Manual : BIG-IP Controller Reference Guide, version 4.1

Applies To:

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BIG-IP versions 1.x - 4.x

  • 4.1.1 PTF-06, 4.1.1 PTF-05, 4.1.1 PTF-04, 4.1.1 PTF-03, 4.1.1 PTF-02, 4.1.1 PTF-01, 4.1.1, 4.1.0
Manual
Original Publication Date: 09/27/2007



Introduction

Getting started

Choosing a configuration tool

Using the Administrator Kit

Stylistic conventions
Finding additional help and technical support resources

What's new in version 4.1

Support for the IP Application Switch platform
SSL-to-server
Startup enhancements
Enhanced interface statistics
Health monitor enhancements
Port mirroring
Spanning tree protocol support
Web-based Configuration utility enhancements

Learning more about the BIG-IP product family

BIG-IP Overview

Introduction

What is a BIG-IP?

Configuration

Hardware configuration
Base network configuration
High-level network configuration
Global settings and filters

Monitoring and administration

The BIG-IP user interface

The Configuration utility
The bigpipe command line interface
The bigip.conf file

Configuring the Base Network

Introduction

Interfaces

Interface naming convention
Displaying status for interfaces
Setting the media type
Setting the duplex mode

VLANs

Interface group VLANs and the default VLAN mapping
VLAN grouping and L2 forwarding
Tagged VLANs
VLAN commands
Setting the MAC masquerade address
Viewing and editing the L2 forwarding table
Setting the L2 forwarding aging time

Self IP address

Enabling or disabling SNAT automap

Trunks

Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)

Creating and deleting STP domains
Setting time intervals for an STP domain
Adding or deleting interfaces in an STP domain
Disabling and re-enabling an STP domain
Disabling and re-enabling interfaces in an STP domain

Port Mirroring

Setting up a port mirror
Deleting interfaces from a port mirror or deleting a port mirror

Configuring the High-Level Network

Introduction

Pools, load balancing, and persistence

Creating pools
Load Balancing
Priority based member activation
Persistence
HTTP redirect (specifying a fallback host)
Rule statements
Operators
Cache statement syntax
Additional rule examples

Virtual servers

Defining standard virtual servers
Defining wildcard virtual servers
Configuring a network virtual server
Mirroring virtual server state
Additional virtual server options

Proxies

The SSL Accelerator proxy
The content converter proxy

Nodes

Services

Address translation: SNATs, NATs, and IP forwarding

SNATs
NATs
Forwarding

Health monitors

Selecting the monitor template
Configuring a monitor
Associating the monitor with a node or nodes

Configuring Filters

Introduction

IP filters

Configuring IP filters

Rate filters and rate classes

Configuring rate filters and rate classes

Configuring a Redundant System

Introduction

Synchronizing configurations between units

Configuring fail-safe settings

Arming or disarming fail-safe on a VLAN

Mirroring connection and persistence information

Commands for mirroring
Mirroring virtual server state
Mirroring SNAT connections

Using gateway fail-safe

Adding a gateway fail-safe check

Using network-based fail-over

Setting a specific BIG-IP to be the preferred active unit

Setting up active-active redundant BIG-IP units

Configuring an active-active system
Understanding active-active system fail-over
Introducing additional active-active BIG/db configuration parameters
Reviewing specific active-active bigpipe commands
Returning an active-active installation to active/standby mode

BIG-IP Base Configuration Tools

Introducing the BIG-IP base configuration tools

config

Selecting a keyboard
Product selection
Defining a root password
Defining a host name
Configuring a default route
Setting up a redundant system
Configuring interfaces
Defining VLANs and IP addresses
Assigning interfaces to VLANs
Selecting the primary IP address
Configuring settings for remote web access
Configuring a time zone
Configuring the DNS forwarding proxy settings
Configuring remote command line access
NTP support
NameSurfer

config combo

config dns

config ftpd

config httpd

config password

config redundant

config remote

config rshd

config sshd

config telnetd

config timezone

bigpipe Command Reference

bigpipe commands

-?

config

Synchronizing configuration files
Saving configuration files to an archive
Installing an archived configuration file

conn

failover

global

-h and -help

interface

Setting the media type
Setting the duplex mode

load

maint

makecookie

merge

mirror

Creating a port mirror
Deleting interfaces from a port mirror or deleting a port mirror

monitor

Showing, disabling, and deleting monitors
Monitor templates
Send, receive and get statements
Transparent and reverse modes
Testing SQL service checks
Running user-added EAVs
Node and port aliasing
Using wildcards to specify node addresses and ports

-n

nat

Defining a NAT
Disabling VLANs for a NAT
Viewing the unit ID number
Disabling ARP requests

node

Marking nodes and node ports up and down
Setting connection limits for nodes and node addresses
Displaying status of all nodes
Associating a health monitor with a node

pool

Creating a pool
Activating HTTP cookie persistence
Activating sticky persistence
Activating SSL persistence
Specifying priority based member activation
Specifying a fallback host for HTTP redirect

proxy

To create a client-side SSL gateway
Creating a client-side and server-side SSL gateway from the command line
Configuring a content converter
Disabling ARP requests
Disabling VLANs for a gateway
Adding a last hop pool to a gateway from the command line
Enabling, disabling, or deleting a gateway from the command line
Displaying configuration information for a gateway from the command line

ratio

Setting ratio weight for one or more node addresses

reset

rule

Creating rules
Associating a rule with virtual server
Rule elements

save

self

Self IP addresses and SNAT auto-mapping

service

Setting connection limits on services
Displaying service settings
Configuring TCP services
Configuring UDP services

snat

Defining the default SNAT
Creating individual SNAT addresses
Creating a network SNAT address
SNAT auto-mapping
Deleting SNAT Addresses
Disabling VLANs for a SNAT
Showing SNAT mappings
Limiting connections
Enabling mirroring for redundant systems
Setting idle connection timeouts
Disabling ARP requests
Clearing statistics

stp

Creating and deleting STP domains
Setting time intervals for an STP domain
Adding or deleting interfaces in an STP domain
Disabling and re-enabling an STP domain
Disabling and re-enabling interfaces in an STP domain

summary

trunk

Creating a trunk

unit

verbose

verify

version

virtual

Defining a virtual server
Displaying information about virtual servers
Disabling VLANs for a virtual server
Disabling ARP requests
Setting a user-defined netmask and broadcast for a network virtual server
Setting a connection limit
Setting translation properties for virtual addresses and ports
Setting up last hop pools for virtual servers
Mirroring virtual server state
Enabling and disabling a virtual server
Enabling and disabling a virtual address
Displaying information about virtual addresses
Deleting a virtual server
Turning software acceleration off for virtual servers using IPFW rate filters
Enabling and disabling Any IP

vlan

Creating and assigning a VLAN
Tagged VLANs
Enabling and disabling port lockdown
Setting the fail-over timeout and arming the fail-safe
Enabling and disabling SNAT auto-mapping
Setting the MAC masquerade address
Viewing and editing the L2 forwarding table
Setting the L2 forwarding aging time

vlangroup

Configuring SNMP

Introduction

Downloading the MIBs

Configuring SNMP using the Configuration utility

Setting up client access
Configuring system information
Configuring traps

SNMP configuration files

/etc/hosts.deny
/etc/hosts.allow
/etc/snmpd.conf
/etc/snmptrap.conf
Syslog

BIG/db Configuration Keys

Supported BIG/db configuration keys

Failover and cluster keys
StateMirror keys
Using Gateway Pinger keys
Bigd keys
Other keys

Configuration Files

BIG-IP configuration files 10-1

Monitoring and Administration

Monitoring and administration utilities

Using the bigpipe utility as a monitoring tool

Monitoring the BIG-IP
Monitoring virtual servers, virtual addresses and services
Monitoring nodes and node addresses
Monitoring NATs
Monitoring SNATs
Viewing the status of the interface cards

Using the Configuration utility for administration and monitoring

Adding a user
Customizing the Configuration utility
Configuring SNMP

Working with the BIG/top utility

Using BIG/top command options
Using runtime commands in BIG/top

Working with the Syslog utility

Sample log messages

Removing and returning items to service

Removing the BIG-IP from service
Removing individual virtual servers, virtual addresses, and ports from service
Removing individual nodes and node addresses from service
Viewing the currently defined virtual servers and nodes

Viewing system statistics and log files

Viewing system statistics
Viewing log files

Printing the connection table

Changing passwords

Changing passwords and adding new user IDs for the web-based
Configuration utility

Working with the BIG/db database

Using the bigpipe db command

Working with the BIG/stat utility

Glossary