How to get a F5 BIG-IP VE Developer Lab License

(applies to BIG-IP TMOS Edition)


To assist operational teams teams improve their development for the BIG-IP platform, F5 offers a low cost

developer lab license. This license can be purchased from your authorized F5 vendor.  If you do not have an F5 vendor, and you are in either Canada or the US you can purchase a lab license online:

Once completed, the order is sent to F5 for fulfillment and your license will be delivered shortly after via e-mail.  F5 is investigating ways to improve this process.

To download the BIG-IP Virtual Edition, log into my.f5.com (separate login from DevCentral), navigate down to the Downloads card under the Support Resources section of the page.  Select BIG-IP from the product group family and then the current version of BIG-IP. 

You will be presented with a list of options, at the bottom, select the Virtual-Edition option that has the following descriptions:

  • For VMware Fusion or Workstation or ESX/i: Image fileset for VMware ESX/i Server
  • For Microsoft HyperV: Image fileset for Microsoft Hyper-V
  • KVM RHEL/CentoOS:  Image file set for KVM Red Hat Enterprise Linux/CentOS

Note: There are also 1 Slot versions of the above images where a 2nd boot partition is not needed for in-place upgrades. These images include _1SLOT- to the image name instead of ALL.

The below guides will help get you started with F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition to develop for VMWare Fusion, AWS, Azure, VMware, or Microsoft Hyper-V.  These guides follow standard practices for installing in production environments and performance recommendations change based on lower use/non-critical needs for development or lab environments.  Similar to driving a tank, use your best judgement.

Note:  F5 Support maintains authoritative Azure, AWS, Hyper-V, and ESX/vCloud installation documentation.  VMware Fusion is not an official F5-supported hypervisor so DevCentral publishes the Fusion guide with the help of our Field Systems Engineering teams.
Updated Mar 12, 2025
Version 4.0
101
application delivery
BIG-IP
deployment
devops
virtualization
WAWMART

152 Comments

Show More
  • gblydenburgh's avatar
    gblydenburgh
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Sep 14, 2020

    SHI.COM experiment complete:

     

    On Sunday, September 13, 2020 10:52 PM, Inquiry <Inquiry@shi.com> wrote:

     

     

    Hi,

     

    Thank you for contacting SHI!

     

    Unfortunately, we are unable to fulfill your request. SHI is a business-to-business (B2B) solutions provider that currently only provides services to organizations. We are unable to process personal purchases or create accounts with non-business domains (Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, etc.)

     

    SHI Inquiry

     

    Innovative Solutions. World Class Support.

     

    I was actually emailing with a human, and got this automated email when I replied that I wasn't with a business. That's a real class move there.

  • gblydenburgh's avatar
    gblydenburgh
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Sep 18, 2020

    Got my licenses, everything took 7 days. Started with my initial contact on 9/10. The order was released from the distributor to F5 on 9/15, and F5 emailed my license keys and support contract on 9/17. The entire time Sean was PROACTIVELY emailing updates. Thank you @WeaverJK for posting about this vendor!

     

    Adapture (F5 Guardian Partner)

    Sean Conway

    404-626-4540

    sconway@adapture.com

  • Jer-O's avatar
    Jer-O
    Icon for Cirrus rankCirrus
    Sep 26, 2020

    It would be nice if CDW would stop using confusing terms like v18 as well. Why not just say, TMOS 16 or similar, since that's the only one out? CDW's terminology makes a bad situation worse.

     

    Hoolio, you are an awesome and helpful human being. Thank you for your years of helpful service on Dev Central!

  • Aaron_Hooley's avatar
    Aaron_Hooley
    Ret. Employee
    Sep 27, 2020

    Hi Jer,

    Thanks for your kind comments.

     

    v18 is in the F5 SKU name and is F5's attempt at showing that the SKU is good for TMOS software versions up to 18.

     

    K15643: BIG-IP VE license offerings

    https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K15643

     

    For example, a BIG-IP VE SKU F5-BIG-xxx-xxx-V16 enables customers to have perpetual usage with upgrades up to and through the last major, minor, maintenance, and point release of BIG-IP 16.x.x. Similarly, a BIG-IP VE SKU F5-BIG-xxx-xxx-V18 enables perpetual usage with upgrades up to and through the last major, minor, maintenance, and point release of BIG-IP 18.x.x.

     

  • Tham's avatar
    Tham
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Sep 27, 2020

    Hi Im looking to buy a lab version for LTM/ASM/GTM etc,

    Living in London UK,

    Can you please advice if the below link will help me with what I am looking for ? :

     

    Thanks

     

    https://www.cdw.com/product/big-ip-virtual-edition-lab-license-v.-18.x-license-10-mbps/5623506?pfm=srh

    BIG-IP Virtual Edition Lab License (v. 18.x) - license - 10 Mbps

    Mfg.Part: F5-BIG-VE-LAB-V18 | CDW Part: 5623506 | UNSPSC: 43233204

     

     

  • Aaron_Hooley's avatar
    Aaron_Hooley
    Ret. Employee
    Sep 27, 2020

    Hi Tham,

     

    I believe CDW should be able to sell you VE lab licenses in England. You could confirm with them:

     

    https://www.uk.cdw.com/

    020 7791 6000

    info@uk.cdw.com

     

    Aaron

  • Tham's avatar
    Tham
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Sep 27, 2020

    just a silly question please

    Are the lab license is for life? ie can we use it on any future versions?

     

    Thanks