Applies To:
Show Versions
F5 SSL Orchestrator
- 15.1.0
Summary:
This release note documents the version 7.5 release of F5 SSL Orchestrator.
Note: SSL Orchestrator 7.5 is bundled with the BIG-IP 15.1.2 version. F5 recommends using SSL Orchestrator 15.1.2-7.5.
Contents:
- Platform support
- Guided Configuration browser support
- User documentation for this release
- Features in SSL Orchestrator
- Fixes
- Behavior changes
- Install and upgrade SSL Orchestrator
- Contacting F5
- Legal notices
Platform support
SSL Orchestrator standalone base license is supported on the following platforms:
| Chassis name |
Platform ID |
|---|---|
| VPR-22XX, VPR-24XX, VPR-4480, VPR-4800 | --- |
| C2100 | --- |
| C2200 | D114 |
| C4400 | J100 |
If SSL Orchestrator is the standalone base license installed on your system, you can add the following modules:
- URLF Filtering (subscription)
- IPI (subscription)
- Network HSM
- Access Policy Manager (APM)
- Secure Web Gateway (SWG)
- Advanced Routing
F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) base license with SSL Orchestrator as an add-on is supported on any available iSeries, Bourne, and VIPRION platforms:
| Platform name |
|---|
| 2000, i2000 |
| 4000, i4000 |
| 5000, i5000 |
| 7000, i7000 |
| 10000, i10000 |
| 11000, i11000 |
| 12000 (Bourne) |
| i15000 |
| Chassis name: VPR-22XX, VPR-24XX, VPR-4480, VPR-4800 |
Guided Configuration browser support
The Guided Configuration acts as the template for SSL Orchestrator. This release supports the following browsers and versions for use with Guided Configuration for SSL Orchestrator:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 11.x - Only 32-bit browsers are supported.
- Mozilla Firefox 55.x
- Google Chrome 61.x
User documentation for this release
For a comprehensive list of documentation that is relevant to this release, refer to the SSL Orchestrator Documentation page.
Features in SSL Orchestrator
F5 recommends you review the entire SSL Orchestrator release notes and setup guide prior to upgrading and configuring a deployment.
Guided Configuration for SSL Orchestrator
Guided configuration is meant to guide you through setting up a particular use case on the SSL Orchestrator system. Each template requests minimal input and provides contextual help to assist users during setup. The current version of the Guided Configuration is displayed on the landing page. When a later upgrade becomes available, you can use the available link next to the version number to download it from downloads.f5.com then upload and install Guided Configuration for SSL Orchestrator on BIG-IP. Prior to installing and upgrading to the latest version of SSL Orchestrator, ensure that you read the release notes and setup guide for any prerequisites, task details, or troubleshooting and recovery steps during installation or upgrade.
Guided Configuration for SSL Orchestrator TLS 1.3 support
TLS 1.3 support is provided in Guided Configuration for SSL Orchestrator for inbound cases, both clientssl and serverssl, for enhanced performance and security.
SSL Orchestrator Topologies
SSL Orchestrator configuration topologies define the type of traffic (transparent or explicit) and the direction of traffic flow (inbound or outbound) you wish to inspect. These deployment settings, which can be modified as needed without undeploying a configuration, are complimented by SSL management settings that assist you in defining inbound decryption and outbound decryption, setting your service types (such as HTTP, ICAP, Layer 2/Layer 3 inline, and receive-only/TAP services) and creating your service policies by defining per-request and per-session policy settings that can be managed through a virtual policy editor.
- Outbound transparent proxy
- Outbound explicit proxy
- Inbound reverse proxy
- Outbound layer 2
- Inbound layer 2
The Existing Application topology is an inbound topology that allows you to create services, service chains, and security policies and attach them to an existing reverse proxy BIG-IP application.
Licensing and Provisioning for SSL Orchestrator Access Integration
Updated SSL Orchestrator Setup Utility with resource provisioning capabilities for licensed and unlicensed modules.
Multi-Layered Security
In order to solve specific security challenges, security administrators are accustomed to manually chaining together multiple point products, creating a bare-bones “security chain” consisting of multiple services. A typical chain may include components like Data Leak Prevention (DLP) scanners, Web Application Firewalls (WAF), Intrusion Prevention and Detection Systems (IPS and IDS), Malware Analysis tools, Secure Web Gateways (SWG), and more. In this model, all user sessions are provided the same level of security, as this “daisy chain” of services is hard-wired.
Virtual Clustered Multiprocessing (vCMP)
SSL Orchestrator supports Virtual Clustered Multiprocessing (vCMP) to provision and manage multiple hosted instances of the BIG-IP software on a single hardware platform.
Classification Engine
Classification Engine provides a rich set of methods based on context to dynamically determine how best to optimize the flow through the security stack. Context can minimally come from the following:
- Source IP/subnet
- Destination IP/subnet
- IP intelligence category - Subscription
- IP geolocation
- Host and domain name
- URL filtering category - Subscription
- Destination port
- Protocol
Other classifiers with greater flexibility are also available in the SSL Orchestrator VPE and with iRules to optimize and evaluate additional information.
Deployment Modes
- Single device mode
- High availability (HA) active/standby mode
In addition, the system can detect and transparently handle an explicit proxy between SSL Orchestrator and the internet.
SSL Orchestrator Analytics
SSL Orchestrator analytics provides a customizable view into your SSL Orchestrator statistics and enable you to flexibly choose the information you want to view based on specified ranges of time that you can select and adjust.
Statistics generated:
- Hit Count
- Client Bytes Out Per Second
- Duration
- Server Bytes In
- Server Bytes In Per Second
- Hit Count Per Second
- Server Bytes Out Per Second
- Client Bytes In
- Client Bytes In Per Second
- Client Bytes Out
- Server Bytes Out
Statistics are generated for the following dimensions:
- Client Cipher Names
- Client Cipher Versions
- Server Cipher Names
- Server Cipher Versions
- Virtual Servers
- Site IP Addresses
- Traffic Types
- Decryption Status
- Policy Actions
- Service Paths
- URL Categories
- Applications
- Application Families
- IP Reputation
- Destination Countries
L7 Application Protocol Settings
SSL Orchestrator supports L7 application protocol settings allowing you to select a protocol to listen for specific traffic (IMAP, SMTPS, POP3, FTP, HTTP) to be processed.
Fixes
Note: The following bugs are applicable to the SSL Orchestrator iAppLX (UI and BIG-IP configuration automation) and not BIG-IP (SSL Orchestrator traffic processing). Refer to the corresponding BIG-IP release notes for further detail about your version.
| ID number | Description |
|---|---|
| 923673 | In SSL Orchestrator, a reject client with TLS alert occurs if the per-request policy’s reject ending is reached prior to the SSL forward proxy triggers the server-side TLS handshake. For example, an Abort Ending action is added in the iApp Security Policy to enable the per-request policy to reject at different layers (of the OSI) if the policy’s reject is reached at: (1) client accepted -- it sends a TCP reset (or block with page); (2) TLS ClientHello -- it sends a TLS alert (or block with page). For workaround and fix information, see the following Knowledge Center article: F5 SSL Orchestrator may fail to stop an attacker from exfiltrating data on a compromised client system (SNIcat): https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K20105555. |
Behavior changes
| ID number | Description |
|---|---|
| 1001509 | A client browser may not trust certificates issued by the BIG-IP SSL forward proxy. The client system, or browser, that does not trust forged certificates will report the following certification verification warning: ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID. This forged certificate received by the client has the same values set for AKI and SKI certificate extensions. This occurs when a client SSL profile in SSL forward proxy is configured with the same certificate for Cert Key Chain and CA Cert Key Chain, and that certificate has a SKI extension. As a result, the client does not trust the forged certificates and cannot connect to the backend. Workaround: Modify the Certification Key Chain on the Client SSL profile so it has a different certificate from the CA Certification Key Chain. You can find details in K11162395: A client browser may not trust the certificate issued by the BIG-IP SSL forward proxy: https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K11162395. |
Install and upgrade SSL Orchestrator
If you currently have a version of SSL Orchestrator prior to 5.0, or are installing SSL Orchestrator for the first time, refer to the complete installation and upgrade instructions for F5 SSL Orchestrator in the SSL Orchestrator: Setup version 15.1.0-7.0 guide.
To install the F5 SSL Orchestrator 7.5 and you do not have an existing SSL Orchestrator add-on license, or a previous version of SSL Orchestrator installed, download the image from downloads.f5.com. For complete step-by-step installation instructions, see the BIG-IP Systems: Upgrading Software guide.
To upgrade to the newest version of SSL Orchestrator from a previous version prior to 5.0, or you have an existing add-on license, follow the recommended upgrade steps found in the SSL Orchestrator recommended upgrade procedure section in the SSL Orchestrator: Setup guide. This procedure walks you through the uninstallation and deletion of existing SSL Orchestrator applications and RPM before installing the new ISO image.
If you do not follow the recommended upgrade procedure to undeploy your previous SSL Orchestrator deployments, as well as uninstall your previous version of the application, further manual steps are required to reset your environment and undeploy the previous version. See the Upgrade from previous SSL Orchestrator versions using the recovery procedure task steps in the SSL Orchestrator: Setup guide based on the previous version of SSL Orchestrator you are upgrading from and your access to the BIG-IP Applications LX menu.
These upgrade steps are required since previously deployed SSL Orchestrator configurations cannot be rolled forward or imported into the new version of SSL Orchestrator. Following one of the recommended upgrade procedures will assist you in preparing your system for a clean installation.
Contacting F5
| North America | 1-888-882-7535 or (206) 272-6500 |
| Outside North America, Universal Toll-Free | +800 11 ASK 4 F5 or (800 11275 435) |
| Additional phone numbers | Regional Offices |
| Web | http://www.f5.com |
| support@f5.com |
Additional resources
You can find additional support resources and technical documentation through a variety of sources.
| F5 Support | Free self-service tools give you 24x7 access to a wealth of knowledge and technical support. Whether it is providing quick answers to questions, training your staff, or handling entire implementations from design to deployment, F5 services teams are ready to ensure that you get the most from your F5 technology. |
| AskF5 Knowledge Base | The storehouse for thousands of knowledgebase articles that help you manage your F5 products more effectively. Whether you want to browse periodically to research a solution, or you need the most recent news about your F5 products, AskF5 is your source. |
| BIG-IP iHealth Diagnostics and BIG-IP iHealth Viewer | BIG-IP iHealth Diagnostics identifies issues, including common configuration problems and known software issues. It also provides solutions and links to more information. With BIG-IP iHealth Viewer, you can see the status of your system at-a-glance, drill down for details, and view your network configuration. |
| F5 DevCentral | Collaborate and share innovations including code samples, new techniques, and other tips, with more than 300,000 F5 users worldwide. DevCentral is the place to ask questions, find solutions, learn to harness the power of F5’s powerful scripting language, iRules, and much more. |
| Communications Preference Center | Here, you can subscribe to a number of communications from F5. For information about the types of notifications F5 provides, see K9970: Subscribing to email notifications regarding F5 products. |
