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Merging two different LTMs in a HA Pair - Q's
I have two F5 LTMs with different hardware: 1600 and 3600.
Both have the same software: BIG-IP 9.4.8 Build 355.0 Final
The configuration is just slightly different:
3600 is a production device and have different external interface with different external Self IP and VLAN.
The rest of the configuration apart from that single interface is exactly the same.
I would like to make a HA Pair adding the 1600 to production 3600.
Unfortunatelly I have no failover cable so I will have to do it network-based way.
And now the questions :)
1. can I build the HA Pair with different hardware nodes (1600 and 3600 in particular)?
2. what parts of config should definitely be common on both boxes, and which can't?
- as I wrote before, currently the configs are slightly the same apart from one interface
- of course I know I should change currentl IPs for floating and assign new IPs for both internal and external interfaces on both devices
3. what is the best way to do network based FO?
- dedicated port and vlan with unique addressing like 1.1.1.1 - .2 ?
Thanks in advance for your responses
- nitassEmployee1. can I build the HA Pair with different hardware nodes (1600 and 3600 in particular)?it is not supported officially but technically, i think it is possible.
- emr_27148Nimbostratus@nitass, many thanks...
- nitassEmployeeI wonder if there can be some problems while adding the second device to the pair, that already have some config fragments identical to the first device (for example hostname, or probabbly many others)
- jokraglyNimbostratusDid you have any luck joining the 1600 and 3600 HA pair?
- ddqq_131111Nimbostratus
I have come across this thread via Google - it seems to be the only one covering off this topic!
I am wondering whether anyone who has tried this has had any success. I am looking at migrating a standalone 1600 to a pair of 4000s, and hope as part of this process to connect one or both of the 4000s into a failover group with the 1600 to minimise downtime.
Either way I'll report back on my findings once I do it, for anyone else who finds this article in future.
- Michael_YatesNimbostratus
Yes. I've done this twice in the past and am currently involved in a project that is collapsing 3 pairs of 6400's onto a pair of 8950S's.
I did it with Merge Files. I put out a Tech Tip on how to use them a few years ago for Bigpipe. If you are running on v11, then you can still do it...I just haven't written up anything on the How-To's.
This is for v9 and v10. https://devcentral.f5.com/articles/big-ip-and-merge-file-configuration-changes.UmCfcPnksmM
If you want to try it on v11 look into these commands:
tmsh load /sys config merge and tmsh load /sys config merge verify
The just of it is to take out all of the Subnet Ownership, VLAN's, Floating IP's, etc. and pack them into one or more Merge Files. Then shutdown the old device and merge in the VLAN's, Subnet's, Floating-IP's etc. in the right order following by your Monitors, Pools, iRules, and Virtual Servers.
NOTE: If you are thinking about trying to use this ability then I cannot stress enough that you practice it enough times to become good at it. I have actually met people that attempted to use it and didn't really know how....and had disastrous results.
Use it right and you will love it.
Hope this helps.
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