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  5. Setting up F5 SSL Orchestrator in a High Availability Environment
Manual Chapter : Setting up F5 SSL Orchestrator in a High Availability Environment

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F5 SSL Orchestrator

  • 14.0.0
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Setting up F5 SSL Orchestrator in a High Availability Environment

Overview: Setting up F5 SSL Orchestrator in high availability

This section describes how to deploy F5® SSL Orchestrator™ high availability (HA). SSL Orchestrator HA configuration and deployment ensures a decrease in downtime and eliminates single points of failure. The deployment of SSL Orchestrator’s HA works with the BIG-IP® device groups support to sync the SSL Orchestrator specific configuration items, and is transparent to the user.

The deployment occurs after completing a configuration change and selecting Deploy. The deployment request is first routed to one of the devices in the HA device group. This first device configures the device where the request is received. After successful deployment on that device, the request is repeated on other BIG-IP devices.

With SSL Orchestrator installed onto a dedicated system with failover, it automatically takes over in case of system failure. Data is synchronized between the two systems, ensuring high availability and consistent protection.
Note: SSL Orchestrator high availability deployment is supported for use only with SSL Orchestrator versions 2.1 and later.

Assumptions and dependencies

To ensure that your SSL Orchestrator HA deployment succeeds, it is critical that you closely review and follow all assumptions and dependencies.

  • HA Setup: BIG-IP HA (CMI) must be set to Active-Standby mode with network failover. See the BIG-IP Device Service Clustering: Administration document for detailed information on Active-Standby HA mode.
  • HA Setup: If the deployed device group is not properly synced or RPM packages are not properly syncing, make sure your HA self IP (for example, ha_self) Port Lockdown setting is not set to Allow None. On the Main tab, click Network > Self IPs and click your ha_self. If Port Lockdown is set to Allow Custom, check that the HA network port 443 is open on self IP.
  • BIG-IP HA Devices: Only manual sync is supported.
  • BIG-IP HA Devices: Devices in each BIG-IP HA pair must be the same model and run the same version of TMOS® (including any hotfixes). Except for the management interface, you must configure both devices to use the same arrangement of network interfaces, trunks, VLANs, self IPs (address and subnet mask), and routes. For example, if one BIG-IP device is connected to a specific VLAN/subnet using interface 1.1, the other BIG-IP device must also be connected to that VLAN/subnet using interface 1.1. If the BIG-IP device configurations do not match, this implementation will not deploy correctly, and HA failover will not work.
  • User Experience: Deployment must be initiated from the active HA BIG-IP device.
  • User Experience: You can refresh the SSL Interception Rules screen ( SSL Orchestrator > Interception Rules ) for each peer device in order to see all modified changes.

Task summary for deploying in a high availability environment

To ensure that your F5® SSL Orchestrator™ high availability (HA) deployment succeeds, it is critical that you closely follow each deployment step, as well as the assumptions and dependencies, for both devices in the device group. In addition, you should adhere to all prerequisites. If the systems in the device group are not configured consistently, the deployment synchronization process might suffer errors or fail.

Use the following tasks to ensure your HA deployment succeeds:

  • Installing and Upgrading F5 SSL Orchestrator
  • Configuring the network for high availability
    • Configuring the ConfigSync and Failover IP address
    • Adding a device to the local trust domain
    • Creating a Sync-Failover device group
  • Synchronizing the device group
  • Setting up a basic configuration for deployment

Prerequisites

Before configuring the network for high availability, make sure these prerequisites are in place:

  • The information used to configure your devices is identical on both devices. Without identical information on both devices, the HA deployment process can suffer from errors or fail.
  • The latest version of BIG-IP SSL Orchestrator is successfully installed on the first device (the Active device). See the section Installing and Upgrading F5 SSL Orchestrator to ensure that this prerequisite has been properly completed.
  • Successfully set up an HA ConfigSync device group prior to starting the configuration. See the section Configuring the network for high availability and its subsections to ensure that this prerequisite has been properly completed. For additional information, refer to the BIG-IP Device Service Clustering: Administration document, section Managing Configuration Synchronization.
  • SSL Orchestrator is installed with the appropriate license information using the SSL Orchestrator Setup Utility (or the CLI) and made sure your device setup information is identical on both devices:
    • While using the SSL Orchestrator Setup Utility, you have noted the details used for NTP and DNS setup and made sure they will be identical on both devices. To verify duplication, on the Main tab, click System > Configuration > Device and select NTP or DNS.
    • Ensure that any certificates used in the configuration are copied to all devices.
    • Ensure that information is identical on all devices. This information should include any of the following that are needed:
      • Client network
      • External network
      • Networks providing access to ICAP devices and Receive-only devices
    • Ensure that the log publishers are configured and named the same.
    • Ensure that all systems use the same interfaces for any services. (If interface 1.1 is used to send traffic to an inline Layer 2 device on system A, then interface 1.1 must also be used on systems B, C, and D.)
    Note: Do not attempt to duplicate the configuration by saving and restoring a user configuration set (UCS) file from one machine to the other, or any other cloning approach. There are several IDs that must be unique that will also be duplicated, causing additional problems.
    Note: For more detailed information on using the SSL Orchestrator setup utility, see the Using the SSL Orchestrator setup utility section.

Installing F5 BIG-IP SSL Orchestrator

Create a backup of your current configuration to ensure your settings are not lost if the update fails.

Having the latest version of F5® BIG-IP® SSL Orchestrator™ establishes the version that later appears on your other BIG-IP® HA peer device. After downloading the latest version of the SSL Orchestrator from downloads.F5.com, return to your SSL Orchestrator deployment settings.

To install the latest version, refer to Installing the new BIG-IP 14.0.0 ISO image section in this guide or follow the steps shown below.

  1. Go to https://downloads.f5.com and click Downloads. The Downloads Overview screen opens.
  2. Click Find a Download. The Select a Product Line screen opens.
  3. In the F5 Product Family column, find the Security section.
  4. In the Product Line column, click SSL Orchestrator. The Select a Product Version and Container for SSL Orchestrator screen opens.
  5. Select 14.0.0 from the list of BIG-IP version numbers and then click SSL Orchestrator. The Software Terms and Conditions screen opens.
  6. Click I Accept. The Select a Download screen appears.
  7. Click the appropriate filename to download BIG-IP SSL Orchestrator.
  8. To install BIG-IP SSL Orchestrator, on the Main tab, click System > Software Management > Image List . The Images List screen opens.
  9. From the Available Images section, select the check box next the to BIG-IP 14.0.0 ISO image.
  10. Click Install. The Install Software Image popup screen opens.
  11. In the Volume set name list, type a Boot Location name or number.
  12. Click Install. The Images List screen opens.
    Note: If necessary, click the browser Refresh button if the BIG-IP version 14.0.0 image does not appear in the Installed Images list.
  13. The BIG-IP installation is complete once the Install Status column for version 14.0.0 indicates complete.
See the section Installing and Configuring the System for F5 SSL Orchestrator in this guide for more additional detailed installation instructions that may be required after completing this set of installation tasks.
Note: Make sure to install SSL Orchestrator on the active system only. That system will copy it to the other systems in the ConfigSync group.

Later, after a successful SSL Orchestrator HA deployment, you should verify that the same version appears on the BIG-IP HA peer device.

Configuring the network for high availability

You can specify the settings for VLAN HA and self IP addresses on the active device to configure your network for high availability. If needed, you can configure all devices involved in the high availability group for HA.

Note: This network connects the various devices and must be a common Layer-2 network between all devices.
  1. On the Main tab, click Network > VLANs .
    The VLAN List screen opens.
  2. Click Create.
    A New VLAN screen opens where you can configure your new VLAN.
  3. In the Name field, type the name (for example, ha_vlan).
  4. For the Interfaces setting:
    1. From the Interface list, select an interface number.
    2. From the Tagging list, select Tagged for traffic for that interface to be tagged with a VLAN ID.
    3. Click Add.
      The interface you selected appears in the Interfaces list as a tagged service.
  5. Click Finished.
    Next to the F5 logo, your device status appears showing ONLINE (ACTIVE) and Standalone with green indicators showing their status as up and running.
  6. On the Main tab, click Network > Self IPs .
    The Self IP List screen opens.
  7. Click Create.
    A New Self IP screen opens where you can configure your new self IP.
  8. In the Name field, type the self IP name (for example, ha_self).
  9. In the IP Address field, type the IP address for the device.
  10. In the Netmask field, type the netmask for the device.
  11. From the VLAN/Tunnel list, select the VLAN name (ha_vlan).
  12. Click Finished.

Configuring ConfigSync and failover IP addresses

Before creating the device group, you should configure the configuration synchronization (ConfigSync) and Failover IP addresses for each BIG-IP® system in the device group. The ConfigSync address is the IP address that the system uses when synchronizing configuration with peer devices, and the failover address is the IP address that the system uses for network failover.

  1. On the Main tab, click Device Management > Devices .
    The Devices List screen opens.
  2. Click your device in the device list.
    The properties screen for the device opens.
  3. Click ConfigSync.
    The screen shows the ConfigSync Configuration area, with the local address of the device.
  4. From the Local Address list, select the VLAN address (ha_vlan).
  5. Click Update.
  6. Click Failover Network, and then click Add.
    The New Failover Unicast Address screen opens.
  7. In the Address field, make sure that the VLAN address (ha_vlan) is present.
  8. Click Repeat.
  9. After the screen refreshes, from the Address list, select the Management Address.
    Note: Connection Mirroring is not supported.
  10. Click Finished.
    The Failover Unicast Configuration area lists both the VLAN HA (ha_vlan) and Management Address devices.

Adding a device to local trust domain

Any BIG-IP® devices that you intend to add to a device group must first be members of the same local trust domain. When a BIG-IP device joins the local trust domain, it establishes a trust relationship with peer BIG-IP devices that are members of the same trust domain. For example, if you are creating a device group with two members, you must log in to one of the devices and join the other device to that system's local trust domain. The devices can then exchange their device properties and device connectivity information.

  1. On the Main tab, click Device Management > Device Trust .
    The Device Trust screen opens.
  2. On the menu bar, click Device Trust Members to view peer and subordinate device settings.
    The Device Trust Members screen opens.
  3. Click Add.
    The Device Trust screen opens, showing Retrieve Device Credentials (Step 1 of 3).
  4. From the Device Type list, select Peer.
  5. In the Device IP Address field, type the IP address of your device.
  6. Click Retrieve Device Information.
    The screen shows Verify Device Certificates (Step 2 of 3).
  7. Click Device Certificate Matches.
    The screen shows Add Device (Step 3 of 3).
  8. In the Name field, type the name of the device you are adding.
  9. Click Add Device.
    At the upper right, next to the F5 logo, the status of your device should show ONLINE (ACTIVE) and Connected, with a green indicator next to them showing its active and connected status.

Creating a sync-failover device group

For an HA configuration, you need to establish failover capability between two or more BIG-IP® devices. Then, if an active device in a sync-failover device group becomes unavailable, the configuration objects fail over to another member of the device group, and traffic processing is unaffected. You perform this task on any one of the authority devices within the local trust domain.

  1. On the Main tab, click Device Management > Device Groups .
    The Device Group List screen opens.
  2. Click Create.
    The New Device Group screen opens.
  3. In the General Properties area, name your new device group and select the group type.
    1. In the Name field, type the name of your device group.
    2. From the Group Type list, select Sync-Failover.
  4. For the Configuration setting, retain the Basic configuration type, and then select members and define the sync type.
    1. In the Members setting, select available devices from the Available list and add them to the Includes list.
    2. From the Sync Type list, select Manual with Incremental Sync.
      Note: You must do a manual sync. If you select Automatic with Incremental Sync, your HA deployment will fail.
  5. Click Finished.
The Device Groups list screen opens, listing your new device group. The ConfigSync Status column will indicate waiting Initial Sync.

Synchronizing the device group

For an HA configuration, you need to synchronize the BIG-IP® configuration data from the local device to the devices in the device group. This synchronization ensures that devices in the device group operate properly. When synchronizing self IP addresses, the BIG-IP system synchronizes floating self IP addresses only.

  1. Next to the F5 logo, click Awaiting Initial Sync.
    On the Main tab, you can also click Device Management > Overview .
    The Device Management Overview screen opens, showing your Device Groups.
  2. In the Sync Issues area, select ha to expand the Devices and Sync Options areas of the screen.
  3. In the Devices area, select the device showing Changes Pending.
  4. In the Sync Options area, select Push the selected device configuration to the group.
  5. Click Sync.

You have now completed your F5® SSL Orchestrator™ HA deployment. Next, set up a basic configuration for deployment on your active device.

Setting up a basic configuration for deployment

You must create identical information on each device before deploying the configuration.
You can now setup a basic configuration for deployment on your active device.
  1. On the Main tab, click SSL Orchestrator > Deployment Settings .
    The Deployment Settings screen opens.
  2. Refer to the Configuring deployment settings section for complete instructions.
    After you deploy your configuration on the active device, the system automatically synchronizes the configuration with all of the other devices in the device group. Since some errors may not be apparent, it is critical that you thoroughly test and diagnose the success or failure of the deployment. Refer to Task summary for diagnosing and fixing high availability deployment for steps to test and verify your HA deployment.

Task summary for diagnosing and fixing high availability deployment

For methods to help diagnose, verify, and fix a failed HA deployment, use the following tasks:

  • Verifying deployment and viewing logs
  • Verifying the RPM file version on both devices
  • Configuring deployment settings and redeploying
  • Reviewing error logs and performing recovery steps

Verifying deployment and viewing logs

You can verify your deployment by verifying that the required virtuals, profiles, and BIG-IP® LTM® and network objects have been created, checking that the RPM files are in sync, and reviewing logs for failures, for example.
Note: Because the initial device in the HA device group repeats the configuration requests and propagates the configuration to other BIG-IP devices, make sure you verify the initial configured device first, followed by each device in the HA device group. If the initial device deployment configuration fails, all other device configuration deployments will not successfully be configured.
  1. Verify that all expected and required virtuals, profiles, and BIG-IP LTM and network objects (route-domains, VLANs, self IPs) have been created on each device in the HA device group.
    These will be items beginning with the name given to the application (for example, if the application was named SSLO, verify that all of the items named | Summary SSL Orchestrator 14.0.0 | 9 SSLO_* are the same on all devices).
  2. Ensure that all RPM file versions are identical.
  3. Verify your deployment with, or without, services.
  4. Review the following logs for failures:
    • /var/log/restnoded/restnoded.log
    • /var/log/restjavad.0.log

Verifying the RPM file version on both devices

After a successful F5® SSL Orchestrator™ HA deployment, verify that the latest version of the SSL Orchestrator zip file is installed on both devices.

  1. On the Main tab, click SSL Orchestrator > Updates .
    The Updates screen opens.
  2. Check the RPM versions in the Version field.

If the versions are not identical, you must install an updated RPM file and verify that both devices are identically configured.

Configuring deployment settings and redeploying

If your configured deployment continues to fail, you can remove and reconfigure all deployment settings.

  1. Remove all configurations present on all devices.
  2. For all devices, individually configure each section in the F5® SSL Orchestrator™ deployment settings and select Finished. Verify that all new objects are properly synced and deployed.
    Note: If synchronization or deployment issues persist after deploying after each section, attempt to deploy after updating each item (instead of after each section) in the SSL Orchestrator deployment settings and verify that all new objects are properly synced and deployed.
    Note: See the Configuring deployment settings section for more detailed information.

Reviewing error logs and performing recovery steps

You can review log messages to help you debug system activity and perform recovery steps. Refer to the Configuring logs settings section of this document for more information on generating logs and setting the level of logging you want the system to perform.

  1. Verify that all BIG-IP® LTM®and network objects are present on each of the devices in the HA device group.
  2. If the configuration deployment fails on each device, review the logs:
    • /var/log/restnoded/restnoded.log
    • /var/log/restjavad.0.log
  3. Use the following REST GET command to determine the state of the deployed device block in the REST storage:
    • curl -s -k -u admin:admin https://localhost/mgmt/shared/iapp/blocks | json-format
  4. Since failure scenarios can vary, after reviewing the logs, attempt the following recovery steps:
    1. Redeploy SSL Orchestrator.
      If this succeeds, you have recovered from the failure situation.
    2. Undeploy SSL Orchestrator.
      By undeploying, a cleanup of MCP objects on each of the devices occurs while also cleaning up required data properties within the block stored in REST storage. If this succeeds, attempt to redeploy again.
    3. If redeploy or undeploy fails, do the following:
      1. From command line (back door), run > touch /var/config/rest/iapps/enable.
      2. Refresh the SSL Orchestrator menu UI.
      3. Select the deployed application from the list and delete the application.
      4. Redeploy and undeploy again.
      5. Once done, remove the file rm -f /var/config/rest/iapps/enable.
    4. If these recovery steps do not work, you may need to clean up the REST storage.
Note: For more detailed information on setting up HA, see the BIG-IP Device Service Clustering: Administration document.
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