Upgrading F5 Big-IP from version 9.3.x or 9.4.x to 10.x
Upgrading Big-IP from version 9.3.x or 9.4.x to 10.x
======================================================
This installation was performed on a Big-IP 3600. Hardware details are as follows:
PLATFORM INFORMATION --
| Marketing Name: BIG-IP 3600
| BIOS Rev: AMIBIOS(C)2006 American Megatrends, Inc. F5 Platform: MERCURY OBJ-0272-03 BIOS S10.0 Date:04/24/2009
| base MAC: 00:00:00:00:00:00
+-> SYSTEM INFO
| Type: C103
| Chassis serial: f5-yyyy-xxxx Level 200 part: 200-0293-11 REV A
| Memory: 3.437GB
+-> HARDWARE CARDS
| | Type: pic Model: F5 cpld
| | version: 0x13
| | Type: crypto Model: Cavium NITROX-PX
| | version: CNPx-MC-SSL-MAIN-MC1-0001
+-> CPU 0
| | Type: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E6400 @ 2.13GHz Speed: 2133.469MHz
| | Temp: 37degC Fan speed: 10546rpm
1. Download the iso and md5 files from the F5 website.
2. SCP to your F5 Big-IP appliance.
3. Transfer files downloaded in step 1 to the directory “/shared/images”. Create this directory if it does not exist.
4. Login to the CLI of the device using the root account. Verify the integrity of the images. Apply the following commands:
md5sum /shared/images/BIGIP-10.0.1.283.0.iso
cat /shared/images/BIGIP-10.0.1.283.0.md5
Visually check that the hash values outputs are identical.
5.
Login to the CLI of the device using the root account. Install the
configuration utility “image2disk” – the iso image contains the
image2disk utility. Apply the following command to install the utlity:
im /shared/images/BIGIP-10.0.1.283.0.iso
The
process copies over the image2disk installation utility, and then
presents a status message, which lets you know that the im command is no
longer supported, and tells you how to proceed.
/tmp/rpmdisk.173hO1 /shared/images
info: media has tm_install version 2.6.2, release 40.0
info: adding bin/../isolinux/install/tm_install.rpm to system...
info: media has perl-RPM2 version 0.67, release 10.0.0.4598.0
info: adding bin/../isolinux/install/perl-RPM2.rpm to system...
The im utility is no longer used to upgrade software images.
Please use 'image2disk'. For help, use 'image2disk -h'.
You must always install to an image location that is not in use.
Here is your current image-location status:
HD1.1 active no default no title BIG-IP 9.1.2 Build 40.2
HD1.2 active yes default yes title BIG-IP 9.3.1 Build 37.1
6.
Determine which HD slot to install the new in using the switchboot
utility. You must install the image on an inactive slot. Apply the
following command:
switchboot –l
Sample output:
[root@F5:Active] / # switchboot –l
Current boot image:
HD1.1 - BIG-IP 9.4.8 Build 355.0
Default boot image:
HD1.1 - BIG-IP 9.4.8 Build 355.0
Available boot image(s):
HD1.1 - BIG-IP 9.4.8 Build 355.0
HD1.2 - BIG-IP 9.4.8 Build 355.0
[root@F5:Active] / #
7.
Install the new image. This step will reformat the disk to use Logical
Volume Management. Apply the following command as the root using the
CLI:
image2disk --instslot=HD1.2 --format=volumes /shared/images/BIGIP-10.0.1.283.0.iso
The
upgrade process installs the software on the inactive installation
location (--instslot) that you specify. This process usually takes
between three minutes and seven minutes.
8. Reboot the into the volume where you installed the new image:
switchboot -b HD1.2
reboot
Installing Hotfixes 10.x
1. Download the Hot fix files from F5:
• Hotfix-BIGIP-10.0.1-402.7-HF4.iso
• Hotfix-BIGIP-10.0.1-402.7-HF4.md5
2.
SCP to the device and copy the downloaded hot fix files to the
directory “/shared/images”. Login to the CLI and verify the files are
recognised by the device. Apply the following command:
bigpipe software list
Sample output:
[admin@F5:Active] images # bigpipe software list
software {
desired {
HD1.1 {}
HD1.2 {
product "BIG-IP"
version "10.0.1"
build "283.0"
active enable
}
HD1.3 {}
}
hotfixes "Hotfix-BIGIP-10.0.1-402.7-HF4.iso"
images "BIGIP-10.0.1.283.0.iso"
}
[admin@F5:Active] images #
3. Verify the integrity of the files. Apply the following commands:
md5sum /shared/images/Hotfix-BIGIP-10.0.1-402.7-HF4.iso
cat /shared/images/Hotfix-BIGIP-10.0.1-402.7-HF4.md5
Visually check the hash values are the same from the output.
4. Verify the disk formatting scheme used by the device. Apply the following command:
lvscan
Sample output:
[admin@F5:Active] images # lvscan
lvscan -- ACTIVE "/dev/vg-db-sda/dat.share.1" [30 GB] contiguous
lvscan -- ACTIVE "/dev/vg-db-sda/dat.log.1" [7 GB] contiguous
lvscan -- ACTIVE "/dev/vg-db-sda/set.1.root" [256 MB] contiguous
lvscan -- ACTIVE "/dev/vg-db-sda/set.1._config" [512 MB] contiguous
lvscan -- ACTIVE "/dev/vg-db-sda/set.1._var" [3.25 GB] contiguous
lvscan -- ACTIVE "/dev/vg-db-sda/set.1._usr" [1 GB] contiguous
lvscan -- ACTIVE "/dev/vg-db-sda/set.2.root" [256 MB] contiguous
lvscan -- ACTIVE "/dev/vg-db-sda/set.2._config" [512 MB] contiguous
lvscan -- ACTIVE "/dev/vg-db-sda/set.2._var" [3.25 GB] contiguous
lvscan -- ACTIVE "/dev/vg-db-sda/set.2._usr" [1 GB] contiguous
lvscan -- ACTIVE "/dev/vg-db-sda/set.3.root" [256 MB] contiguous
lvscan -- ACTIVE "/dev/vg-db-sda/set.3._config" [512 MB] contiguous
lvscan -- ACTIVE "/dev/vg-db-sda/set.3._var" [3.25 GB] contiguous
lvscan -- ACTIVE "/dev/vg-db-sda/set.3._usr" [1 GB] contiguous
lvscan -- 14 logical volumes with 52 GB total in 2 volume groups
lvscan -- 14 active logical volumes
[admin@F5:Active] images #
5.
The Big-IP image and hotfix file into a volume which is NOT active.
Check which volume is active – apply the following command:
bigpipe software
Sample output:
[admin@F5:Active] images # bigpipe software
SOFTWARE
+-> SOFTWARE STATUS
| Key Slot Product Version Build Active Status
| HD1.1 0 none none none no complete
| HD1.2 0 BIG-IP 10.0.1 283.0 yes complete
| HD1.3 0 none none none no complete
[admin@F5:Active] images #
6. Install the Big-IP image and hotfix file into the inactive volume.
a) First install the Big-IP image. Apply the following command:
bigpipe software desired HD1.3 product BIG-IP version 10.0.1 build 283.0
Sample Output:
[admin@F5:Active] images # bigpipe software desired HD1.3 product BIG-IP version 10.0.1 build 283.0
[admin@F5:Active] images # bigpipe software
SOFTWARE
+-> SOFTWARE STATUS
| Key Slot Product Version Build Active Status
| HD1.1 0 none none none no complete
| HD1.2 0 BIG-IP 10.0.1 283.0 yes complete
| HD1.3 0 BIG-IP 10.0.1 283.0 no installing 0.000 pct
[admin@F5:Active] images # bigpipe software
SOFTWARE
+-> SOFTWARE STATUS
| Key Slot Product Version Build Active Status
| HD1.1 0 none none none no complete
| HD1.2 0 BIG-IP 10.0.1 283.0 yes complete
| HD1.3 0 BIG-IP 10.0.1 283.0 no installing 3.000 pct
[admin@F5:Active] images #
[admin@F5:Active] images # bigpipe software
SOFTWARE
+-> SOFTWARE STATUS
| Key Slot Product Version Build Active Status
| HD1.1 0 none none none no complete
| HD1.2 0 BIG-IP 10.0.1 283.0 yes complete
| HD1.3 0 BIG-IP 10.0.1 283.0 no complete
b) Apply the hotfix onto the Big-IP image. Apply the following commands:
bigpipe software desired HD1.3 product BIG-IP version 10.0.1 build 402.7
Sample Output:
[admin@F5:Active] images # bigpipe software desired HD1.3 product BIG-IP version 10.0.1 build 402.7
[admin@F5:Active] images # bigpipe software
SOFTWARE
+-> SOFTWARE STATUS
| Key Slot Product Version Build Active Status
| HD1.1 0 none none none no complete
| HD1.2 0 BIG-IP 10.0.1 283.0 yes complete
| HD1.3 0 BIG-IP 10.0.1 402.7 no installing hotfix
[admin@F5:Active] images #
c) Boot into the volume containing the hotfix. Apply the following command:
switchboot -b HD1.3
reboot
Sample Output:
[admin@F5:Active] images # switchboot -b HD1.3
[admin@F5:Active] images # reboot
Broadcast message from root (pts/0) (Tue Jan 25 12:00:58 2011):
The system is going down for reboot NOW!
[admin@F5:Active] images #
References
F5: Manual Chapter: Using the image2disk and diskinit Utilities
F5: SOL11496
