How to get a F5 BIG-IP VE Developer Lab License
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