Manual Chapter : Communications Between BIG-IP GTM and Other Systems

Applies To:

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BIG-IP GTM

  • 11.6.5, 11.6.4, 11.6.3, 11.6.2, 11.6.1, 11.5.10, 11.5.9, 11.5.8, 11.5.7, 11.5.6, 11.5.5, 11.5.4, 11.5.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.1
Manual Chapter

About establishing communications between GTM and other systems

Before BIG-IP GTM can operate as an integrated component within your network, communications must be established between BIG-IP GTM and the other BIG-IP systems with which BIG-IP GTM must exchange information. The three scripts described in the table are used to establish these communications in specific instances.

Script name When to run
gtm_add To install a new BIG-IP GTM on a network that includes a GTM synchronization group that contains at least one other BIG-IP GTM.
big3d_install To install a new BIG-IP GTM on a network that includes BIG-IP systems running earlier versions of the BIG-IP system software.
bigip_add To install a new BIG-IP GTM on a network that includes BIG-IP systems running the same version of the BIG-IP system software.

About iQuery

BIG-IP systems use an XML protocol named iQuery to communicate with other BIG-IP systems using gzip compression. BIG-IP systems must exchange SSL certificates and be members of the same configuration synchronization group before the systems can share information using iQuery.

Tip: iqdump is a command you can use to view the data transmitted between systems using iQuery.
Important: BIG-IP systems send iQuery communications only on the VLAN on which the systems receive incoming messages.

About iQuery and communications between BIG-IP systems

The gtmd agent on BIG-IP Global Traffic Manager (GTM) uses the iQuery protocol to communicate with the local big3d agent, and the big3d agents installed on other BIG-IP systems. The gtmd agent monitors both the availability of the BIG-IP systems, and the integrity of the network paths between the systems that host a domain and the local DNS servers that attempt to connect to that domain.

Example of communications between big3d and gtmd agents Communications between big3d and gtmd agents using iQuery

Viewing iQuery statistics

Ensure that the BIG-IP GTM configuration contains at least one BIG-IP server object with a self IP address.
To view information about the connections between BIG-IP GTM and other BIG-IP systems, view iQuery statistics.
  1. On the Main tab, click Statistics > Module Statistics > DNS > GSLB. The Global Traffic statistics screen opens.
  2. On the Main tab, click Statistics > Module Statistics > Link Traffic. The Link Controller statistics screen opens.
  3. From the Statistics Type list, select iQuery. Information about the iQuery connections between this system and other BIG-IP systems in your network displays.
  4. When you want to estimate iQuery traffic throughput, click Reset. The following statistics are reset to zero:
    • iQuery Reconnects
    • Bytes In
    • Bytes Out
    • Backlogs
    • Bytes Dropped
To view information about the iQuery connections between a different BIG-IP GTM and the BIG-IP systems in your network, log in to that BIG-IP GTM and repeat this procedure.

About the gtm_add script

The gtm_add script is designed to be run on a BIG-IP GTM you are installing on your network, when you want to integrate the system into a previously created GTM synchronization group that includes at least one other BIG-IP GTM. The script copies the remote BIG-IP GTM configuration to the local BIG-IP GTM system.

Note: Prior to running the gtm_add script, the BIG-IP GTM system you are adding to the network must be defined in the configuration of the BIG-IP GTM system in the configuration synchronization group to which you are adding the new system.

About the big3d_install script

The big3d_install script is designed to be run on a BIG-IP GTM you are installing on a network that includes BIG-IP systems of earlier versions. The big3d_install script connects to each BIG-IP system on your network, extracts the IP addresses of the devices, and automatically updates the big3d agents on all devices.

About the bigip_add script

The bigip_add script is designed to run on a BIG-IP GTM you are installing on a network that includes BIG-IP systems of the same version. The bigip_add script exchanges SSL certificates with each of the other BIG-IP systems to authorize communication between the devices.