Forum Discussion
Ethan_McG_23292
Nimbostratus
NimbostratusChanges Made to a Virtual Server Outside the iApp
My organization and I are new to BIG-IP and its features. We are loving it so far, but I have a bit of a problem.
For a couple of site's load balancing configurations, I originally used iApps. The iApps made deploying much easier, but I disabled strict updates in order to make a necessary change that the iApp didn't include. After that, I made a few other changes outside the iApp, adding an iRule and tweaking some settings to optimize load balancing for our situation. Then I went back and tried to update the configuration with the iApp, and my changes were gone!
With some searching, I realized that the iApp had written over my manual changes. Thankfully, I was backing up UCSs, so I simply restored from one of those. However, the whole ordeal highlighted an issue for me: I have needed changes that I made outside the iApp, and I can't update the iApp without getting rid of them. I can just leave the iApp alone and only make manual changes, but if anyone else comes in to manage items on the BIG-IP, they might think they can use the iApp and be lost when there's trouble.
If this problem has come up for anyone else, what did you do to get around it?
This scenario does actually come up, there is a couple ways to look at it. Firstly depending on what manual changes are required you still may be able to work within the confines of the iApp. For example if you need to attach an iRule to the virtual server there is typically a section in most F5 supported iApps that allow for attaching iRules, also other things such as using an existing profile instead of creating the default, recommended profile is available through the iApp. In that case you could create the profile outside of the iApp and then change the answer in the iApp to select the profile you created.
if you cannot work within the iApp to get your modifications done there is an iApp on the codeshare that will deconstruct all the objects from the iApp and allow it to be a manual configuration from that point on. Linking to it for your further reading and use: https://devcentral.f5.com/codeshare/iapp-deconstructor
This scenario does actually come up, there is a couple ways to look at it. Firstly depending on what manual changes are required you still may be able to work within the confines of the iApp. For example if you need to attach an iRule to the virtual server there is typically a section in most F5 supported iApps that allow for attaching iRules, also other things such as using an existing profile instead of creating the default, recommended profile is available through the iApp. In that case you could create the profile outside of the iApp and then change the answer in the iApp to select the profile you created.
if you cannot work within the iApp to get your modifications done there is an iApp on the codeshare that will deconstruct all the objects from the iApp and allow it to be a manual configuration from that point on. Linking to it for your further reading and use: https://devcentral.f5.com/codeshare/iapp-deconstructor
- There is also an option in the template selection field, "None - Do not use a template". This option leaves the iApp and its configuration alone, but makes it so the next person is not able to make changes without selecting the original template. Might be useful if all you want it to not have the iApp accidentally reconfigured at a later date.
Ethan_McG_23292Thanks! It sounds like that will work well for us.
- Here is a general article that may help you. https://devcentral.f5.com/s/articles/understanding-iapps-18224
