Hi, How can I configure the Bigip LTM VE without logging into the system ? Like entering the license and configuring the ip address and all

how do you think to do this without logging in? you will need to login somehow to do that. you can use the VmWare Console to gain initial access, if that is what you are looking for.

Its not possible. you need to login and configure initial steps.

Can VE boot via DHCP to get a management address? For non-VE, we automate build-outs using Ansible.

Yes, you can boot via DHCP (version >=11.3) to get a management address on a VE. You can specify the IP address issued to any particular VE via standard MAC address reservation (eth0 on the VE) configured on your DHCP server. From there, you can continue provisioning (licensing, module provisioning, creating VLANs, self IPs, etc) via iControl API calls or by scripted ssh tmsh commands. Tell me a little more about what specific provisioning tasks you're looking to accomplish automatically and I'll be happy to help.

Configuring Bigip LTM VE

11 Replies

boneyard
MVP
Dec 11, 2013
how do you think to do this without logging in? you will need to login somehow to do that.

you can use the VmWare Console to gain initial access, if that is what you are looking for.
Samir_Jha_52506
Noctilucent
Dec 11, 2013
Its not possible. you need to login and configure initial steps.
- b_136889
  Nimbostratus
  Dec 12, 2013
  makes sense !
mhite_60883
Cirrocumulus
Dec 12, 2013
Can VE boot via DHCP to get a management address?

For non-VE, we automate build-outs using Ansible.
- Grayson_149410
  Nimbostratus
  Sep 10, 2014
  I know this is old, but I am trying to learn how to automate LTM changes with Ansible. Do you have any good documentation to follow? I am new to this Ansible stuff and trying to learn it.
adrock_1854
Nimbostratus
Dec 12, 2013
Yes, you can boot via DHCP (version >=11.3) to get a management address on a VE. You can specify the IP address issued to any particular VE via standard MAC address reservation (eth0 on the VE) configured on your DHCP server.

From there, you can continue provisioning (licensing, module provisioning, creating VLANs, self IPs, etc) via iControl API calls or by scripted ssh tmsh commands.

Tell me a little more about what specific provisioning tasks you're looking to accomplish automatically and I'll be happy to help.
- b_136889
  Nimbostratus
  Dec 12, 2013
  thanks a lot for the help. Actually I am trying to automate the assigning of the management IP, Licensing thats all as of now. So that user can launch the VM and just start using it through the icontrol or rest apis and no need for him to manually config the IP and management ip to access the VM.
dirtycache
Nimbostratus
Dec 12, 2013
Yes, you can boot via DHCP (version >=11.3) to get a management address on a VE. You can specify the IP address issued to any particular VE via standard MAC address reservation (eth0 on the VE) configured on your DHCP server.

From there, you can continue provisioning (licensing, module provisioning, creating VLANs, self IPs, etc) via iControl API calls or by scripted ssh tmsh commands.

Tell me a little more about what specific provisioning tasks you're looking to accomplish automatically and I'll be happy to help.
- b_136889
  Nimbostratus
  Dec 12, 2013
  thanks a lot for the help. Actually I am trying to automate the assigning of the management IP, Licensing thats all as of now. So that user can launch the VM and just start using it through the icontrol or rest apis and no need for him to manually config the IP and management ip to access the VM.
Grayson_149410
Nimbostratus
Mar 09, 2015
Did you ever have any luck getting to automate LTMs? I am setting up a dev environment using ansible and having trouble getting started.
- b_136889
  Nimbostratus
  Mar 09, 2015
  For configuring I enabled the dhclient so that it ll get dhcp management IP and took a snapshot and using this image for all the other launches(I was using VE). bigstart restart dhclient for licensing I used some python script available on F5 devcentral https://clouddocs.f5.com/api/icontrol-soap/pyControl-v2-License-BIGIP.html For creating resources use these one of the following methods. One can use pycontrol https://clouddocs.f5.com/api/icontrol-soap/PyControl_v2.html (Checkout the e.g.) or an rest Interface Icontrol(I used rest) https://clouddocs.f5.com/api/icontrol-soap/PyControl_v2.html (Checkout the e.g.) You can enabled the rest service, use these commands Enable the rest service(iControl) in BIG IP VM. enter: tmsh enter : modify sys service icrd add check the status: show sys service icrd Stop iControl service: stop sys service icrd restart the service: start sys service icrd Let me know if you need more info.