Does anyone have an questions about F5 iWorkflow?

Great question, Yann. We started developing our orchestration and integration features and services as part of BIG-IQ - specifically, as the BIG-IQ "Cloud" module, which you mentioned. We have since spilt this functionality out form BIG-IQ, we've added considerably more extensibility/programmability to it, and now we've announced that it will be released separately as the F5 iWorkflow platform. This will be where we focus Programmability & Orchestration (P&O hereafter). Why? Unlike traditional device management system, iWorkflow is policy-centric and presents an integration point for Management and Orchestrations systems, including SDN Controllers. It serves a different set of use case from that of BIG-IQ Centralized Management. Hence, it made sense to separate. iWorkflow support infrastructure integrations with SDN controllers and infrastructure management solutions, in addition to DevOps tools like Chef, Puppet, and Ansible, to name just a few. You can read more about the product split here: https://devcentral.f5.com/articles/the-intrinsic-asymmetric-division-of-big-iq I hope that answers your question sufficiently! Best regards, Nathan

If "orchestration and integration features and services" will no longer be in BIG-IQ, what will then be left in there?

BIG-IQ is still doing plenty! :) The "BIG-IQ Cloud" functionality became the foundation of what has now evolved into iWorkflow (it does a little more than just that) but the other BIG-IQ functions (other than BIG-IQ Cloud) are all still there. You're interested mostly in the programmability side?

No, I was just confused about these terminologies. It would be much clearer to rename what's left of the previous BIG-IQ back to "admin server", it would seem.

@Jie;

 

The BIG-IQ name is to separate it's function from BIG-IP. BIG-IP would be the engines running the apps, and BIG-IQ is your mission control. It's what we always wanted Enterprise Manager to eventually turn into but because it was such a big departure from EM, both in platform and function, it was a logical marketing decision to segregate it.

 

BIG-IQ is very much the Enterprise Admin's wish list of how to manage a large BIG-IP ecosystem. It's RBAC allows separate teams to manage their slice of BIG-IP. Sec admins can monitor DDoS outbreaks and manage appropriate policies on the fly. It allows network admins their usual management duties from deploy/T&M/and monitoring. And it allows application owners a deeper dive into how their application is performing.

 

Current BIG-IQ management functions were very different from BIG-IQ "Cloud". To separate out the products intended use further it became iWorkflow, more situated to the tasks it provides. This allows the iWorkflow and other F5 automation/orchestration teams the flexibility to add new features faster and stay current with new MANO trends. We'll get more content out for BIG-IQ and iWorkflow focusing on where you would use them and problems they solve. I think coming at it from that angle will help people make product decisions on what's most important in their environment.

 

Do check out Nathan's Youtube channel and watch the 101 and 201 iWorkflow series. You'll start to see where segregation of the products became a benefit for not only the users of the product but the developers of it too!

 

-Chase