value of all local keys:

b db get Local.*

To set a bigdb configuration key

To create (set) a bigdb key, use the following syntax:

b db set <key>

To create a bigdb key and also assign a value to it, use the following syntax:

b db set <key> = <value>

For example, the following command causes the unit to always try to be the active unit in a redundant system:

b db set Local.Bigip.Failover.ForceActive = 1

To disable a bigdb key

To disable a bigdb key, use the following syntax:

b db unset <key | regular_exp>

For example, the following command disables the Local.Bigip.Failover.UnitId:

b db unset Local.Bigip.Failover.UnitId

The following command disables all local keys:

b db unset set Local.*

Fail-over and cluster keys

The fail-over and cluster keys control failover from the active to the standby unit in a BIG-IP redundant system. If you change one of these values, you must update the BIG-IP configuration with the bigpipe failover init command (which is the same command as bigstart reinit sod). This command forces the system to reread the bigdb database and use the new values. To run this command, type the following:

b failover init

Table B.1 , lists the failover and cluster keys.

 

Fail-Over Key Name and Default Value

Description

Common.Bigip.Failover.AwaitPeerAliveDelay = 2

Delay in seconds before testing whether peer is active. The default value is 2.

Common.Bigip.Failover.AwaitPeerDeadDelay = 1

Delay in seconds before testing whether the peer has failed. The default value is 1.

Common.Bigip.Failover.FailbackDelay= 60

Use active-active mode if set to 1. By default this is off and active-standby mode is used.

Local.Bigip.Failover.UnitId

This key is required. Each BIG-IP system must have a unique unit ID of 1 or 2 in the event that network communication is not possible with its peer.

Common.Bigip.Failover.ActiveMode = 0

Use active-active mode if set to 1. By default, this is 0 (off) and active/standby mode is used.

Common.Bigip.Failover.ManFailBack = 0

If using active-active mode, the fail-over mechanism waits until receiving a command before surrendering resources to a rebooted machine.

Common.Bigip.Failover.NoSyncTime

By default, one BIG-IP system synchronizes its time with the other. Set this key to 1 to turn off the time synchronization feature.

Common.Bigip.Failover.DbgFile

File into which the fail-over utility logs the fail-over debug information.

Common.Bigip.Failover.PrintPeerState = 0

The default value for this key is 0. The fail-over utility writes the state of its connection to its peer. This information is written to the fail-over utility's debug log file.

Common.Bigip.Failover.UseTty00 = 0

The fail-over utility uses /dev/tty00 for hardwired failover.

Common.Bigip.Failover.UseTty01 = 1

The fail-over utility uses /dev/tty01 for hardwired failover.

Local.Bigip.Failover.ForceActive = 0

The fail-over utility always attempts to become the active unit.

Local.Bigip.Failover.ForceStandby = 0

The fail-over utility goes to standby whenever it senses that its peer is alive.

Common.Sys.Failover.Network = 0

Use the network as a backup to, or instead of, the serial line for fail-over if this value is 1. By default, this feature is 0 (off).

Common.Sys.Failover.NetTimeoutSec = 3

When using network failover, after sending a ping to this unit's peer, wait this many seconds for a response to the ping before timing out and sending another ping.

Common.Sys.Failover.NetRetryLimit = 3

When using network failover, if the ping times out, then resend the ping this many times before initiating a reboot for the peer unit.

 

StateMirror keys

StateMirror keys control state mirroring. If you change one of these values, you must perform the following reinitialization:

bigstart reinit sfd

Table B.2 lists the StateMirror keys.

 

State Mirroring Key Name

Description

Common.Bigip.StateMirror.DbgFile

File into which debug information is written, required if debug level is specified (below).

Common.Bigip.StateMirror.DbgLevel = 0

The debug level is has the following options:

1 - log reads and writes

2 - log connection attempts and results

4 - log state changes

8 - open log files in append mode, the default is to truncate the files when opening.

The debug level is 0 by default.

Common.Bigip.StateMirror.NoGC = 0

When the BIG-IP system receives a new connection, by default state mirroring causes mirrored data structures to be deleted.

This key is brought up to date by the unit's peer. This can cause a delay if the system is absolutely loaded. Turning off the GC is an option.

Common.Bigip.StateMirror.ActiveFile

Enables writing of data from the active unit's kernel into the ActiveFile file. This data file can be read with the sfread program.

Common.Bigip.StateMirror.StandbyFile

Enables writing of standby data into the StandBy file. You can read this data file with the sfread program.

Common.Bigip.StateMirror.Username

IP address of this BIG-IP system. By default sfd uses the first internal interface in the list returned by the bigapi_quer_children BIGapi command. Set this when using multiple NICs.

Common.Bigip.StateMirror.PeerListenPort = 1028

Port on which the BIG-IP system listens for connections from the active unit. The default is 1028.

Local.Bigip.StateMirror.Ipaddr

IP address of this BIG-IP system.

Local.Bigip.StateMirror.PeerIpaddr

IP address of the BIG-IP peer unit. Requires a value.

 

Using Gateway Pinger keys

The GatewayPinger keys control the gateway fail-safe pinger. If you change one of these values, you must reinitialize the system as follows:

bigstart reinit bigd

Table B.3 lists the gateway pinger keys.

 

Gateway Pinger Key Name

Description

Local.Bigip.GatewayPinger.Ipaddr = 0.0.0.0

Local.Pinger.alias=Local.Bigip.GatewayPinger.Ipaddr

IP address or host name of the gateway router for the BIG-IP system.

Local.Bigip.GatewayPinger.Pinginterval = 0

Ping interval of this BIG-IP gateway pinger.

Local.Bigip.GatewayPinger.Timeout = 0

Timeout of the BIG-IP gateway pinger.

 

bigd keys

The bigd keys control the health monitors. If you change one of these values, you must re-initialize the system as follows:

bigstart reinit bigd

Table B.4 lists the bigd keys.
 

Bigd Key Name

Description

Common.Bigip.Bigd.Verbose = 0

Set to non-zero to cause bigd to generate output to debug file.

Common.Bigip.Bigd.SimulatePings = 0

Set to non-zero to cause bigd to generate pings but not report results to the kernel.

Common.Bigip.Bigd.RecvMatchAll = 0

Set to non-zero to cause bigd to allow any response from the node as a receive match.

Common.Bigip.Bigd.NodePingOff = 0

Set to non-zero to turn off (noisy) bigd node pings. Service pings are still enabled.

Common.Bigip.Bigd.NodePingTcp = 0

Set to non-zero so that the gateway pinger uses TCP pings rather than ICMP pings.

Common.Bigip.Bigd.HostLookup = 0

Set to non-zero to allow bigd to do host lookups.

Common.Bigip.Bigd.DbgFile = "/var/log/bigdlog.<bigd_pid>"

Open a debug output (log) file for bigd..

 

Other keys

Table B.5 lists other keys contained in the bigdb database, including the Akamai proxy key for the content converter, the Realserver, WMI, and SNMPDCA agent keys for dynamic ration load balancing, the RMON agent key, and the CORBA keys.

 

Key Names

Description

Common.Bigip.Proxy.AkamaiConfigFile=/etc/config/akamai.conf

The default configuration file to use with a proxy when akamaization is enabled.

Common.Bigip.HttpAgents.WMI.LogEnabled = "true"

Common.Bigip.HttpAgents.RealServer.LogEnabled = "true"

Common.Bigip.SNMPDCA.LogEnabled = "true"

Open a debug output file for each of the respective monitors (wmi, real_server, and snmp_dca) when set to true or yes.

Local.Bigip.Snmp.Rmon = "0"

Default setting that prevents the RMON agent from automatically launching when you start the snmpd daemon. To automatically launch the RMON agent when you start the snmpd daemon, you must set this key to 1.

Common.Bigip.CORBA.IIOPPort ="683"

Default CORBA IIOP port used for the iControlTM API.

Common.Bigip.CORBA.SSLPort ="684"

Default CORBA IIOP SSL port used for the iControlTM API.

Common.Bigip.CORBA.AddrResolveNumeric="true"

When set to true, the CORBA portal resolves client addresses numerically.