Manual Chapter : Updating BIG-IP VE

Applies To:

Show Versions Show Versions

BIG-IP AAM

  • 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

BIG-IP APM

  • 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

BIG-IP Analytics

  • 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

F5 DDoS Hybrid Defender

  • 12.1.0

BIG-IP LTM

  • 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

BIG-IP AFM

  • 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

BIG-IP PEM

  • 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

BIG-IP DNS

  • 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0

BIG-IP ASM

  • 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0
Manual Chapter

Updating BIG-IP VE

You do not need to reinstall BIG-IP® VE in order to install updates. You can use the Software Management tool in the Configuration utility, or you can upgrade the software from the command line.

To update BIG-IP VE, you will:
  1. Download the ISO and MD5 files.
  2. Install the downloaded files to an inactive boot location.
  3. Boot the BIG-IP VE to the new boot location.

Download and import a BIG-IP VE update

To install an update, BIG-IP software needs access to the ISO file. If the update is a hotfix, you need the ISO files for both the base version and the hotfix.

  1. In a browser, open the F5® Downloads page (https://downloads.f5.com).
  2. Download the version's base ISO file and its associated MD5 checksum file.
  3. Download the update ISO file and its associated MD5 checksum file.
    Important: Before you perform the installation, you should test the integrity of the ISO files to verify that you have downloaded clean copies. Use an MD5 verification program to ensure that the downloaded ISO files' checksums match the values in their corresponding MD5 files.
  4. In the BIG-IP VE user interface, on the Main tab, click System > Software Management > Image List > Import .
  5. Click Browse to navigate to the downloaded base level installation file.
  6. When the image name appears in the Software Image field, click Import to begin the operation.
    Important: Do not navigate away from this screen before the operation is done.
    When the import is complete, the Import page closes and the downloaded base image displays as an available image.
  7. Click the Hotfix List tab.
  8. At the right side of the screen, click Import.
  9. Click Browse to navigate to the downloaded hotfix installation file.
  10. When the image name appears in the Software Image field, click Import to begin the operation.
    Important: Do not navigate away from this screen before the operation is done.
    When the import is complete, the Import page closes and the downloaded hotfix displays in the list of available images.
You can now install the downloaded update.

Install a BIG-IP VE update

After you download and import the software installation image, you can initiate the installation operation. There are three boot locations on which you can install images on the BIG-IP® system. The process for installing a hotfix or a base version is essentially the same.
  1. On the Main tab, click System > Software Management .
    The Software Management Image List screen opens.
  2. In the Available Images area, select the software image you want to install and click Install.
    The Install Software Image popup screen opens.
  3. Select the disk you want to install the image on, and then type or select a volume name, and click Install.
    The upgrade process installs the software on the inactive disk location that you specify. This process usually takes between three and ten minutes.
    Tip: If there is a problem during installation, you can use log messages to troubleshoot a solution. The system stores the installation log file as /var/log/liveinstall.log.
    The software image is installed.
When the installation operation is complete, you can safely reboot the newly installed volume or partition.

Reboot after a BIG-IP VE update

When the installation operation is complete, you can safely reboot into the newly installed volume or partition.

  1. On the Main tab, click System > Software Management .
    The Software Management Image List screen opens.
  2. On the menu bar, click Boot Locations.
    The Boot Locations screen opens.
  3. In the Boot Location column, click the link representing the boot location you want to activate.
    The properties screen for the boot location opens.
  4. Click Activate.
    A confirmation screen opens.
  5. Click OK to initiate the reboot operation.
    The system presents progress messages during the restart operation.
When the BIG-IP® VE system reboot is complete, the system presents the login screen. To configure the system, log in using an account that has administrative permissions.