Applies To:
Show Versions
BIG-IQ ADC
- 4.5.0
BIG-IQ Cloud
- 4.5.0
BIG-IQ Device
- 4.5.0
BIG-IQ Security
- 4.5.0
About downloading software, licensing and initial configuration
BIG-IQ system runs as a virtual machine in specifically-supported hypervisors or on the BIG-IQ 7000 series platform. After you set up your virtual environment or your platform, you can download the BIG-IQ software, and then license the BIG-IQ system. You initiate the license activation process with the base registration key.
The base registration key is a character string that the license server uses to verify the functionality that you are entitled to license. If the system has access to the internet, you select an option to automatically contact the F5 license server and activate the license. If the system is not connected to the internet, you can manually retrieve the activation key from a system that is connected to the internet, and transfer it to the BIG-IQ system.
Downloading software images
Download software images for new installations, upgrades, or hot fixes to managed physical and virtual devices with just a few clicks.
Installing and upgrading BIG-IQ System software
Before you perform an initial BIG-IQ System software installation, or software upgrade, you must perform the following tasks:
- Activate, or reactivate, your current license to ensure that you have a valid service check date.
- Download the ISO file for the upgrade from F5 Downloads to /shared/images on BIG-IQ System. If you need to create this directory, use the exact name /shared/images.
- For upgrades only, create a backup of the user configuration set (UCS), locate it in the /var/local/ucs directory on the source installation location, and copy the UCS file to another system for safe keeping.
- Log in to BIG-IQ System with your administrator user name and password.
- At the top of the screen, click Configuration.
- On the BIG-IQ Systems panel, expand Management Group or HA Peer Group by clicking the arrow next to it.
- Click the gear icon next to localhost, and then click Properties.
- Click Software Update.
- Click the Update button.
- From the Software Image list, select the new image or browse to the location to which you saved it.
- From the Install Location list, select the volume to which you want to install the image.
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For the Options setting, select one:
- To automatically reboot the BIG-IQ System to the specified volume immediately after the software is installed, select Reboot after Live Install.
- To manually reboot the BIG-IQ System at another time from the Set Default Boot Location. screen, select
- Click the Apply button.
Automatic license activation
Manual license activation
Defining DNS and NTP servers for the BIG-IQ system
Changing the default password for the administrator user
- Log in to BIG-IQ System with your administrator user name and password.
- At the top of the screen, click Access Control.
- On the Users panel, for Admin User, click the gear icon and then Properties.
- In the Old Password field, type the password.
- In the Password and Confirm Password fields, type a new password.
- Click the Add button.
Overview: SNMP and SMTP alerts
You can easily manage the health of your network by configuring the BIG-IQ system to alert you when specific events occur for your managed devices. You can receive notifications by having the BIG-IQ system send traps to your SNMP manager and you can also configure the BIG-IQ system to send alerts for certain events to a specified individual. SNMP is an industry standard protocol for monitoring devices on IP networks. BIG-IQ Device integrates easily with your SNMP manager, allowing you to centrally manage collected data. Once configured, the SNMP agent sends data collected from BIG-IQ Device to your third-party SNMP manager. BIG-IQ Device is compatible with SNMPv1, SNMPv2c, and SNMPv3. Additionally, you can specify SNMP events to also trigger SMTP alerts.
About integrating with SNMP version 1 or 2 for alerts
To prepare BIG-IQ Device to interface with your SNMP version 1 or 2 manager, you must do three things, all accomplished in one task.
- Configure SNMP agent
- Configure SNMP access
- Create an SNMP trap destination
Configuring SNMP version 1 or 2 for alerts
You configure the SNMP agent and provide specific access to BIG-IQ Device so that the SNMP manager can collect data.
About integrating with SNMP version 3 for alerts
To prepare BIG-IQ Device to interface with your SNMP version 3 manager, you must do three things, all accomplished in one task.
- Configure SNMP agent
- Configure SNMP access
- Create an SNMP trap destination
About integrating with SMTP for alerts
To have a specific recipient receive an email message when an alert is triggered by a system event, configure BIG-IQ Device to deliver locally-generated email messages using the internet-standard for electronic mail transmission, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). Sending an email alert ensures that administrators are immediately notified when a specific system event occurs so they can quickly troubleshoot potential issues.
Specifying alert conditions
- Log in to BIG-IQ System with your administrator user name and password.
- At the top of the screen, click Configuration.
- Click the gear icon next to the group for which you want to specify alert conditions, and then click Properties.
- Click Alert Conditions.
- Select the check box next to each event that should trigger an alert email.
- If a threshold is associated with the condition, in the adjacent Threshold field, type a value on which you want to trigger an alert email.
- Click the Save button.
About authentication integration
Integrating BIG-IQ systems with your authentication server allows you to remotely manage user access based on specific BIG-IQ system roles and associated permissions.
The BIG-IQ system is compatible with RADIUS and LDAP protocols.
Configuring authentication with LDAP
Before integrating LDAP authentication with the BIG-IQ system, you must first:
- Use an LDAP browser to familiarize yourself with the groups and users in your directory's structure and their position in the hierarchy of organizational units (OUs).
- Decide how you want to map user names. The first option is to map users directly to their Distinguished Name (DN) in the directory with a user bind template in the form of uid=<username>, ou=people,o=sevenSeas. For example, when you map John Smith's user name with his DN as uid=<jsmith>, ou=people,o=sevenSeas and he logs in as jsmith, he is properly authenticated with his user name in the directory through his DN. The second option is to allow users to log in with names that do not map directly to their DN, by specifying a userSearchFilter in the form of (&(uid=%s)) when creating the provider. For example, if John Smith's DN is cn=John Smith,ou=people,o=sevenSeas, but you would like him to be able to log in with jsmith, specify a userSearchFilter in the form of (&(jsmith=%s)). If your directory does not allow anonymous binds, you must also specify a bindUser and bindPassword so that the BIG-IQ system can validate the user's credentials.
- Determine which groups in your directory to map into BIG-IQ groups. If you configured a bindUser and bindPassword for users, the BIG-IQ system displays a list of groups from which to choose. If you have not, you must know the DN for each group.
- Identify the DN under which all users and groups can be found. This is the root bind DN for your directory and is expressed as rootDN when you create a provider. The BIG-IQ system uses the root bind DN as a starting point when searching for users and groups.
- Determine the host IP address for the LDAP server. The default port is 389, if not specified otherwise.
When you configure the BIG-IQ system for user authentication through your company's LDAP service, you can associate existing and new users added to the LDAP service with specific BIG-IQ roles. The permissions associated with those roles are based on the user credentials. The BIG-IQ system integration is compatible with LDAP server versions 2 and 3, and OpenLDAP directory, Apache Directory Server, and Active Directory
Configuring authentication with RADIUS
When you configure the BIG-IQ system for user authentication through your company's RADIUS service, you can associate existing and new users added to the RADIUS service with specific BIG-IQ roles. The permissions associated with those roles are based on the user credentials.