You can use external logging devices to collect log files from BIG-IP^® devices for viewing from a web interface launched from the F5^® BIG-IQ^® Centralized Management system. Currently, only the SevOne Performance Log Appliance (SevOne PLA) is supported. As part of supporting external logging devices, the BIG-IQ Centralized Management system pushes (transfers) BIG-IP device management IP- and self IP address information to the external logging device.

You need to add an external logging device to the management system before you can use it. You add, modify, or remove external logging devices from the management system by selecting System Management > BIG-IQ LOGGING > External Logging Devices .

Once you have added the external logging device, you need to set up authentication with the device so that you can then launch the user interface to manage the device. You perform these tasks by selecting Network Security > Monitoring > External Logging Devices .

1. Log in to the BIG-IQ Centralized Management system with your user name and password.
2. At the top left of the screen, select System Management from the BIG-IQ menu.
3. In the list on the left, click BIG-IQ LOGGING and then click External Logging Devices.
4. Click Add.
   The Add External Logging Device screen opens.
5. Type a name and an optional description for the external logging device.
6. Type the connection information for the SevOne PLA device.
   1. Specify the IP address of the external logging device in the IP Address field. If the external logging device is also a query server, select the Use as query server check box to the right of the IP Address field. Query servers are members of the SevOne PLA logging device cluster that process user queries.
   2. In the User Name field, specify the user name of the account used to securely access the SevOne PLA device.
   3. In thePassword field, specify the password for the selected account .
   4. Once the connection information is complete, click Test to verify that the connection information can be used to access the SevOne PLA device. If the test is successful, a green check mark and the text Connection Established are shown in the Test Connection row.
7. Type the query server information for the device.
   1. Add the first query server IP address in the IP Address field.
   2. Add additional query servers by clicking the + to the right of the description and then supplying an IP address for each in the created IP Addressfields.
   3. Remove query servers by clicking the X to the right of the query server to remove.
8. Optionally, select the Enabled check box in the Status setting to allow scheduling for data pushes from the BIG-IQ Centralized Management system to the SevOne PLA device, and to enable editing for the other fields in this area.
   • To have the data pushed every day,for the Push Frequency setting, select Daily.
   • To push the data once a month, in the Push Frequency setting, select Monthly, and then select the day of the month.
   • To push the data each week, in the Push Frequency setting, select Weekly and then select one or more days of the week.
9. Specify when to begin, and optionally end, the scheduled data push.
   Select the date and time using the calendar tool, or type the date, hour, and minute to use. By default, No End Date is selected and must be cleared to specify an end time.
10. Click Push Now in the Last Push Date setting to manually push the data to the external logging device.
11. Click Add to save your changes.
    After you successfully add your changes, the screen shows the Last Push Date setting. You can use the Push Now button in that row to manually push data to the external logging device.

1. Log in to the BIG-IQ Centralized Management system with your user name and password.
2. At the top left of the screen, select System Management from the BIG-IQ menu.
3. In the list on the left, expand BIG-IQ LOGGING and then click External Logging Devices.
4. Click the name of the external logging device to modify.
   The External Logging Device (device-name) screen opens.
5. Modify the description for the external logging device, as needed.
6. Modify the connection information for the SevOne PLA device, as needed.
   1. Specify the IP address of the external logging device in the IP Address field. If the external logging device is also a query server, select the Use as query server check box to the right of the IP Address field. Query servers are members of the SevOne PLA logging device cluster that process user queries.
   2. Specify the user name of the account used to securely access the SevOne PLA device in the User Name field.
   3. Specify the password for the selected account in thePassword field.
   4. Click Test once the connection information is complete to verify that the connection information can be used to access the SevOne PLA device. If the test is successful, a green check mark and the text Connection Established are shown in the Test Connection setting.
7. Modify the query server information for the device, as needed.
   1. Add the first query server IP address in the IP Address field.
   2. Add additional query servers by clicking the + to the right of the description and then supplying an IP address for each in the created IP Addressfields.
   3. Remove query servers by clicking the X to the right of the query server to be removed.
8. Optionally, select the Enabled check box in the Status setting to allow data pushes from the BIG-IQ Centralized Management system to the SevOne PLA device to be scheduled and to enable the other fields in this area for editing.
   • Select Daily in the Push Frequency setting to have the data pushed every day.
   • Select Monthly in the Push Frequency setting and then select the day of the month to push the data once a month.
   • Select Weekly in the Push Frequency setting and then select one or more days of the week to push the data each week.
9. Specify when to begin, and optionally end, the scheduled data push.
   Select the date and time using the calendar tool, or type the date, hour, and minute to use. By default, No End Date is selected and must be cleared to specify an end time.
10. Click Save to save your changes.
    You can use the Push Now button in the Last Push Date setting to manually push the data to the external logging device.

1. Log in to the BIG-IQ Centralized Management system with your user name and password.
2. At the top left of the screen, select System Management from the BIG-IQ menu.
3. In the list on the left, click BIG-IQ LOGGING and then click External Logging Devices.
4. Click the check box to the left of the name of the external logging device to remove.
5. Click Remove.
   A dialog box opens, asking you to confirm that you want to remove the device.
6. Click Delete in the dialog box.

1. Log in to the BIG-IQ Centralized Management system with your user name and password.
2. At the top left of the screen, select Network Security from the BIG-IQ menu.
3. From the menu at the top click Monitoring, and then on the left click External Logging Devices.
4. Request an authentication token by clicking the link displayed in the Auth token column for the appropriate external logging device.
   • If you do not have an authentication token to access the SevOne PLA, you request it by clicking Request Auth Token.
   • If you want to replace an existing authentication token, you request a new one by clicking Manage Auth Token.
   The Manage SevOne PLA Authentication Token dialog box opens.
5. Type the user name and password for an account with privileges to use the web interface to the SevOne PLA device.
6. Click Request Token.
   A new authentication token is sent from the SevOne PLA device, and the new token string is displayed.
7. Click Save to save the token and close the dialog box.

1. Log in to the F5^® BIG-IQ^® Centralized Management system with your user name and password.
2. At the top left of the screen, select Network Security from the BIG-IQ menu.
3. From the menu at the top click Monitoring, and then on the left click External Logging Devices.
4. Click the check box to the left of the external logging device that should have the authentication token removed.
5. Click Delete Auth Token.

1. Log in to the BIG-IQ Centralized Management system with your user name and password.
2. At the top left of the screen, select Network Security from the BIG-IQ menu.
3. At the top click Monitoring, and then on the left click External Logging Devices.
4. In the External Device column, click Launch for the appropriate external logging device.
   The SevOne PLA user interface opens.