Create F5 BIG-IP Next Instance on Proxmox Virtual Environment

If you are looking to deploy a F5 BIG-IP Next instance on Proxmox Virtual Environment (henceforth referred to as Proxmox for the sake of brevity), perhaps in your home lab, here's how:

First, download the BIG-IP Next Central Manager and BIG-IP Next QCOW Files from MyF5 Downloads. 

Click on the "Copy Download Link"

Copy the QCOW file to your Proxmox host. I am using the download links from above in the example below.

proxmox $ curl -O -L -J [link for Central Manager from F5 downloads]
proxmox $ curl -O -L -J [link for Next from F5 downloads]

On the Proxmox host, extract the contents in the QCOW files.  You will need to rename the Central Manager file from .qcow to .qcow2.

proxmox $ cd ~/
proxmox $ mv BIG-IP-Next-CentralManager-20.2.1-0.3.25.qcow BIG-IP-Next-CentralManager-20.2.1-0.3.25.qcow2
proxmox $ tar -zxvf BIG-IP-Next-20.2.1-2.430.2+0.0.48.qcow2.tar.gz
BIG-IP-Next-20.2.1-2.430.2+0.0.48.qcow2
BIG-IP-Next-20.2.1-2.430.2+0.0.48.qcow2.sha512
BIG-IP-Next-20.2.1-2.430.2+0.0.48.qcow2.sha512.sig
BIG-IP-Next-20.2.1-2.430.2+0.0.48.qcow2.sha512sum.txt.asc
BIG-IP-Next-20.2.1-F5-ca-bundle.cert
BIG-IP-Next-20.2.1-F5-certificate.cert

Then, run the command below to create a virtual machine (VM) from the extracted QCOW files. replace the values to match your environment.

#
# Central Manager
#
# use either DHCP or Static IP example
#
# using DHCP (change values to match your environment)
proxmox $ qm create 105 --memory 16384 --sockets 1 --cores 8 --net0 virtio,bridge=vmbr0  --name my-central-manager --scsihw=virtio-scsi-single --ostype=l26 --cpu=x86-64-v2-AES --citype nocloud --ipconfig0 ip=dhcp --ciupgrade=0  --ide2=local-lvm:cloudinit
# static IP (change values to match your environment)
# proxmox $ qm create 105 --memory 16384 --sockets 1 --cores 8 --net0 virtio,bridge=vmbr0 --net1 virtio,bridge=vmbr1 --name my-central-manager --scsihw=virtio-scsi-single --ostype=l26 --cpu=x86-64-v2-AES --citype nocloud --ipconfig0 ip=192.168.1.5/24,gw=192.168.1.1 --nameserver 192.168.1.1 --ciupgrade=0 --ide2=local-lvm:cloudinit  
# import disk
qm set 105 --virtio0 local-lvm:0,import-from=/root/BIG-IP-Next-CentralManager-20.2.1-0.3.25.qcow2 --boot order=virtio0

#
# Next instance
# 
# Note that you need at least two interfaces, one for management and one for data-plane
#
# use either DHCP or Static IP example
#
# DHCP
proxmox $ qm create 107 --memory 16384 --sockets 1 --cores 8 --net0 virtio,bridge=vmbr0 --net1 virtio,bridge=vmbr1 --name my-next-instance --scsihw=virtio-scsi-single --ostype=l26 --cpu=x86-64-v2-AES --citype nocloud --ipconfig0 ip=dhcp --ciupgrade=0 --ciuser=admin --cipassword=admin --ide2=local-lvm:cloudinit
# static IP
# proxmox $ qm create 107 --memory 16384 --sockets 1 --cores 8 --net0 virtio,bridge=vmbr0 --net1 virtio,bridge=vmbr1 --name my-next-instance --scsihw=virtio-scsi-single --ostype=l26 --cpu=x86-64-v2-AES --citype nocloud --ipconfig0 ip=192.168.1.7/24,gw=192.168.1.1 --nameserver 192.168.1.1 --ciupgrade=0 --ciuser=admin --cipassword=admin  --ide2=local-lvm:cloudinit 
# import disk
proxmox $ 
proxmox $ qm set 107 --virtio0 local-lvm:0,import-from=/root/BIG-IP-Next-20.2.1-2.430.2+0.0.48.qcow2 --boot order=virtio0

You should now see a new VM created on the Proxmox GUI.

Finally, start the VM. This will take a few minutes. 

The BIG-IP Next VM is now ready to be onboarded per instructions found here.