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daveu8282_20327's avatar
daveu8282_20327
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Feb 16, 2011

Upgrade from 10.1.0 to 10.2.1

We have BIG-IP 10.1.0 LTM and ASM on a HA pair of 3600 boxes. We're planning to upgrade both boxes to 10.2.1. Judging by my perusual of release notes, etc., this looks to be a relatively small upgrade but since it will be the first upgrade we've done I have a few questions:

 

 

1. Is the ASM module included in the BIG-IP 10.2.1 .iso image or does it ship on its own separate media?

 

 

2. It looks as though it's a good idea for the administrator who's doing the upgrade be attached directly to the F5 via serial cable so as to stay in touch with the upgrade should network connectivity be lost, but it looks like the easiest way to kick off the upgrade is with the Web configuration utility. Is there a manual or SOL document that lays out a step-by-step scenario of how an upgrade (as opposed to a fresh install) could be done?

 

 

3. With our HA pair, I'd obviously upgrade the standby device, switch it to active, test, then upgrade the device that's still on 10.1.0. That seems straightforward enough assuming that no problems arise, but how about downgrading back to 10.1.0 if an unsolvable problem crops up? System/Image List in the configuration utility shows three boot locations: two with BIG-IP 10.1.0 and one with no installed product. One of the non-empty boot locations is active and the other is inactive. Would it be possible to install 10.2.1 to the empty boot location and leave the 10.1.0 locations alone? I'm looking for a way to switch back to 10.1.0 in case 10.2.1 malfunctions. If that's not workable, what's the best way to do a downgrade to 10.1.0 from 10.2.1?

 

 

4. If this isn't the most suitable forum for this kind of question, which forum would be more appropriate?

 

 

Thanks,

 

Dave

 

  • 1. Yes, All BIG-IP modules use the same image. (That's probably why it's so huge.)

     

    2. Being locally attached is indeed a good idea during an install. Using the config utility, you simply import the new version, install it on a volume/partition you're not currently using, and then boot into it.

     

    3. Yes, you can install it to an empty location or one of the extra 10.1 locations.