How to get a F5 BIG-IP VE Developer Lab License
(applies to BIG-IP TMOS Edition)
To assist DevOps 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, 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, please log into downloads.f5.com (separate login from DevCentral), and navigate to your appropriate virtual edition, example:
- For VMware Fusion or Workstation or ESX/i: BIGIP-16.1.2-0.0.18.ALL-vmware.ova
- For Microsoft HyperV: BIGIP-16.1.2-0.0.18.ALL.vhd.zip
- KVM RHEL/CentoOS: BIGIP-16.1.2-0.0.18.ALL.qcow2.zip
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 fo Dev/Lab environments. Similar to driving a tank, use your best judgement.
- Deploying F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition on VMware Fusion
- Deploying F5 BIG-IP in Microsoft Azure for Developers
- Deploying F5 BIG-IP in AWS for Developers
- Deploying F5 BIG-IP in Windows Server Hyper-V for Developers
- Deploying F5 BIG-IP in VMware vCloud Director and ESX for Developers
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 May 14, 2024
Version 3.0
Chase_Abbott
Employee
Employee
WeaverJKNimbostratus
Jer,
You are
welcome.
No
worries. I didn’t take anyone’s post personally.
You are
preaching to the choir. I agree. I have home labs. I try to keep skills up. F5
should support such efforts.
i will
post again if/when I have an update.
Best
wishes to all!
Jer-OCirrus
Thanks for your personal effort on our behalf, WeaverJK. My comment is not a reflection on you (your effort today is deeply appreciated) but rather the company policy not to sell individual licenses. It's not practical for engineers to have to do this through their employment and contracts. Most of us have dev networks at home. We absolutely must have access to full lab licenses at home, so we can learn about modules that are out of work scope. This allows us to bolster our skill sets to qualify for other jobs as well as recommend services at work that are being ignored. Make no mistake, we are the ones primarily being unduly punished by this policy. But, I also think F5 is shooting itself in the sales foot by limiting exposure to its expanding product ecosystem by us, the engineers that make the F5 world go around. It is counterproductive from every perspective. I'm being forced to obtain licenses through my contractor POC (still unresolved, as I only have temp licenses). My goal is to setup and practice with containerization via NGINX, something under consideration but not embraced at work. Hopefully, this gets the point across.
- WeaverJK
No resolution at this point. Just wanted to let you know that I did previously speak with my F5 sales engineers and with someone in sales at an F5 subsidary. Unfortunately, at that time, they agreed that they were not geared to sell lab licenses to individuals, only to businesses.
I reached out to our sales engineers again today. They are again reaching out internally.
- Jer-O
For years now... F5 has been all talk and no action, an insult to the engineers around the world who support its products.
D98HarrellTotally agree that the current system is broken. After two months of going back and forward with CDW I still don't have a lab license. I finally cancelled the order and looking for an alternative way to place my order.. It should be this difficult to purchase a lab license.
- Jer-O
Thank you for the offer, Kees. I'm going to work with the rep affiliated with my job. I am aware that F5 doesn't do direct sales. My point is that they should, since the current system is broken.
F5 doesn't do direct sales....
Send me an email and I will get you a quotation, kees[at]kees4ip.nl
- Jer-O
I don't understand why F5 sales cannot take direct orders for these, after all these years of engineers suffering.
Hi Jer,
Where do you live? I can get you a LAB VE v18 license + 3 years support.
Cheers,
Kees
- Jer-O
Chase, did you actually get a license as a secret shopper or just complete an order? I have tried to get a license twice and failed. Placing the order is not the issue. I've never been prompted by CDW to buy a support contract. I have lost hours upon hours via phone and email with CDW. I still see no way to get this license though CDW.
