Manual Chapter : BIG-IP Reference Guide version 4.2: BIG/db Configuration Keys

Applies To:

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BIG-IP versions 1.x - 4.x

  • 4.2 PTF-10, 4.2 PTF-09, 4.2 PTF-08, 4.2 PTF-07, 4.2 PTF-06, 4.2 PTF-05, 4.2 PTF-04, 4.2 PTF-03, 4.2 PTF-02, 4.2 PTF-01, 4.2.0
Manual Chapter


9

BIG/db Configuration Keys



Supported BIG/db configuration keys

The BIG/db is a database that contains configuration elements for the BIG-IP. Configuration options that BIG/db supports include:

  • Fail-over
  • State mirroring
  • Gateway failsafe pingers
  • Configuration synchronization
  • Interface related settings
  • Health monitor settings

    The BIG/db keys for each of these features are described in the following series of tables. The keys are viewed and set using the bigpipe db command.

    b db get <key>

    b db get <reg_exp>

    b db set <key>

    b db set <key> = <value>

    b db unset <key>

    b db unset <reg_exp>

    b db dump [filename]

To display current setting of a BIG/db configuration key

To display the value of a BIG/db configuration key, use the following syntax:

b db get <key>

b db get <regular_exp>

For example, the following command displays the value of Local.Bigip.FTB.HostNumber:

b db get Local.Bigip.FTB.HostNumber

The following command displays the value of all local keys:

b db get Local.*

To set a BIG/db configuration key

To create (set) a BIG/db configuration key, use the following syntax:

b db set <key>

To set a BIG/db configuration key and assign a value to it, use the following syntax:

b db set <key> = <value>

For example, the following command sets Local.Bigip.FTB.HostNumber mode to on:

b db set Local.Bigip.FTB.HostNumber = 1

To unset a BIG/db configuration key

To unset a BIG/db configuration key, use the following syntax:

b db unset <key>

b db unset <regular_exp>

For example, the following command unsets Local.Bigip.FTB.HostNumber:

b db unset Local.Bigip.FTB.HostNumber

The following command unsets all local keys:

b db unset set Local.*

Failover and cluster keys

The failover and cluster keys (Table 9.1) 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 as bigstart reinit sod). This command forces the system to reread the BIG/db database and use the new values. To run this command, type the following:

b failover init

The BIG/db keys that store fail-over information

Fail-Over Key Name

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 one. By default this is off and active-standby mode is used.

Local.Bigip.Failover.UnitId

This key is required. Each BIG-IP 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 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 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 sod logs the fail-over debug information.

Common.Bigip.Failover.PrintPeerState = 0

The default value for this key is 0. Fail-over daemon (/sbin/sod) writes the state of its connection to its peer, hardwire and/or network. This information is written to the fail-over daemon's debug log file.

Common.Bigip.Failover.UseTty00 = 0

Failover daemon uses /dev/tty00 for hardwired failover.

Common.Bigip.Failover.UseTty01 = 1

Failover daemon uses /dev/tty01 for hardwired failover.

Local.Bigip.Failover.ForceActive = 0

Failover daemon always attempts to become the active unit.

Local.Bigip.Failover.ForceStandby = 0

Failover daemon goes to standby whenever it senses that its peer is alive.

Common.Sys.Failover.Network = 0

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

Common.Bigip.Cluster.ActiveKeepAliveSec = 1

The default value for this key is 0. An active unit sends a heartbeat message to its peer with this frequency. Default is 1 second.

Common.Bigip.Cluster.StandbyTimeoutSec = 3

Consider the peer BIG-IP failed if no message is received within the timeout period. Used by network fail-over. Default is 3 seconds.

StateMirror keys

StateMirror keys (Table 9.2) control state mirroring. If you change one of these values, you must perform the following reinitialization:

bigstart reinit sfd

The BIG/db keys that store state mirroring information

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 composed of 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

By default, state mirroring causes mirrored data structures to be deleted when it receives a new connection.

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 provided as 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. This data file can be read with the sfread program.

Common.Bigip.StateMirror.Username

IP address of this BIG-IP. 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 listens for connections from the active unit. The default is 1028.

Local.Bigip.StateMirror.Ipaddr

IP address of this BIG-IP.

Local.Bigip.StateMirror.PeerIpaddr

IP address of the BIG-IP peer unit. A value is required.

Using Gateway Pinger keys

The GatewayPinger keys (Table 9.3) control the gateway failsafe pinger. If you change one of these values, you must reinitialize the system as follows:

bigstart reinit bigd

The following table lists the Gateway Pinger keys.

The BIG/db keys that store gateway pinger information

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

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 (Table 9.4) control the health monitors. If you change one of these values, you must re-initialize the system as follows:

bigstart reinit bigd

The BIG/db keys that store bigd information

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 non-zero so that 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 9.5 lists other keys contained in BIG/dba, including the Akamai proxy key for the content converter, the Realserver, WMI, and SNMPDCA agent keys for dynamic ration load balancing, and the CORBA keys.

Other BIG/db 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

# when set to "true" or "yes"

Common.Bigip.CORBA.IIOPPort ="683"

Default CORBA IIOP port used for LINK-IT BIG/api

Common.Bigip.CORBA.SSLPort ="684"

Default CORBA IIOP SSL port used for LINK-IT BIG/api

Common.Bigip.CORBA.AddrResolveNumeric="true"

Set to "true" causes the CORBA portal to resolve client addresses numerically

Common.Bigip.CORBA.IIOPPort ="683"

Default CORBA IIOP port used for LINK-IT BIG/api