Release Notes : WANJet version 4.2.11

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WANJet

  • 4.2.11
Release Notes
Software Release Date: 03/28/2007
Updated Date: 04/18/2019

Summary:

This release note documents the version 4.2.11 feature release of the WANJet® appliance, and documents changes since the last major release, version 4.2.8. To review the features introduced in this release, see Fixes in this release. For new customers, the software is preinstalled on the WANJet appliance. For existing customers, you can apply the software upgrade to version 3.1.1 and later. For information about installing the software upgrade, please refer to Upgrading the software.
For additional information, please refer to the WANJet Appliance Administrator Guide.

Note: F5 now offers both feature releases and maintenance releases. For more information on our release policies, please see SOL2965: Description of the F5 Networks software version number format.

Contents:


User documentation for this release

In addition to these release notes, the following user documentation is relevant to this release (depending on your platform).

You can find the product documentation and the solutions database on the AskF5 Technical Support web site.

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Supported browsers

The supported browsers for the Web UI are:

  • Microsoft® Internet Explorer®, version 6.x (Internet Explorer version 7 has not been thoroughly tested at this time.)
  • Mozilla® Firefox® 1.5, and other browsers that use the Mozilla engine

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Supported platforms

This release supports the following platforms:

  • WANJet 200
  • WANJet 400
  • WANJet 500

If you are unsure which platform you have, click the About link from any screen in the WANJet appliance's Web UI.

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Backing up your current configuration

To back up your current configuration before installing the software upgrade, complete the following steps.

  1. Log on to the WANJet Web UI, by typing the following address into a browser's Address line.

    https://<WANJet IP address>:10000

  2. In the navigation pane, expand System, and click Backup & Restore.
    The WANJet Configuration Backup screen opens.
  3. Click the word, here.
    The browser opens a File Download screen for you to save the backup file to your local computer. This default backup file name is Settings-<ServerName>.NTCL.
  4. Save the backup file on your local hard disk.
  5. Rename the backup file to identify the specific WANJet appliance that you are backing up, and the current date.

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Upgrading the software

To upgrade the WANJet appliance to version 4.2.11, complete these tasks:

  • Upgrade the WANJet appliance.
  • Activate the license (required only if not previously activated).
  • Save the WANJet appliance chassis serial number (if not previously saved).

Important: For the WANJet appliance to function properly, TCP ports 3703, 3702, 3701, 10000, and 10001 must all be open on a firewall. Any firewalls separating the WANJet appliances must have these ports open. For specific information about configuring ports, refer to the WANJet Appliance Administrator Guide.

Important: Version 4.0 introduced a new licensing procedure. If you are upgrading from version 3.1.x, you must first obtain a Base Registration Key. Do not proceed with the upgrade until you have the Base Registration Key. If you did not receive an email with a Base Registration Key, contact F5 Networks Technical Support (and be sure to have the WANJet appliance serial number) before attempting to install the software upgrade.

To upgrade the WANJet appliance

  1. Log on to the WANJet Web UI, by typing the following address into a browser's Address line.

    https://<WANJet IP address>:10000

    The WANJet Status screen opens.

  2. If you have not activated the license of the WANJet appliance you plan to upgrade, activate it now (before upgrading). See To activate the license later in this document for details. (If you do not know whether the license has been activated, check on the WANJet Status screen, next to License. If it says Not Entered, it is not activated.)
  3. Verify that a disk image of the new version of the WANJet software is accessible from the local computer on which you are viewing the WANJet Web UI (on CD-ROM, for example).
  4. In the navigation pane, expand System and click Upgrade & Boot Menu.
    The WANJet Boot Menu screen opens.
  5. Click the Upgrade button.
    A confirmation message appears.
  6. Click the OK button to continue.
  7. Click the Browse button and locate the upgrade file on your computer.
  8. Upload the upgrade file to the WANJet appliance.
  9. Click Upgrade WANJet.
    The WANJet appliance restarts automatically when the upgrade process is complete. The license remains with the appliance after the upgrade.

Performing a remote upgrade from version 3.1.1 or 3.1.2

You can perform a remote upgrade to version 4.2.11 from version 3.1.1 or 3.1.2. If you are upgrading remotely from version 3.1.1 or 3.1.2, you must also complete the following tasks.

  • Switch the operational mode of all WANJet appliances to Inactive.
  • Upgrade all of the WANJet appliances.
  • One at a time, change the operational mode of each WANJet appliance to Active.

To activate the license

Note: You must activate the license before you can use the WANJet appliance to optimize traffic. You need to perform this procedure only once for each WANJet appliance.

  1. In a web browser, access the Web UI using HTTPS and port 10000.
    For example, if the IP address of the appliance is 192.168.168.102, type https://192.168.168.102:10000 in the web browser.
    The welcome screen opens.
  2. Type the user name and password.
    The default user name is admin and the default password is admin.
  3. Click the Log On button.
    The WANJet Status screen opens.
  4. Click the Not Entered link, next to License.
    The WANJet License Details screen opens.
  5. Into the Base Registration Key box, type or paste your Base Registration Key. For new installations, you should see your Base Registration Key (filled in at the factory).
  6. Next to Activation Method, make sure that Automatic (the default) is selected.
  7. Click Next.

    The EULA (End User License Agreement) screen opens.
  8. Read the EULA, and then click Accept if you agree to the conditions.
    When license activation is complete, the WANJet License Details screen opens and shows the current license date.
    Note: If automatic license activation does not work, you can use manual activation instead. On the WANJet License Details screen, next to Activation Method, select Manual and follow the directions on the screen.
  9. In the navigation pane, expand Reports and click Status.
    The license should now display as OK.

To save the WANJet appliance chassis serial number

Note: You need to perform this procedure only if you have not previously saved the chassis serial number in the About box.

  1. At the top right of the Web UI, click the About link.
    The About box opens.
  2. In the Chassis serial number box, type the serial number as it appears on the F5 serial number sticker, located on the front of the WANJet appliance (on older units, the serial number is on the back).>
  3. Click the Save button.

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Fixes in this release

Release 4.2.11 includes the following fixes.

TDR-2 cache size calculations on WANJet 200 (CR76620)
In release 4.2.10, the system calculated the cache size incorrectly for WANJet 200 appliances. As a result, passing traffic with TDR-2 optimization enabled through a WANJet 200 could result in the system becoming unresponsive and interrupting traffic. In release 4.2.11, we have changed the cache size calculations, and you can use TDR-2 optimization to speed up file transfers (such as passive FTP transfers) on WANJet 200 appliances.

Daylight Saving Time change overridden (CR76623)
Release 4.2.10 included a correction to the date when Daylight Saving Time took effect (CR71811). However, after performing the upgrade, the WANJet appliance restored the configuration values overriding the time change, leaving the appliance with the wrong time. In release 4.2.11, the Daylight Saving Time change remains in effect after the upgrade is complete.

System snapshot contents (CR76698)
As of release 4.2.10, the process of taking a system snapshot ran a diagnostics test on the upgrade server, and the diagnostics always failed under certain circumstances. In this release, the snapshot process does not include running the diagnostics on the upgrade server. However, you can still run the diagnostics test from the Diagnostics screen (Reports >> Diagnostics >> Connectivity >> Upgrade Server).

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New features and fixes from previous releases

Release 4.2.11 includes the features and fixes that were in release 4.2.10.

New features from release 4.2.10

Management Port (eth4) configuration (CR67733)
You can now configure the interface speed and duplex settings of the Management port on eth4 in the Web UI.

  1. In the navigation pane, expand Configuration and click Interfaces.
    The NIC Configuration screen opens.
  2. From the Media Type list for eth4 (Management), select the interface speed and duplex setting to use for the link between the management network and the WANJet appliance (the default is Auto Negotiate).
  3. Click the Save button.

VLAN Configuration on the WANJet appliance (CR71512)
Release 4.2.8 included a VLAN setting called the Trunked VLAN ID which has been changed. Release 4.2.10 simplifies the way you configure the local WANJet appliance as part of a VLAN. To configure the WANJet appliance as part of a VLAN, you click the IP address of the local WANJet appliance, and add the VLAN Tag. For details on how to add the VLAN tag to the WANJet appliance, refer to Managing VLANs on a WANJet appliance in Chapter 6 of the WANJet Appliance Administrator Guide.

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Fixes from release 4.2.10

Release 4.2.10 included the following fixes.

Real Time Traffic report (CR61437)
In previous releases, the amount of network traffic shown in the Real Time Traffic report would periodically spike to twice the actual amount. The Real Time Traffic report now accurately shows the amount of network traffic traveling through the WANJet appliance.

Optimized Sessions in dashboard differs from Optimized Sessions report (CR69690)
The number of Optimized Sessions shown in the WANJet appliance dashboard may not match the number shown in the Optimized Sessions diagnostics report. The information in the dashboard is updated every ten seconds, and shows all connections at that time, including sessions in the process of being set up or torn down. The information in the diagnostics report is static, and shows details only on the established connections. The WANJet Appliance Administrator Guide now clarifies the difference.

ICMP redirection disabled (CR70291)
Under certain conditions, such as static one-arm transparent proxy configurations, the WANJet appliance did not disable ICMP redirects, which caused traffic to be routed to the default gateway. As of this release, the WANJet appliance disables ICMP redirects for those configurations.

Error message about logrotate exiting abnormally (CR71441)
In past releases, you might have seen a message that said, logrotate Alert exited abnormally. The WANJet appliance no longer reports error messages when logrotate exits and there are missing files.

Remote WANJet appliance configuration (CR71549, CR71591)
In release 4.2.8, when you performed remote WANJet appliance configuration changes, Application QoS policy changes, or IT Service policy changes, you had to manually cycle the appliance from Active to Inactive then back to Active for the configuration changes to take effect. In release 4.2.10, the configuration changes take place automatically without requiring a manual cycle of the appliance.

Factory defaults option clears reports, logs, and system snapshots (CR71558)
As of release 4.2.5, the WANJet appliance includes a factory defaults option that allows you to restore the factory default values. As of release 4.2.10, you can click WANJet Factory Defaults on the Backup & Restore screen also to clear all logs, reports, and system snapshots from the WANJet appliance.

Changes in US and Canada Daylight Saving Time (CR71811)
The Energy Policy Act of 2005, which was passed by the US Congress in August 2005, changed both the start and end dates for Daylight Saving Time in the United States, effective March 2007. Canada also adopted this change. The resulting changes have been addressed in version 4.2.10 of the WANJet appliance. To find out more about this issue, refer to SOL6551: F5 Networks software compliance with the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Application QoS policy changes (CR72569, CR72630)
In previous releases, application QoS policies, which dedicate bandwidth to specific traffic, applied only to optimized TDP traffic. As of release 4.2.10, application QoS policies apply to all traffic, including UDP and passthrough traffic.

WANJet Netmask and Management Netmask configuration (CR72728)
In past releases, the WANJet appliance used default subnet addresses for the WANJet Netmask and Management Netmask even if you specified a value during initial configuration. The WANJet appliance now uses the netmask values that you specify.

Security vulnerability CVE-2006-6097 addressed (CR73261)
This release addresses security vulnerability CVE-2006-6097, which potentially allowed unauthorized modification of files by means of tar extraction. The security problem is properly fixed as of this release, preventing problems with tar file extraction. For additional details, refer to the National Vulnerability Database.

Bridge interface with VLAN ID (CR73307)
In release 4.2.8, if you configured the WANJet appliance as part of a VLAN and assigned a VLAN ID to the bridge interface, you could not optimize traffic on additional VLANs. In release 4.2.10, you can configure the WANJet appliance as part of a VLAN, configure additional VLANs with VLAN IDs, and optimize traffic.

Management IP and WANJet IP addresses must be in separate subnets (CR73310)
In previous releases, the Web UI did not require the Management IP and WANJet IP addresses to be in different subnets, although it was recommended that you place the Management IP in a separate subnet for out-of-band management. As of release 4.2.10, you receive an error message if you attempt to assign Management IP and WANJet IP addresses that are in the same subnet.

System snapshot feature (CR73916)
When running release 4.2.8, taking a system snapshot caused the WANJet Link to become inactive. As of release 4.2.10, the WANJet Link is no longer affected by taking a system snapshot.

Traffic slowdown with data warehouse application (CR75285)
In previous releases, users of some applications, such as data warehouse applications, experienced slow application load times from CIFS shared servers. In release 4.2.10, we have improved optimization speed resulting in faster application load times.

Shared key mismatch on remote WANJet appliance (CR75556)
To improve diagnosing the situation where the shared key on a WANJet appliance does not match the shared key on a remote WANJet appliance, we have added a diagnostic log error. In the case of a shared key mismatch, the two appliances remain inactive, and the following message appears in the diagnostic log: Connection from unauthorized proxy: <IP address of remote WANJet appliance> <alias>

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Optional configuration changes

Once you have installed the software, you can use any of the following new configuration options to update your configuration.

Restoring factory defaults (CR62409)

You can now restore the factory default values on the WANJet appliance.

Warning: You should restore the factory defaults only in extreme cases, when you want to discard all configuration changes that you have made, and start configuration all over again.

When you use this option, the values in all fields on all screens are reset to the default values, and all configuration changes are lost. The WANJet appliance retains the licensing information, so you do not have to revalidate the license. You do have to reconfigure the rest of the settings and policies.

To restore factory default values

  1. In the navigation pane, expand System, and click Backup & Restore.The WANJet Configuration Backup & Restore screen opens.
  2. Click the Factory Defaults button.
    A message warns you that you are about to reset the WANJet appliance configuration to the factory default values and asks if you want to continue.
  3. Click the OK button.
    The WANJet appliance stops and reboots automatically using the default values.

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Adding or reconfiguring optimization policies (CR63327)

You can change optimization policies while the WANJet appliance is optimizing traffic without having to restart the appliance or interrupt your users.

To add or reconfigure optimization policies

  1. In the navigation pane of the Web UI, expand Optimization and click Optimization Policy.
    The WANJet Optimization Policy screen opens.
  2. Modify subnet settings or add subnets to be optimized.
    • Modify subnet settings, as needed.
    • To add subnets, click the Add button, located beneath the local or remote subnets table.
      When the Add Local (or Remote) Subnet screen opens, you can specify the IP address and details about the subnet.
    • To edit subnets, click the IP address of the local or remote subnet.
      When the Edit Local (or Remote) Subnet screen opens, you can modify the subnet settings.
  3. To add policies for specific ports or services, click the Add button, located beneath the Protocol Optimization Policies table.
    The Add Port/Service Name screen opens where you can specify the details about the protocol optimization policy.
  4. To reconfigure existing policies, click the existing service name in the Protocol Optimization Policies table.
    The Edit Port/Service Name screen opens where you can edit the policy.
  5. When you are done adding or reconfiguring subnets and optimization policies, click OK.
    You return to the WANJet Optimization Policy screen.
  6. Click the Save button.
    The new or changed optimization policies take effect immediately for all new connections.

    Refer to Chapter 6 of the WANJet Appliance Administrator Guide for more information about optimization policies.

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Known issues

The following items are known issues in the current release.

TDR-2 efficiency on WANJet 200
On WANJet 200 appliances, the overall cache size for data transmitted or received is 50 MB, or 25 MB in each direction. TDR-2 efficiency may be degraded when transmitting or receiving application data sets of 25 MB or greater.

Passthrough sessions (CR60178)
After a high volume of traffic passes through the WANJet appliance, the dashboard may temporarily display more passthrough sessions than are actually occurring.

SSL encryption implementation (CR64020)
SSL encryption is currently implemented only for optimized TCP traffic. In future releases, we plan to support TCP and UDP protocols for SSL encryption.

TDR-2 efficiency impacted by slow servers (CR65171)
TDR-2 efficiency may be degraded when transmitting data from low-performance servers.

UDP port optimization may cause problems on port 53 (CR70172)
When all UDP ports are optimized, DNS services over port 53 may fail. The workaround is to put all UDP ports into passthrough mode, and to specifically open those UDP ports you want to optimize.

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