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Manual Chapter : Deploying BIG-IQ Virtual Edition

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Deploying BIG-IQ Virtual Edition

Citrix XenServer deployment overview

  • Verify that the host machine requirements are satisfied.
  • Deploy a BIG-IQ system as a virtual machine.
  • Deploy the BIG-IP systems you intend to manage.
  • After you have deployed the virtual machines, log in to the BIG-IQ VE system and run the Setup utility. Using the Setup utility, you perform basic network configuration tasks, such as assigning VLANs to interfaces.
  • Configure secure communication between the BIG-IQ system and the BIG-IP device.

Host machine requirements and recommendations

To successfully deploy and run the BIG-IQ VE system, the host system must satisfy minimum requirements.

The host system must include these elements:

  • Connection to a common NTP source (this is especially important for each host in a redundant system configuration).
Important: The hypervisor CPU must meet the following requirements:
  • Use a 64-bit architecture.
  • Have support for virtualization (AMD-V or Intel VT-x) enabled.
  • Support a one-to-one thread-to-defined virtual CPU ratio, or (on single-threading architectures) support at least one core per defined virtual CPU.
  • Intel processors must be from the Core (or newer) workstation or server family of CPUs.

Deploy a BIG-IQ VE virtual machine in Citrix Xenserver

The first step in deploying BIG-IQ® Virtual Edition (VE) is to download the OVA file to your local system. Next, you can run the Deploy OVF Template wizard from within the XenCenter client. Follow the steps in this procedure to create an instance of the BIG-IQ system that runs as a virtual machine on the host system.

Important: Do not modify the configuration of the XenServer guest environment with settings less powerful than the ones recommended in this document. This includes the settings for the CPU, RAM, and network adapters. Doing so might produce unexpected results.
  1. In a browser, open the F5 Downloads page (://downloads.f5.com).
  2. On the Downloads Overview page, select Find a Download.
  3. Under Product Line, select Centralized Management.
  4. Under Name, select the release you want to install.
  5. If the End User Software License is displayed, read it and then click I Accept.
  6. Determine which BIG-IQ Virtual Edition file package to download.
    • If you are installing a BIG-IQ, download the file name that ends in ide.ova or -scsi.ova
    • If you are installing a data collection device, download the file name that ends in LARGE-ide.ova or LARGE-scsi.ova

    The BIG-IQ file package creates a 95GB disk footprint at installation.

    The data collection device file package creates a 500GB disk footprint at installation.

  7. Extract the file from the Zip archive.
  8. Before starting the import wizard, review the prospective hypervisor environment for the following.
    • Make sure a DHCP server is active on the same network as the XenServer host before you start the XenCenter OVF Appliance.
    • Make sure there are no firewall or other restrictions between the required ports for connectivity between the XenCenter Client and XenServer. For more information and networking requirements, refer to the XenServer Virtual Machine Installation Guide.
    • Make sure enough storage space is available on the XenServer for the F5 virtual machine.
  9. Start the XenServerXenCenter client and log in.
  10. From the XenCenter 6.x File menu, click File > Import .
    The Import wizard starts.
  11. For the file name, use the Browse button to locate the OVF file, open it, and then click Next.
    For example: \MyDocuments\Work\Virtualization\<F5_OVF_filename>
    This displays the End-User License Agreement (EULA).
  12. Read and accept the license agreement, and click Next.
    The Location window opens.
  13. Under Home Server, select the home server for the F5 VE virtual machine from the list, and click Next.
  14. On the Storage window, click Place imported virtual disks onto specified target SRs, select the 100 GB storage size (for data collection devices, select 500 GB) and location for the F5 VE virtual machine, and then click Next.
  15. On the Networking window, assign the Management, Internal, External, and HA virtual machines to their respective Target Networks and click Next.
    Tip: There is no need to enter MAC addresses, MAC addresses will be assigned automatically.
  16. In the OS Fixup Settings window, make sure the Use Operating System Fixup check box is cleared, and click Next.
    Important: The Use Operating System Fixup check box is selected by default.
  17. On the Transfer VM Settings window, click Next, then on the Finish window, review your settings before continuing.
  18. Click Finish.
    The progress bar and text in the Progress pane indicate when the F5 virtual machine creation is complete.

Power on the BIG-IQ VE virtual machine for the first time

You power on the virtual machine so that you can make the BIG-IQ Virtual Edition (VE) accessible from the console.
  1. In the XenCenter client window, select the Server View.
  2. Select the virtual machine that you want to power on.
  3. Click the Start icon.
    Note: If you do not see the Start icon, look at the tool bar under the View menu.
    The status icon changes to indicate that the virtual machine is on. The virtual machine boots and becomes ready for configuration.

After the system completes the initialization process, two built-in user accounts are enabled that provide you with the access you need to complete initial configuration and setup:

  • The root account provides initial user access to command shells. You can use a local console connection, or you can use SSH. This account also provides access to the F5 Configuration utility. The initial root account password is default.
  • The admin account provides initial user access through the web interface. The initial admin account password is admin.
Important: You should change passwords for both accounts before bringing a system into production.

Set up the management network on the BIG-IQ virtual machine

If your network has DHCP, an IP address is automatically assigned to BIG-IQ VE during deployment. You can use this address to access the BIG-IQ VE user interface or tmsh command-line utility.

If no IP address was assigned, you can assign one by using the Configuration utility.

  1. In the XenCenter client screen, select the Server View.
  2. In the Resources pane, select the virtual machine.
  3. Click the Console tab.
    You might need to click the console area and press Enter to activate the console.
  4. At the local host login prompt, type root.
  5. At the password prompt, type default.
  6. Type config and press Enter.
    The F5 Management Port Setup screen opens.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Determine how to assign the management port:
    • If you want DHCP to automatically assign an address for the management port, select Yes.
    • To manually assign an IP address and netmask for the management port, select No and follow the instructions to set the IPv4 address, network mask, and management route (gateway address).

You can use the shell command tmsh list sys management-ip to confirm that the management IP address has been properly assigned.

You can now log in to the BIG-IQ VE user interface, and license and provision the VE.
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