Hello all, I’m have a mission of upgrading a client site, by changing 1500 platforms to 1600 platforms, the easiest hay to perform this task in my opinion would be by making a backup configuration of the 1500 platforms and installing them in the new 1600 platforms, and in order to provide a minimum down time, placing the new 1600 in HA with the old 1500. My question is, if anyone knows if the 1600 platform accepts the 1500 backup files, and if it is possible to peer to different platforms, in this case 1500 and 1600 platforms. Thanks for your time Best Regards Miguel Santos

it's not officially supported but i believe it should be fine.

What version is running on the 1500s? If it is newer using the single configuration file might be a great way to migrate.

Version 10.0.1 The single configuration file is way I'm hoping to use, I only don't know if it is possible to install the file from 1500 platform in the 1600 platform

I would think the scf should be fine as long as the destination version is close. You may need to make sure the interface align, but even if not some simple edits. AI would probably export the scf and to a test import with the 1600 off the network. That way you could confirm the entire config. In fact that might be me cut over plan.

Well... Myself... If I were doing it, I'd take a config from the 1500 and move it to a lab and do a trial restore to the 1600. See what breaks. Fix it up manually... (And if you have a config that changes a lot, write q quick script to do whatever fixups are required. Possibly none, especially if the changes required are only in the shared config). Then, unless your testing of keeping the 1500 and 1600 in sync are successful, I'd put the 1600's in, but disable the switchports. Then to cutover, simply disable the 1500 switchports and enable the 1600's... You'd lose any active connections, but it's a single loss of service. That;s only if the sync between 1500 and 1600 is unsuccessful mind you... You could be lucky there. But YMMV of course... The last time I had to do this, it was from 4.5 on 5000's to 9.1 on 6400's... That HAD to be turn off one and turn on the other. But the outage time can be down to seconds (Or as long as it takes to type int 1 shutdown int 2 no shut (As long as you setup everything else in advance). H

Peering multi-platforms

12 Replies

nitass
Employee
Mar 19, 2011
it's not officially supported but i believe it should be fine.
Steve_Brown_882
Historic F5 Account
Mar 19, 2011
What version is running on the 1500s? If it is newer using the single configuration file might be a great way to migrate.
Miguel_Santos
Nimbostratus
Mar 19, 2011
~~Version 10.0.1~~

The single configuration file is way I'm hoping to use, I only don't know if it is possible to install the file from 1500 platform in the 1600 platform
Steve_Brown_882
Historic F5 Account
Mar 19, 2011
I would think the scf should be fine as long as the destination version is close. You may need to make sure the interface align, but even if not some simple edits. AI would probably export the scf and to a test import with the 1600 off the network. That way you could confirm the entire config. In fact that might be me cut over plan.
Hamish
Cirrocumulus
Mar 19, 2011
Well... Myself...

If I were doing it, I'd take a config from the 1500 and move it to a lab and do a trial restore to the 1600. See what breaks. Fix it up manually... (And if you have a config that changes a lot, write q quick script to do whatever fixups are required. Possibly none, especially if the changes required are only in the shared config).

Then, unless your testing of keeping the 1500 and 1600 in sync are successful, I'd put the 1600's in, but disable the switchports. Then to cutover, simply disable the 1500 switchports and enable the 1600's... You'd lose any active connections, but it's a single loss of service. That;s only if the sync between 1500 and 1600 is unsuccessful mind you... You could be lucky there. But YMMV of course...

The last time I had to do this, it was from 4.5 on 5000's to 9.1 on 6400's... That HAD to be turn off one and turn on the other. But the outage time can be down to seconds (Or as long as it takes to type

int 1 shutdown int 2 no shut

(As long as you setup everything else in advance).

H
Steve_Brown_882
Historic F5 Account
Mar 19, 2011
I should clarify my response a little as I think I basically agree with Hamish. I was only suggesting using SCF(see below) instead of a backup. My reasoning is only that you can edit it before importing.

http://support.f5.com/kb/en-us/solutions/public/8000/400/sol8435.html?sr=13384550
Miguel_Santos
Nimbostratus
Mar 20, 2011
Thanks to you all

I’ll try to import the SCF to the new platform and I’m thinking in peering the new unit with the 1500 unit that is in standby mode, all done offline off course, if it works I’ll peer it with the online one and work from here to turn it to active mode and so on.

I’ll get back to you with the results
hoolio
Cirrostratus
Mar 20, 2011
Make sure to copy the SSL certs and keys from /config/ssl/ssl.crt and /config/ssl/ssl.key if you're using an SCF to transfer the config. The SCF doesn't contain the certs or keys.

Aaron
nitass
Employee
Mar 20, 2011
i thought ucs should be applicable since u just wanna move platform. i mean switchport and software version are identical. actually, ucs can be installed on different version as well.

cheer!
hoolio
Cirrostratus
Mar 24, 2011
Either with a UCS or SCF, you'd need to edit the bigip_base.conf to update the self IP addresses so they're unique on the second unit. I think using a UCS or SCF is six of one and a half dozen of the other.

Aaron