F5 NGINX Plus R33 Licensing and Usage Reporting
Beginning with F5 NGINX Plus version R33, all customers are required to deploy a JSON Web Token (JWT) license for each commercial instance of NGINX Plus. Each instance is responsible for validating its own license status. Furthermore, NGINX Plus will report usage either to the F5 NGINX licensing endpoint or to the F5 NGINX Instance Manager for customers who are connected. For those customers who are disconnected or operate in an air-gapped environment, usage can be reported directly to the F5 NGINX Instance Manager. To learn more about the latest features of NGINX R33, please check out the recent blog post. Install or Upgrade NGINX Plus R33 To successfully upgrade to NGINX Plus R33 or perform a fresh installation, begin by downloading the JWT license from your F5 account. Once you have the license, place it in the F5 NGINX directory before proceeding with the upgrade. For a fresh installation, after completing the installation, also place the JWT license in the NGINX directory. For further details, please refer to the provided instructions. This video provides a step-by-step guide on installing or upgrading to NGINX Plus R33. Report Usage to F5 in Connected Environment To effectively report usage data to F5 within a connected environment using NGINX Instance Manager, it's important to ensure that port 443 is open. The default configuration directs the usage endpoint to send reports directly to the F5 licensing endpoint at product.connect.nginx.com. By default, usage reporting is enabled, and it's crucial to successfully send at least one report on installation for NGINX to process traffic. However, you can postpone the initial reporting requirement by turning off the directive in your NGINX configuration. This allows NGINX Plus to handle traffic without immediate reporting during a designated grace period. To configure usage reporting to F5 using NGINX Instance Manager, update the usage endpoint to reflect the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the NGINX Instance Manager. For further details, please refer to the provided instructions. This video shows how to report usage in the connected environment using NGINX Instance Manager. Report Usage to F5 in Disconnected Environment using NGINX Instance Manager In a disconnected environment without an internet connection, you need to take certain steps before submitting usage data to F5. First, in NGINX Plus R33, update the `usage report` directive within the management block of your NGINX configuration to point to your NGINX Instance Manager host. Ensure that your NGINX R33 instances can access the NGINX Instance Manager by setting up the necessary DNS entries. Next, in the NMS configuration in NGINX Instance Manager, modify the ‘mode of operation’ to disconnected, save the file, and restart NGINX Instance Manager. There are multiple methods available for adding a license and submitting the initial usage report in this disconnected environment. You can use a Bash script, REST API, or the web interface. For detailed instructions on each method, please refer to the documentation. This video shows how to report usage in disconnected environments using NGINX Instance Manager. Conclusion The transition to NGINX Plus R33 introduces important enhancements in licensing and usage reporting that can greatly improve your management of NGINX instances. With the implementation of JSON Web Tokens (JWT), you can validate your subscription and report telemetry data more effectively. To ensure compliance and optimize performance, it’s crucial to understand the best practices for usage reporting, regardless of whether you are operating in a connected or disconnected environment. Get started today with a 30-day trial, and contact us if you have any questions. Resources NGINX support documentation Blog announcementproviding a comprehensive summary of the new features in this release.Automating F5 NGINX Instance Manager Deployments on VMWare
With F5 NGINX One, customers can leverage the F5 NGINX One SaaS console to manage inventory, stage/push configs to cluster groups, and take advantage of our FCPs (Flexible Consumption Plans). However, the NGINX One console may not be feasible to customers with isolated environments with no connectivity outside the organization. In these cases, customers can run self-managed builds with the same NGINX management capabilities inside their isolated environments. In this article, I step through how to automate F5 NGINX Instance Manager deployments with packer and terraform. Prerequisites I will need a few prerequisites before getting started with the tutorial: Installing vCenter on my ESXI host; I need to install vCenter to login and access my vSphere console. A client instance with packer and terraform installed to run my build. I use a virtual machine on my ESXI host. NGINX license keys; I will need to pull my NGINX license keys from MyF5 and store them in my client VM instance where I will run the build. Deploying NGINX Instance Manager Deploying F5 NGINX Instance Manager in your environment involves two steps: Running a packer build outputting a VM template to my datastore Applying the terraform build using the VM template from step 1 to deploy and install NGINX Instance Manager Running the Packer Build Before running the packer build, I will need to SSH into my VM installer and download packer compatible ISO tools and plugins. $ sudo apt-get install mkisofs && packer plugins install github.com/hashicorp/vsphere && packer plugins install github.com/hashicorp/ansible Second, pull the GitHub repository and set the parameters for my packer build in the packer hcl file (nms.packer.hcl). $ git pull https://github.com/nginxinc/nginx-management-suite-iac.git $ cd nginx-management-suite-iac/packer/nms/vsphere $ cp nms.pkrvars.hcl.example nms.pkrvars.hcl The table below lists the variables that need to be updated. nginx_repo_crt Path to license certificate required to install NGINX Instance Manager (/etc/ssl/nginx/nginx-repo.crt) nginx_repo_key Path to license key required to install NGINX Instance Manager (/etc/ssl/nginx/nginx-repo.key) iso_path Path of the ISO where the VM template will boot from. The ISO must be stored in my vSphere datastore cluster_name The vSphere cluster datacenter The vSphere datacenter datastore The vSphere datastore network The vSphere network where the packer build will run. I can use static IPs if DHCP is not available. Now I can run my packer build $ export VSPHERE_URL="my-vcenter-url" $ export VSPHERE_PASSWORD="my-password" $ export VSPHERE_USER="my-username" $ ./packer-build.sh -var-file="nms.pkrvars.hcl" **Note: If DHCP is not available in my vSphere network, I need to assign static ips before running the packer build script. Running the Packer Build with Static IPs To assign static IPs, I modified the cloud init template in my packer build script (packer-build.sh). Under the auto-install field, I can add my Ubuntu Netplan configuration and manually assign my ethernet IP address, name servers, and default gateway. #cloud-config autoinstall: version: 1 network: version: 2 ethernets: addresses: - 10.144.xx.xx/20 nameservers: addresses: - 172.27.x.x - 8.8.x.x search: [] routes: - to: default via: 10.144.xx.xx identity: hostname: localhost username: ubuntu password: ${saltedPassword} Running the Terraform Build As mentioned in the previous section, the packer build will output a VM template to my vSphere datastore. I should be able to see the file template in nms-yyyy-mm-dd/nms-yyyy-mm-dd.vmtx directory of my datastore. Before running the terraform build, I set parameters in terraform parameter file (terraform.tfvars). $ cp terraform.ttfvars.example terraform.tfvars $ vi terraform.tfvars The table below lists the variables that need to be updated. cluster_name The vSphere cluster datacenter The vSphere datacenter datastore The vSphere datastore network The vSphere network to deploy and install NIM template_name The VM template generated by the packer build (nms-yyyy-mm-dd) ssh_pub_key The public SSH key (~/.ssh_id_rsa.pub) ssh_user The SSH user (ubuntu) Once parameters are set, I will need to set my env variables. $ export TF_VAR_vsphere_url="my-vcenter-url.com" $ export TF_VAR_vsphere_password="my-password" $ export TF_VAR_vsphere_user="my-username" #Set the admin password for NIM user $ export TF_VAR_admin_password="my-admin-password" And initialize/apply my terraform build. $ terraform init $ terraform apply **Note: If DHCP is not available in my vSphere network, I need to assign static IPs once again in my terraform script before running the build. Assigning Static IPs in Terraform Build (optional) To assign static IPs, I will need to modify the main terraform file (main.tf). I will add the following clone context inside my vsphere-virtual-machine vm resource and set the options to the appropriate IPs and netmask. clone { template_uuid = data.vsphere_virtual_machine.template.id customize { linux_options { host_name = "foo" domain = "example.com" } network_interface { ipv4_address = "10.144.xx.xxx" ipv4_netmask = 20 dns_server_list = ["172.27.x.x, 8.8.x.x"] } ipv4_gateway = "10.144.xx.xxx" } } Connecting to NGINX Instance Manager Once the terraform build is complete, I will see the NGINX Instance Manager VM running in the vSphere console. I can open a new tab in my browser and enter the IP address to connect and login with admin/$TF_VAR_admin_password creds. Conclusion Installing NGINX Instance Manager in your environment is now easier than ever. Following this tutorial, I can install NGINX Instance Manager in under 5 minutes and manage NGINX inventory inside my isolated environment.Enhance your GenAI chatbot with the power of Agentic RAG and F5 platform
Agentic RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) enhances the capabilities of a GenAI chatbot by integrating dynamic knowledge retrieval into its conversational abilities, making it more context-aware and accurate. In this demo, I will demonstrate an autonomous decision-making GenAI chatbot utilizing Agentic RAG. I will explore what Agentic RAG is and why it's crucial in today's AI landscape. I will also discuss how organizations can leverage GPUaaS (GPU as a Service) or AI Factory providers to accelerate their AI strategy. F5 platform provides robust security features that protect sensitive data while ensuring high availability and performance. They optimize the chatbot by streamlining traffic management and reducing latency, ensuring smooth interactions even during high demand. This integration ensures the GenAI chatbot is not only smart but also reliable and secure for enterprise use.Upcoming Action Required: F5 NGINX Plus R33 Release and Licensing Update
Hello community! The upcoming release of NGINX Plus R33 is scheduled for this quarter. This release brings changes to our licensing process, aligning it with industry best practices and the rest of the F5 licensing programs. These updates are designed to better serve our commercial customers by providing improved visibility into usage, streamlined license tracking, and enhanced customer service. Key Changes in NGINX Plus R33 Release: Q4, 2024 New Requirement: All commercial NGINX Plus instances will now require the placement of a JSON Web Token (JWT). This JWT file can be downloaded from your MyF5 account. License Validation: NGINX Plus instances will regularly validate their license status with the F5 licensing endpoint for connected customers. Offline environments can manage this through the NGINX Instance Manager. Usage Reporting: NGINX Plus R33 introduces a new requirement for commercial product usage reporting. NGINX's adoption of F5's standardized approach ensures easier and more precise license and usage tracking. Once our customers are utilizing R33 together with NGINX’s management options, tasks such as usage reporting and renewals will be much more streamlined and straightforward. Additionally, NGINX instance visibility and management will be much easier. Action Required To ensure a smooth transition and uninterrupted service, please take the following steps: Install the JWT: Make sure to install the JWT on all your commercial NGINX Plus instances. This is crucial to avoid any interruptions. Additional Steps: Refer to our detailed guide for any other necessary steps.See here for additional required next steps. IMPORTANT: Failure to followthese steps will result in NGINX Plus R33 and subsequent release instances not functioning. Critical Notes JWT Requirement: JWT files are essential for the startup of NGINX Plus R33. NGINX Ingress Controller: Users of NGINX Ingress Controller should not upgrade to NGINX Plus R33 until the next version of the Ingress Controller is released. No Changes for Earlier Versions: If you are using a version of NGINX Plus prior to R33, no action is required. Resources We are preparing a range of resources to help you through this transition: Support Documentation: Comprehensive support documentation will be available upon the release of NGINX Plus R33. Demonstration Videos: We will also provide demonstration videos to guide you through the new processes upon the release of NGINX Plus R33. NGINX Documentation: For more detailed information, visit our NGINX documentation. Need Assistance? If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out: F5 Representative: Contact your dedicated representative for personalized support. MyF5 Account: Support is readily available through your MyF5 account. Stay tuned for more updates. Thank you for your continued partnership.Mitigate OWASP LLM Security Risk: Sensitive Information Disclosure Using F5 NGINX App Protect
This short WAF security article covered the critical security gaps present in current generative AI applications, emphasizing the urgent need for robust protection measures in LLM design deployments. Finally we also demonstrated how F5 Nginx App Protect v5 offers an effective solution to mitigate the OWASP LLM Top 10 risks.Experience the power of F5 NGINX One with feature demos
Introduction Introducing F5 NGINX One, a comprehensive solution designed to enhance business operations significantly through improved reliability and performance. At the core of NGINX One is our data plane, which is built on our world-class, lightweight, and high-performance NGINX software. This foundation provides robust traffic management solutions that are essential for modern digital businesses. These solutions include API Gateway, Content Caching, Load Balancing, and Policy Enforcement. NGINX One includes a user-friendly, SaaS-based NGINX One Console that provides essential telemetry and overseas operations without requiring custom development or infrastructure changes. This visibility empowers teams to promptly address customer experience, security vulnerabilities, network performance, and compliance concerns. NGINX One's deployment across various environments empowers businesses to enhance their operations with improved reliability and performance. It is a versatile tool for strengthening operational efficiency, security posture, and overall digital experience. NGINX One has several promising features on the horizon. Let's highlight three key features: Monitor Certificates and CVEs, Editing and Update Configurations, and Config Sync Groups. Let's delve into these in details. Monitor Certificates and CVE’s: One of NGINX One's standout features is its ability to monitor Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) and Certificate status. This functionality is crucial for maintaining application security integrity in a continually evolving threat landscape. The CVE and Certificate Monitoring capability of NGINX One enables teams to: Prioritize Remediation Efforts: With an accurate and up-to-date database of CVEs and a comprehensive certificate monitoring system, NGINX One assists teams in prioritizing vulnerabilities and certificate issues according to their severity, guaranteeing that essential security concerns are addressed without delay. Maintain Compliance: Continuous monitoring for CVEs and certificates ensures that applications comply with security standards and regulations, crucial for industries subject to stringent compliance mandates. Edit and Update Configurations: This feature empowers users to efficiently edit configurations and perform updates directly within the NGINX One Console interface. With Configuration Editing, you can: Make Configuration Changes: Quickly adapt to changing application demands by modifying configurations, ensuring optimal performance and security. Simplify Management: Eliminate the need to SSH directly into each instance to edit or update configurations. Reduce Errors: The intuitive interface minimizes potential errors in configuration changes, enhancing reliability by offering helpful recommendations. Enhance Automation with NGINX One SaaS Console: Integrates seamlessly into CI/CD and GitOps workflows, including GitHub, through a comprehensive set of APIs. Config Sync Groups: The Config Sync Group feature is invaluable for environments running multiple NGINX instances. This feature ensures consistent configurations across all instances, enhancing application reliability and reducing administrative overhead. The Config Sync Group capability offers: Automated Synchronization: Configurations are seamlessly synchronized across NGINX instances, guaranteeing that all applications operate with the most current and secure settings. When a configuration sync group already has a defined configuration, it will be automatically pushed to instances as they join. Scalability Support: Organizations can easily incorporate new NGINX instances without compromising configuration integrity as their infrastructure expands. Minimized Configuration Drift: This feature is crucial for maintaining consistency across environments and preventing potential application errors or vulnerabilities from configuration discrepancies. Conclusion NGINX One Cloud Console redefines digital monitoring and management by combining all the NGINX core capabilities and use cases. This all-encompassing platform is equipped with sophisticated features to simplify user interaction, drastically cut operational overhead and expenses, bolster security protocols, and broaden operational adaptability. Read our announcement blog for moredetails on the launch. To explore the platform’s capabilities and see it in action, we invite you to tune in to our webinar on September 25th. This is a great opportunity to witness firsthand how NGINX One can revolutionize your digital monitoring and management strategies.VIPTest: Rapid Application Testing for F5 Environments
VIPTest is a Python-based tool for efficiently testing multiple URLs in F5 environments, allowing quick assessment of application behavior before and after configuration changes. It supports concurrent processing, handles various URL formats, and provides detailed reports on HTTP responses, TLS versions, and connectivity status, making it useful for migrations and routine maintenance.NGINX Virtual Machine Building with cloud-init
Traditionally, building new servers was a manual process. A system administrator had a run book with all the steps required and would perform each task one by one. If the admin had multiple servers to build the same steps were repeated over and over. All public cloud compute platforms provide an automation tool called cloud-init that makes it easy to automate configuration tasks while a new VM instance is being launched. In this article, you will learn how to automate the process of building out a new NGINX Plus server usingcloud-init.
