F5 Automated Backups - The Right Way

This is now available on GitHub! Please look here for the latest version, and submit any bugs or questions as an "Issue" on GitHub:

 

https://github.com/tabernarious/f5-automated-backup-iapp

 

As a BACKUP, look in the DevCentral CodeShare. This MAY NOT HAVE THE LATEST VERSION:

 

https://devcentral.f5.com/s/articles/f5-iapp-automated-backup-1114

 

I needed to troubleshoot an issue and ended up rolling in many of the proposed and posted fixes into a new iApp.

 

 iApp VERSIONS (From what I gathered perusing DevCentral)
 ~v2.0  - 20140312 - Initially posted releases (v11.4.0-11.6.x? compatibility). (Developed/posted by Thomas Schockaert)
 v2.1.1 - 20160916 - Retooled SMB upload from smbclient to "mount -t cifs" (v12.1+ compatibility). (Developed/posted by MAG)
 v2.2.1 - 20171214 - Allowed multiple instances of iApp by leveraging $tmsh::app_name to create unique object names. (Developed by Daniel Tavernier/tabernarious)
 v2.2.2 - 20171214 - Added "/" to "mount -t cifs" command and clarified/expanded help for SMB (CIFS) Destination Parameters. (Developed by Daniel Tavernier/tabernarious)
 v2.2.3 - 20171214 - Set many fields to "required" and set reasonable default values to prevent loading/configuration errors. Expanded help regarding private keys. (Developed by Daniel Tavernier/tabernarious)
 v2.2.4 - 20171214 - Added fix to force FTP to use binary upload. (Copied code posted by Roy van Dongen, posted by Daniel Tavernier/tabernarious)
 v2.2.4a - 20171215 - Added items to FUTURE list.
 v2.2.5 - 20171228 - Added notes about special characters in passwords. Added Deployment Information and ConfigSync sections. (Developed by Daniel Tavernier/tabernarious)
 v2.2.5a - 20180117 - Added items to FUTURE list.
 v2.2.5b4 - 20180118 - Moved encrypted values for SMB/CIFS to shell script which eliminates ConfigSync issues. Fixed long-password issue by using "-A" with openssl so that base64 encoded strings are written and read as a single line. (Developed by Daniel Tavernier/tabernarious)
 v2.2.5b4+ - 20180118 - Refining changes to SMB/CIFS and replicating to other remote copy types. (Developed by Daniel Tavernier/tabernarious)
 v3.0.0 - 20180124 - (Developed by Daniel Tavernier/tabernarious)
                   - Eliminated ConfigSync issues and removed ConfigSync notes section. (Encrypted values now in $script instead of local file.)
                   - Passwords now have no length limits. (Using "-A" with openssl which reads/writes base64 encoded strings as a single line.)
                   - Added $script error checking for all remote backup types. (Using 'catch' to prevent tcl errors when $script aborts.)
                   - Backup files are cleaned up after $script error due to new error checking.
                   - Added logging. (Run logs sent to '/var/log/ltm' via logger command which is compatible with BIG-IP Remote Logging configuration (syslog). Run logs AND errors sent to '/var/tmp/scriptd.out'. Errors may include plain-text passwords which should not be in /var/log/ltm or syslog.)
                   - Added custom cipher option for SCP.
                   - Added StrictHostKeyChecking=no option.
                   - Combined SCP and SFTP because they are both using SCP to perform the remote copy.
 v3.1.0 - 20180201 - (Developed by Daniel Tavernier/tabernarious)
                   - Removed "app-service none" from iCall objects. The iCall objects are now created as part of the Application Service (iApp) and are properly cleaned up if the iApp is redeployed or deleted.
                   - Reasonably tested on 11.5.4 HF2 (SMB worked fine using "mount -t cifs") and altered requires-bigip-version-min to match.
                   - Fixing error regarding "script did not successfully complete: (can't read "::destination_parameters__protocol_enable": no such variable" by encompassing most of the "implementation" in a block that first checks $::backup_schedule__frequency_select for "Disable".
                   - Added default value to "filename format".
                   - Changed UCS default value for $backup_file_name_extension to ".ucs" and added $fname_noext.
                   - Removed old SFTP sections and references (now handled through SCP/SFTP).
                   - Adjusted logging: added "sleep 1" to ensure proper logging; added $backup_directory to log message.
                   - Adjusted some help messages.