Clean Installation of F5OS-A on rSeries After Drive Erasure or Console Loss

Overview

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for performing a clean installation of F5OS-A on rSeries appliances using a USB flash drive. This method is typically used when the system is unrecoverable or when you need to start from factory defaults.

Prerequisites

• Physical Access: You must have physical access to the appliance to connect a console cable and insert a USB flash drive.
• USB Flash Drive: Minimum 8GB capacity. Note: The USB drive will be completely erased during the bootable drive creation process. Back up any existing data before proceeding

Console Configuration

• Default Serial Console Settings:
• Baud rate: 19200
• Data bits: 8
• Stop bits: 1
• Parity: None
• Flow control: None

Troubleshooting Console Issues: If you see scrambled output, verify your terminal emulator matches these settings. If issues persist, try changing the baud rate to 9600 (refer to K000133428 and K000138117).

1. Software Requirements
   
   F5OS-A ISO Image: Download the correct F5OS-A ISO image from the F5 Downloads site. 
   
   Security Note: The front-panel USB port is disabled by default for security purposes. You must enable it using the Always-On Management (AOM) menu before proceeding
   
   
2. Enable the Front-Panel USB Port - AOM Menu Access
   
   a) Connect to the system via the console.
   
   b) Access the AOM menu by pressing Esc followed by (.
   
   c) In the AOM menu, type U to configure the USB port.
   
   d) Select 1 to enable the USB port.
   
   e) Type R to reset the host subsystem for the change to take effect.
   
   
3. Create a Bootable USB Flash Drive
   
   a) Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port.
   
   b) Verify the USB device path before proceeding:
   
       lsblk /dev/sda
   
   c) On a Linux system, use the following command to write the ISO to the USB drive
       (replace  <iso-image> and /dev/sda as appropriate):
   
       dd if=<iso-image> of=/dev/sda bs=1M oflag=sync status=progress
   
       This process may take several minutes.
   
   Example:
   • dd if=/var/import/staging/F5OS-A-1.8.0-12345.R5R10.iso of=/dev/sda bs=1M oflag=sync status=progress
4. Perform the Clean Installation
   
   a) Insert the bootable USB flash drive into the enabled front-panel USB port.
   
   b) Connect to the system via the console.
   
   c) Reboot the system.
   
   d) During boot, intercept the process by typing b at the BIOS setup screen.
   
   e) Select the USB flash drive as the boot device.
   
   f) From the installer menu, select "Install F5OS-A." The installation will proceed automatically.
   
   g) After installation, the system will reboot. Remove the USB drive when prompted.
   
   h) The first boot may take 10-15 minutes.
   
   
5. Post-Installation
   
   a) Configure management IP and license the system as required.
   
   b) If you continue to experience console issues, double-check your serial settings or refer to           K000133428.
   
   
6. Alternative: PXE Boot (If USB Not Allowed)
   
   If your site does not allow USB drives, you can perform a clean install using a PXE server. This requires additional setup (DHCP, TFTP, HTTP) and is detailed in the official F5 documentation.
   
   
7. Important Notes  

         a) A clean installation will erase all data and configurations on the appliance.
         b) If the system remains inaccessible after a clean install, hardware failure may be present and               an RMA may be required (K000150961).
         c) For drive erasure before RMA, see K000134775.

References

• F5 rSeries Systems: Installation and Upgrade - Clean Install Using USB

If you’ve encountered similar issues such as console access problems, drive failures, or challenges during a clean installation, please share your experience.