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Adel_N_114257's avatar
Adel_N_114257
Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
Feb 09, 2015

Incomplete install causing boot issues

Hi

 

Got a 1600, which was running 9.4.7, but an admin forgot the password, so we attempted to do a clean install using a USB CD but the install process hung on the below:

 

CFE version 1.5.1 for F5AOM (32bit,SP,LE,MIPS) [nub] Build Date: Tue May 13 09:48:12 PDT 2008 (f5cm@build17) Copyright (C) 2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005 Broadcom Corporation.

 

AREN Initializing Arena. DEVI Initializing Devices. CPU type 0x29006: 200MHz Total memory: 0x4000000 bytes (64MB)

 

Total memory used by CFE: 0x83D00000 - 0x83F354C0 (2315456) Initialized Data: 0x83D31100 - 0x83D32CF0 (7152) BSS Area: 0x83D32CF0 - 0x83D334C0 (2000) Local Heap: 0x83D334C0 - 0x83F334C0 (2097152) Stack Area: 0x83F334C0 - 0x83F354C0 (8192) Text (code) segment: 0x83D00000 - 0x83D30AB0 (199344) Boot area (physical): 0x03CBF000 - 0x03CFF000 Relocation Factor: I:E4100000 - D:E4100000 ENVI

 

CFE

 

Press Ctrl-c to stop autoboot: [1] Loader:elf Filesys:raw Dev:flash1.recovery File:x Options:(null) Loading: 0x80001000/4889219 0x804aaa83/264077 Entry at 0x80289000 Starting program at 0x80289000

 

RUN! C102

--- Press ( for Command Menu.

 

▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒c▒▒D▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒c▒▒D▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒c▒▒D▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒c▒▒D▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒c▒▒D▒cL▒D▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒▒▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒D▒c▒▒D▒cćD

 

now whether we try an load up the system with the USB CD attached or without, all we get is the above.

 

Can anyone advise on a work around please.

 

Thanks

 

Adel

 

application delivery
boot cd
deployment
installation
LTM
  • Adel_N_114257's avatar
    Adel_N_114257
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Feb 11, 2015

    So I managed to get to the root CLI via the AOM and basically the device cannot access the USB ports.

     

    Is there a way to manually access a USB drive or boot from it?

     

    Is there a way to manually set instructions for booting from the CD-ROM?

     

    • Adel_N_114257's avatar
      Adel_N_114257
      Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
      Feb 24, 2015
      agreed that is the exact same path i have chosen although I will probably go from 11.2 to 11.3 as there is LTM and LC configs and if i remember right, there was some big changes to LC in 11.3 or 11.4 so after 11.2 I will probably go up minor release at a time just to make sure there is no impact on the config. but that is all hypethetical as I can't get to 10.2.4 yet
    • shaggy's avatar
      shaggy
      Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
      Feb 24, 2015
      heh, yeah. v9 to v10 was my least favorite upgrade due to the required re-format. When doing migrations from v9 to v11, I do a few upgrade iterations even though they aren't necessarily required. I usually go v9 to late v9 (which you are already at) to v10.2.4 (was the newest v10 at the time), v10.2.4 to v11.2.1, then v11.2.1 to current. That allows me to iron out smaller sets of configuration compatibility issues at each level rather than a big set of configuration issues at the end. Of course this all depends on the complexity of your configuration...good luck
    • Adel_N_114257's avatar
      Adel_N_114257
      Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
      Feb 24, 2015
      I'm testing out an upgrade from 9.4.8 all the way up to 11.5.1 . but i have to do a clean install for v9 to v10 and that is where I have come unstuck. I always thought clean installs should be the easiest things in the world. But I have now learnt otherwise shaggy :)
  • Adel_N_114257's avatar
    Adel_N_114257
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Feb 11, 2015

    Thanks for all you help I will try that can get back to you all.

     

    The device I am using is single unit in our test environment. We have some legacy devices in our production that are running 9.4.8 and want to upgrade them to 10.5.1. So I thought to test the process before making changes in prod.

     

    Adel , out.

     

  • StephanManthey's avatar
    StephanManthey
    Icon for MVP rankMVP
    Feb 09, 2015

    Hi Adel ,

    this one is the only BIG-IP you currently have?

    If you have a 2nd one you can use it to build a bootable USB stick. Have a copy of the base installation image i.e. in /var/tmp/.

    Now follow these steps, please: 
    mkdir /mnt/cdrom/ 
cd /var/tmp/
mount -o loop /var/tmp/ /mnt/cdrom/
cd /mnt/cdrom/
./mkdisk

    From here you can select the H/W platform the image should be used for (different boot loaders in use depending on hardware generation).

    You really want to install v9? It´s end of life and for production it would make sense to get at least to v10.2.4, better a v11 version.

    Btw, there is a way to reset the current passphrase from single user mode. Just check these solutions please:

    http://support.f5.com/kb/en-us/solutions/public/4000/100/sol4178.html

    http://support.f5.com/kb/en-us/solutions/public/3000/300/sol3350.html

    Thanks, Stephan

  • Christopher_Boo's avatar
    Christopher_Boo
    Icon for Cirrostratus rankCirrostratus
    Feb 09, 2015

    Sounds like something is hosed on the compact flash. I think a couple of the replies at the link below might be helpful. Also are you wiping the flash and disk prior to install?

     

    link text

     

  • Adel_N_114257's avatar
    Adel_N_114257
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Feb 09, 2015

    yes. baud rate set to 19200, on the f5 appliance and also on putty and also on windows device manager, so consistent across the board.

     

    that's why it's confusing as the first half of the load screen comes up correct but then it turns into junk.

     

  • boneyard's avatar
    boneyard
    Icon for MVP rankMVP
    Feb 09, 2015

    did you have the correct baud rate? it is kinda different for F5, 19200 instead of the usual 9600.