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Ajene's avatar
Ajene
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Jan 07, 2020

Big-IP DNS - Zone Transfers

I have a customer with 192 zones on an older Big-IP GTM device. I've implemented a newer version of Big-IP DNS (vCMP). The customer is using the Big-IP DNS as the master for all the zone files, therefore local BIND on the F5 appliances are being used. Not DNS Express.

 

The question I have is, is there a way to transfer over the zones in bulk? According to the documentation, it seems like this can only be done one at a time. In other words, is it possible to transfer more than one zone at a time? If so, is there a maximum limit? If not, that is OK, I just want to know what is theoretically possible and so far, I can't find any documentation that references this capability.

  •  

    --------------------

    **The below steps are not supported by F5 Support, due to local files are being modified. :) . If for any reason the below steps do not work, the UCS backups can be used to recover the vCMP Guests and old GTM.

    *The below I am typing from memory. :-)

    --------------------

    **Assumed

    --vCMP Guests are configured with all WIPs and DataCenter configurations.

    --iquery is allowed and is working between vCMP guests.

    -DataCenter shows both BIG-IP DNS servers online.

    ---iquery can be tested via the command iqdump

    >iqdump x.x.x.x . (x.x.x.x = IP of the alternative vCMP guest BIGIP-DNS servers) . If iqdump returns an error, then you have certificate / trust issues.

    -Understand the log files, to view error that may populate, based on the below steps.

    --------------------

    -Create a default UCS backup on the two new vCMP guests and save it to your workstation, to have a local copy.

    -Create a UCS backup on the old GTM via the GUI and save it to your workstation, to have a local copy.

    --------------------

    -Backup the zone files on the old GTM

    >cd /var/tmp

    >tar -cvf zonebackup.tar.gz /var/named/config/

    --------------------

    -Transfer the zonebackup file to the "Master" vCMP BigIP-DNS(GTM) ( /var/tmp directory) via SCP

    --You can use WinSCP or scp via putty on the old GTM

    *Old GTM -- from the /var/tmp directory

    >scp zonebackup.tar.gz root@x.x.x.x:/var/tmp (x.x.x.x is the IP of the Master BIGIP-DNS; replace 'root' with whichever user that you normally use to administrate)

    --------------------

    -On BOTH vCMP Guests, stop the bind and ZoneRunner service(s)

    >bigstart stop named

    >bigstart stop zrd

    -From the vCMP Master, extract the zonebackup.tar.gz file into the bind service directory

    >cd /var/tmp

    >tar -xvf zonebackup.tar.gz /var/named/config/

    *replace all files if questioned with yes "Y"

    -Verify if the zone files transferred

    >cd /var/named/config/namedb

    >ls *

    *Are the zone files listed? If so, proceed.

    -Restart the Named and ZoneRunner services

    >bigstart start named

    >bigstart start zrd

    --Verify in the GUI if you can see the Zones via ZoneRunner.

    --------------------

    At this point, the Secondary vCMP BIGIP-DNS guest's ZoneRunner and Bind service are stopped.

    -The sync has to be fixed and to do so, we will "start from scratch by deleting the bind files and re-sync to the Master.

    *Log into the Secondary BIGIP-DNS vCMP guest

    >rm -rf /var/named/config/ *Removes the original files.

    >mkdir /var/named/config . *Re-creates the 'config' directory

    --------------------

    -The next step will recopy the Bind config and zone file to the Secondary vCMP BIGIP-DNS Guest.

    >gtm_add <existing_GTM_IP_address> --answer the prompts. The gtm_add script will copy the remote BIG-IP GTM configuration to the local BIG-IP GTM system.

    Link: https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K8195

    -Restart the Bind and ZoneRunner service (secondary vCMP Guest BIGIP-DNS)

    --At this point, you should see both BIGIP-DNS servers online via the GUI

    -Test create a DNS record to verify if the sync is working correctly via ZoneRunner.

     

  •  

    --------------------

    **The below steps are not supported by F5 Support, due to local files are being modified. :) . If for any reason the below steps do not work, the UCS backups can be used to recover the vCMP Guests and old GTM.

    *The below I am typing from memory. :-)

    --------------------

    **Assumed

    --vCMP Guests are configured with all WIPs and DataCenter configurations.

    --iquery is allowed and is working between vCMP guests.

    -DataCenter shows both BIG-IP DNS servers online.

    ---iquery can be tested via the command iqdump

    >iqdump x.x.x.x . (x.x.x.x = IP of the alternative vCMP guest BIGIP-DNS servers) . If iqdump returns an error, then you have certificate / trust issues.

    -Understand the log files, to view error that may populate, based on the below steps.

    --------------------

    -Create a default UCS backup on the two new vCMP guests and save it to your workstation, to have a local copy.

    -Create a UCS backup on the old GTM via the GUI and save it to your workstation, to have a local copy.

    --------------------

    -Backup the zone files on the old GTM

    >cd /var/tmp

    >tar -cvf zonebackup.tar.gz /var/named/config/

    --------------------

    -Transfer the zonebackup file to the "Master" vCMP BigIP-DNS(GTM) ( /var/tmp directory) via SCP

    --You can use WinSCP or scp via putty on the old GTM

    *Old GTM -- from the /var/tmp directory

    >scp zonebackup.tar.gz root@x.x.x.x:/var/tmp (x.x.x.x is the IP of the Master BIGIP-DNS; replace 'root' with whichever user that you normally use to administrate)

    --------------------

    -On BOTH vCMP Guests, stop the bind and ZoneRunner service(s)

    >bigstart stop named

    >bigstart stop zrd

    -From the vCMP Master, extract the zonebackup.tar.gz file into the bind service directory

    >cd /var/tmp

    >tar -xvf zonebackup.tar.gz /var/named/config/

    *replace all files if questioned with yes "Y"

    -Verify if the zone files transferred

    >cd /var/named/config/namedb

    >ls *

    *Are the zone files listed? If so, proceed.

    -Restart the Named and ZoneRunner services

    >bigstart start named

    >bigstart start zrd

    --Verify in the GUI if you can see the Zones via ZoneRunner.

    --------------------

    At this point, the Secondary vCMP BIGIP-DNS guest's ZoneRunner and Bind service are stopped.

    -The sync has to be fixed and to do so, we will "start from scratch by deleting the bind files and re-sync to the Master.

    *Log into the Secondary BIGIP-DNS vCMP guest

    >rm -rf /var/named/config/ *Removes the original files.

    >mkdir /var/named/config . *Re-creates the 'config' directory

    --------------------

    -The next step will recopy the Bind config and zone file to the Secondary vCMP BIGIP-DNS Guest.

    >gtm_add <existing_GTM_IP_address> --answer the prompts. The gtm_add script will copy the remote BIG-IP GTM configuration to the local BIG-IP GTM system.

    Link: https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K8195

    -Restart the Bind and ZoneRunner service (secondary vCMP Guest BIGIP-DNS)

    --At this point, you should see both BIGIP-DNS servers online via the GUI

    -Test create a DNS record to verify if the sync is working correctly via ZoneRunner.

     

  • Yes, it can be done.

     

    Before I answer :) What version of TMOS is the GTM? And, how many GTM sync with each other (Data Center)?

     

     

  • Thanks for the reply. 14.1.0.3 build 0.0.6 and only 2 are configured within a DNS synchronization group.

  • Thanks for the reply. Your instructions worked perfectly, for me, in my lab. Thanks again for your help!