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CarlT's avatar
CarlT
Icon for Altostratus rankAltostratus
Jun 18, 2025

Replacing i2800 pair with new F5-BIG-AFM-r2800

Hi All

We need to replace our i2800 F5s with some new hardware soon.

What would be the simpliest process to migrate to them?

Also, I believe the TMOS OS will be gone and it will be F5 next, when does this come into force? can you upgrade from TMOS to F5 next? is it much different if I only use the GUI generally, so will the GUI be the same?

Cheers

Carl

application delivery

10 Replies

  • Injeyan_Kostas's avatar
    Injeyan_Kostas
    Icon for Nacreous rankNacreous
    Jun 18, 2025

    Hello CarlT​ 

    The easiest way is to add new hardware to the existing cluster, let them sync and failover during a maintenace window.

    As for Next, F5 announced in App World that will be ready Q2 2026. But v17.5 will be supported until 1/1/2029.
    So you have plenty of time.

    TMOS to Next will also be an upgrade and not migrate
    F5 said that the GUI will have almost the same structure but modernized.

    • CarlT's avatar
      CarlT
      Icon for Altostratus rankAltostratus
      Jun 18, 2025

      Hi

      Thanks for the info, so when you say upgrade from TMOS to Next, do you mean we can just upgrade our LTMs from there current version to a version running Next like we would a normal upgrade procedure?

      Also, I see info on something called F5OS, is this another version of software, or another way of saying F5 Big IP Next ?

      Cheers

      • Injeyan_Kostas's avatar
        Injeyan_Kostas
        Icon for Nacreous rankNacreous
        Jun 18, 2025

        F5OS is the software running on rseries and velos hardware. It is actually a hypervisor, similar approach as VCMP.

        On top of F5OS you run tenants. These tenants can be either TMOS or Next.

         

        As for the TMOS to Next upgrade, F5 says that it will be a simple version upgrade with possible fallback downgrade also.

  • Nikoolayy1's avatar
    Nikoolayy1
    Icon for MVP rankMVP
    Jun 20, 2025

    Only thing I think could need testing is if you have virtual wire on iSeries as I know it is supported on rSeries 5xx and 10xxx but I have not tested it yet with AFM and for r2800 I wonder 🤔

  • CarlT's avatar
    CarlT
    Icon for Altostratus rankAltostratus
    Aug 25, 2025

    Hi Guys

    So to come back to the above, what would the process look like?

    1.Put a management address on the new device

    2.Load the ucs file in from one of the current units to the new r series appliance? then switch off say the standby appliance and bring the new one up?

    3.Repeat the process for the active unit

     

     

    • Injeyan_Kostas's avatar
      Injeyan_Kostas
      Icon for Nacreous rankNacreous
      Aug 25, 2025

      Put management address to rseries

      Create vlans, trunks etc on f5os

      Create a tenant and assign vlans

      Create self ips in new tenant. You can also use self ips from current standby but remember to switch it off before.

      Add new tenant to the cluster.

      Sync

      Failover and test.

      Repeat the process for the other node 

       

      • CarlT's avatar
        CarlT
        Icon for Altostratus rankAltostratus
        Aug 25, 2025

        Hi there

        When you say add tenant what do you mean?

        We currently run version 17.1.x.x, I have not heard of configuring tenants, do the new R series differ in software compared to the i series?

        Also, does the UCS file not contain all the vlans, self IPs etc?

        My plan was to switch off the standby whilst we do all this anyway

        Cheers