Forum Discussion

Jim-1019's avatar
Jim-1019
Icon for Altostratus rankAltostratus
Jul 31, 2023

Manual creation of F5 VE HA in MS Azure

Hi,

Appreciate any help with my current issue.

We are going to migrate the customer's current PAYG to BYOL. Their setup is one standalone for testing and HA pair for production. I knew creating F5 HA pair in Azure is easy using publicly available templates (e.g., Github), but I don't think using the template will work for us. We need to migrate the PAYG instance to BYOL (meaning utilizing the same interfaces, IP addresses, and configuration) with minimum downtime, so I thought pairing the BYOL instance to the existing PAYG instance would do the job.

Question:

1. Is it possible to manually create HA pair in Azure without using the template? If this is possible, do we have guides on how to proceed with the configuration?

2. Is it possible to HA pair one PAYG instance and a BYOL instance since PAYG and BYOL are just licensing methods?

I need advice and guidance on this setup.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

5 Replies

  • 424705's avatar
    424705
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus

    Hello,

    As per your post i give you some information please see blow and folow all details step by step.

     

    Migrating from PAYG to BYOL (Bring Your Own License) while maintaining the same interfaces, IP addresses, and configuration, along with minimizing downtime, can be a bit complex but achievable. Let's address your questions:

     

    Manually Creating HA Pair in Azure:
    Yes, it's possible to manually create an HA (High Availability) pair of F5 instances in Azure without using a template. While templates provide a streamlined process, manual setup gives you more control over customization. The high-level steps for manually setting up an F5 HA pair in Azure are as follows:

    a. Deploy VMs: Deploy two new VMs (BYOL) that will be part of the HA pair. These VMs should have the same configurations as your existing PAYG instance.

    b. Network Configuration: Configure network settings, including IP addresses, subnets, and virtual network configuration to match your existing setup.

    c. F5 Configuration: Install the F5 BIG-IP software on both VMs and configure them to work as an HA pair. This involves setting up synchronization between the instances and configuring the relevant load balancing and failover settings.

    d. Licensing: Apply your BYOL licenses to the new instances.

    e. Testing and Transition: Once the new HA pair is configured, you'll need to thoroughly test the setup to ensure it works as expected. Then, you can gradually transition traffic from the existing PAYG instance to the new BYOL HA pair. This could involve DNS changes, routing updates, or other methods depending on your network architecture.

    Mixing PAYG and BYOL Instances in an HA Pair:
    Technically, it is possible to mix PAYG and BYOL instances in an HA pair, but it might not be the most straightforward approach and might lead to licensing complexities. It's generally recommended to have consistency in licensing within an HA pair for simplicity and compliance reasons.

    Given your goal of minimizing downtime and maintaining the same configuration, I'd recommend focusing on migrating both instances to BYOL. This will provide a smoother and more predictable migration process.

    I hope my suggestion is work for you. If any query please tell me.

    EDITED by Leslie_Hubertus to remove SEO spam edited into this post by the original poster. The original poster has been banned, and I'm leaving the message up only because there was a reply to it. 

    • Jim-1019's avatar
      Jim-1019
      Icon for Altostratus rankAltostratus

      Hi 424705,

      Appreciate your response to my inquiry.

      I have doubts about creating HA with two different licensing methods (PAYG and BYOL). However, the client is expecting to maintain everything and simply change the license from PAYG to BYOL but we both know that this is not possible

      Creating first the BYOL HA instance might create complexity since they will use the same set of interfaces, IP addresses, and other resources of their current F5 VE HA. This also means that I have to destroy their current setup just to utilize the same resources.

      Also, do you have some sort of manual or guide on how to create HA in Azure manually?

      Thank you so much.

      • Leslie_Hubertus's avatar
        Leslie_Hubertus
        Ret. Employee

        Hey Jim-1019  - it looks like the user used ChatGPT to create this reply for you, and then took the opportunity to insert SEO spam after they posted. I'll mention your post this in today's Community Highlights to boost visibility and hopefully get you the answer you actually need.

  • Hi 424705,

    Also, how should I use CFE in Azure? As I remember this is not a typical HA that uses gratuitous arp for MAC-IP update.

    Thanks