SDK v 4.5 versus v. 4.6

I'll try to answer your each question separately.

 

 

I have to do a new install on a different server to talk to the same BigIP. Is there a problem with me using version 4.6

 

 

There should be no problem using the 4.6 SDK. Our SDK's are backward compatible so the only issue that could arise would be if you were using a new method introduced in BIG-IP 4.6 that was in the 4.6 SDK and you are trying to communicate with the 4.5 BIG-IP that didn't have that method listed. Since you are just moving an existing application over, then this shouldn't be an issue.

 

 

How do I install the SDK components? Is there any middleware I need to install aside from the SDK components?

 

 

Not sure what you mean by this. Depending on the language you use, you don't need to re-install the SDK at all. Apache SOAP(java) does require the client binding code that we include in the SDK but for all other cases, the SDK is mainly for documentation and not used in deployment. .NET and Apache Axis all create their own bindings out of the supplied WSDL documents (from the SDK OR the BIG-IP) and Perl does everything dynamically.

 

 

If you are merely "moving" your application from one server to another, then you should only have to move the created executable, script file, or, in the case of java, the compiled .class (and possibly .jar) files.

 

 

If you let me know some more details on your application (language/etc) then I might be able to provide some more guidance.

 

 

BTW, what kinds of things are you doing with your application? We are always on the lookout for what features our customers are using most often.

 

 

-Joe

Currently we are using a .Net application to perform some basic functions within the F5 BIGIP. Currently we are using the .Net application to allow engineers to enable and disable nodes, without having to use the BIGIP GUI. This provides us an extra layer of flexibility when pushing out automated code updates or whenever we need to placed our sites in a maintenance mode.

 

 

The bindings that are created by .Net are they stored in a file? From the sounds of it no addtional libraries or components need to be installed for .Net to work with SDK.

 

 

For .NET, all you need to do is move the compiled executable and you should be set. The only thing that's required is the .NET Framework to be on the target system.

 

 

-Joe