Edge to Pulse: IP Geolocation Database Migration

UPDATE (August 2023):

Previously, we announced the end of support of the Edge legacy database. However, support for the Edge database has been extended indefinitely. All supported versions of F5 BIG-IP can now use both types of IP geolocation databases: Edge and Pulse, provided by Digital Envoy.

The Edge database is based off of partner-supplied data gathered from IP traffic. The Pulse database relies on information derived from mobile devices and Wi-Fi connection points, increasing the accuracy for certain aspects, but also significantly increasing file size. Because of this, F5 does not support City level for the Pulse database.

Last month, F5’s BIG-IP DNS team released the new, Pulse database from our third-party vendor, Digital Envoy. F5 migrated its IP geolocation database from the Edge database to the Pulse database because Pulse provides a higher number of available subnets. This allows for improved geolocation accuracy for querying IP addresses.

Because Pulse captures more granular data of locations than Edge, it is larger than the Edge database. This installation update may take longer than expected after the migration due to the size of the database.

As with any infrastructure shift, there are a few important things to know:

This migration applies to all supported BIG-IP versions and is transparent to users
If using City Database from Digital Envoy, then please follow the KB article before installing the Pulse City RPM (K78974041 - link below)
There is no change of database format, downloading, or installation procedures
Edge and Pulse databases are available for an additional three months from release date to ease the migration process
Both databases are seamlessly available for customer download until the end of 2022
Beginning in January 2023, only the Pulse database will be accessible
Edge database will reach End of Life by the end of December 2022