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  5. Introduction to BIG-IP Initial Configuration
Manual Chapter : Introduction to BIG-IP Initial Configuration

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BIG-IP AAM

  • 13.1.5, 13.1.4, 13.1.3, 13.1.1, 13.1.0, 13.0.1, 13.0.0, 12.1.5, 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

BIG-IP APM

  • 13.1.5, 13.1.4, 13.1.3, 13.1.1, 13.1.0, 13.0.1, 13.0.0, 12.1.6, 12.1.5, 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

BIG-IP Analytics

  • 13.1.5, 13.1.4, 13.1.3, 13.1.1, 13.1.0, 13.0.1, 13.0.0, 12.1.6, 12.1.5, 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

BIG-IP Link Controller

  • 13.1.5, 13.1.4, 13.1.3, 13.1.1, 13.1.0, 13.0.1, 13.0.0, 12.1.6, 12.1.5, 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

BIG-IP LTM

  • 13.1.5, 13.1.4, 13.1.3, 13.1.1, 13.1.0, 13.0.1, 13.0.0, 12.1.6, 12.1.5, 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

BIG-IP AFM

  • 13.1.5, 13.1.4, 13.1.3, 13.1.1, 13.1.0, 13.0.1, 13.0.0, 12.1.6, 12.1.5, 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

BIG-IP PEM

  • 13.1.5, 13.1.4, 13.1.3, 13.1.1, 13.1.0, 13.0.1, 13.0.0, 12.1.6, 12.1.5, 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

BIG-IP DNS

  • 13.1.5, 13.1.4, 13.1.3, 13.1.1, 13.1.0, 13.0.1, 13.0.0, 12.1.6, 12.1.5, 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

BIG-IP ASM

  • 13.1.5, 13.1.4, 13.1.3, 13.1.1, 13.1.0, 13.0.1, 13.0.0, 12.1.6, 12.1.5, 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0
Manual Chapter
Table of Contents | << Previous Chapter

Introduction to BIG-IP Initial Configuration

About BIG-IP initial configuration

This implementation describes a new installation, and not an existing configuration. The networks described do not use dynamic routing, and have pool members that are on the directly connected network. Performing the tasks results in a standalone BIG-IP® system that processes application traffic and sends it to a server pool on the BIG-IP device's internal network.

Be sure you use the platform guide that corresponds to the installation you are doing.

Before you begin, make sure you have this information:

  • BIG-IP base registration key
  • Internal self IP address, netmask, and default gateway
  • External self IP address, netmask, and default gateway
  • IP address on the management route
  • BIG-IP passwords and passwords for other devices
  • Pool member addresses
  • Virtual server destination address
  • NTP server IP address

Running the Setup utility to license and provision the BIG-IP system

Before you begin, be sure to have the BIG-IP base registration key.
Using the Setup utility, you can activate the license and provision the BIG-IP system.
  1. From a workstation attached to the network on which you configured the management interface, type the following URL syntax where <management_IP_address> is the address you configured for device management: https://<management_IP_address>
  2. At the login prompt, type the default user name admin, and password admin, and click Log in.
    The Setup utility screen opens.
  3. Click Next.
    The General Properties screen opens.
  4. Click Activate.
    The License screen opens.
  5. In the Base Registration Key field, paste the registration key.
    You receive your registration key when you purchase the BIG-IP device or module.
  6. Click Next.
  7. Provision the Local Traffic (LTM) module to Nominal.
  8. Click Next.
    The device certificate is displayed.
  9. Click Next.
    The General Properties and User Administration screen is displayed.
  10. For the Management Port Configuration setting, click Manual.
  11. In the Host Name field, type the host name of this BIG-IP system.
    For example, www.siterequest.com.
    The BIG-IP system prompts you to log in again.
  12. Log in to the BIG-IP system again.
    The BIG-IP system license is now activated, and the BIG-IP Local Traffic module is provisioned. The standard network configuration screen within the Setup utility is displayed.
  13. Click Next.
    The Redundant Device Wizard Options screen opens.
  14. For the Config Sync and High Availability settings, clear the check boxes.
  15. Click Next.
    The internal VLAN screen displays.
The next step in this process is to configure the internal network.

Configuring the internal network

Using the Setup utility, you can configure the internal network by specifying self IP addresses and settings for VLAN internal, which is the default VLAN for the internal network.
  1. Specify the Self IP setting for the internal network:
    1. In the Address field, type a self IP address.
    2. In the Netmask field, type a network mask for the self IP address.
    3. For the Port Lockdown setting, retain the default value.
  2. For the VLAN Tag ID setting, retain the default value, auto.
    This is the recommended value.
  3. For the Interfaces setting:
    1. From the Interface list, select an interface number.
    2. From the Tagging list, select Tagged or Untagged.
      Select Tagged when you want traffic for that interface to be tagged with a VLAN ID.
    3. Click Add.
  4. Click Next.
    This completes the configuration of the internal self IP addresses and VLAN, and displays the screen for configuring the default VLAN external.

Configuring the external network

Using the Setup utility, you can configure the external network by specifying self IP addresses and settings for VLAN external, which is the default VLAN for the external network.
  1. Specify the Self IP setting for the external network:
    1. In the Address field, type a self IP address.
    2. In the Netmask field, type a network mask for the self IP address.
    3. For the Port Lockdown setting, retain the default value.
  2. In the Default Gateway field, type the IP address that you want to use as the default gateway to VLAN external.
  3. For the VLAN Tag ID setting, retain the default value, auto.
    This is the recommended value.
  4. For the Interfaces setting:
    1. From the Interface list, select an interface number.
    2. From the Tagging list, select Tagged or Untagged.
      Select Tagged when you want traffic for that interface to be tagged with a VLAN ID.
    3. Click Add.
  5. Click Finished.
    This causes you to leave the Setup utility.

Creating a pool

You can a create pool of servers that you group together to receive and process traffic, to enable the BIG-IP system to efficiently distribute the load on servers.
  1. On the Main tab, click Local Traffic > Pools .
    The Pool List screen opens.
  2. Click Create.
    The New Pool screen opens.
  3. In the Name field, type a unique name for the pool.
  4. In the Resources area of the screen, use the New Members setting to add the pool members. For example, the pool members for http_pool are 192.168.100.10:80 and 192.168.100.11:80. The pool members for specificport_pool are 192.168.100.20:80 and 192.168.100.21:80.
  5. Click Finished.
The load balancing pool appears in the Pools list.

Creating a virtual server

Before creating a virtual server, verify that you have created the pool to which you want this virtual server to send traffic.
When you create a virtual server, you specify a destination IP address and service port. All other settings on the virtual server have default values. You can change the default values of any settings to suit your needs.
  1. On the Main tab, click Local Traffic > Virtual Servers .
    The Virtual Server List screen opens.
  2. Click the Create button.
    The New Virtual Server screen opens.
  3. In the Name field, type a unique name for the virtual server.
  4. In the Type field, verify that Standard is selected.
  5. In the Destination Address field, type the IP address in CIDR format.
    The supported format is address/prefix, where the prefix length is in bits. For example, an IPv4 address/prefix is 10.0.0.1 or 10.0.0.0/24, and an IPv6 address/prefix is ffe1::0020/64 or 2001:ed8:77b5:2:10:10:100:42/64. When you use an IPv4 address without specifying a prefix, the BIG-IP® system automatically uses a /32 prefix.
    Note: The IP address for this field needs to be on the same subnet as the external self-IP address.
  6. In the Service Port field, type a port number or select a service name from the Service Port list.
  7. Retain the default values for all other settings.
  8. From the Default Pool list, choose the pool you created.
After performing this task, you have a virtual server that listens for application traffic and acts according to the values configured within the virtual server.
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