Building and scaling AI apps with the F5 AI Summit
The F5 AI Summit (June 23–25) is focused on one thing: what it takes to run AI in production without things falling apart. If you’re building or operating AI apps, expect practical sessions around the parts that usually cause problems—data flow, security, and scaling. Registration is free and if you follow DevCentral, you’ll be sure to see some familiar faces presenting! TL;DR Here are a few things you'll learn at the AI summit: How to design AI architectures that connect data, models, and traffic in a way that actually works at scale Where performance bottlenecks really live (hint: the data path, not just the model) How to secure AI systems with guardrails, policies, and continuous testing What it takes to scale inference—including GPU utilization and traffic control How to run AI on Kubernetes with routing, observability, and policy built in Agenda Highlights Here are details for some of the sessions you won't want to miss... especially the ones from rockstar DevCentral contributors! The Right Ecosystem for Secure AI Buu Lam will moderate a discussion with Ugur Tigli (CTO of MinIO) and Leon Derczynski (Principal Research Scientist at NVIDIA) to break down how cross-vendor architectures are shaping real-world AI deployments. Find out how integrating storage (MinIO), compute (NVIDIA), and application delivery/security layers enables faster data pipelines and more controlled inference flows. Get insights into AI data movement, system interoperability, and runtime security, especially how partnerships can help close gaps between infrastructure components. Reliability Between Compute and Storage Hunter Smit and Mark Menger walk through why data delivery is now the critical layer in AI infrastructure, especially as workloads shift from training to production inference. Learn how keeping pipelines efficient under load—covering how to optimize data paths so GPUs stay utilized and avoid idle time. See the role of application delivery controllers (ADCs) as a control point for storage traffic (including S3), acting as a front door for AI data movement. Delivering AI on Kubernetes: Model-Aware Routing and Traffic Control with NGINX Michael Kingston focuses on how to run AI workloads on Kubernetes with routing and traffic control designed specifically for inference workloads, highlitings capabilities like model-aware routing and policy enforcement, along with updates to NGINX Gateway Fabric and alignment with Gateway API standards. Get a practical look at how to add observability and control at the ingress layer, giving teams better visibility into AI traffic and more consistent behavior in production environments. See how to turn Kubernetes into a reliable control plane for AI inference. Conclusion Expect a more complete picture of the AI stack—from infrastructure and networking to security and runtime behavior. Registration is free! If you’re responsible for making AI systems reliable, fast, and secure in production, this will give you information you can actually apply.AppWorld LATAM 2026 - "Write Your First iRule" Contest
The iRules from Las Vegas and Berlin showcased incredible expertise. For this third iRules Contest, we're shifting focus to encouragement and education for the theme: "Write Your First iRule" Community Contest. We're challenging DevCentral community members attending AppWorld LATAM 2026 to design and build an iRule in a welcoming environment. Whether you are a first time iRules writer, or finding your footing, we can't wait to see what you create. (And don’t worry, it doesn't have to be your literal first iRule ever. It's the spirit of trying something new that counts.) The Challenge Plan out and write an iRule that tackles a use-case for BIG-IP's capabilities. You can: Create a new iRule Reimagine existing codeshare iRules from DevCentral Adapt a 20-lines-or-less iRule from the GitHub iRules Toolbox We value your fresh perspective and newer eyes. As this is a learning opportunity, we also encourage having fun with it. Prizes The submissions will be judged for category awards. All participants receive an exclusive contest t-shirt. Place Prize Category Awards $200/each Technical Excellence Award $500 Participation t-shirt What Makes for a Winning Entry? The 100-point scale judging criteria for submissions is defined below across four categories: Technical Excellence (25 points) Is it well-built and production ready? Consider Works correctly Performance-conscious (efficient, minimal resource impact) Follows security best practices Clean, readable code User Impact (25 points) Would you and other users actually use this? Consider: Solves a real operational problem or technical need need Practical applicability and potential adoption Clear business value Thorough documentation Innovation & Creativity (25 points) Does this solution show original thinking? Consider: Fresh perspective on common challenges Unique approach solving a modern problem Does it inspire collaboration and progress? Theme & Alignment (25 points) Does this iRule reflect your learnings from AppWorld LATAM 2026 and community resources? Consider: Applying the knowledge and skills you've learned Approachable to other new iRules writers Shows your effort to try something new to you Important Dates Contest Opens: June 8th, 2026 at 12:00am Pacific Time Submission Deadline: July 31st, 2026 at 11:59pm Pacific Time Winners Announced: August 14th, 2026 How to Enter The contest is open to all F5 partners, customers, and DevCentral members registered for and in attendance at the contest at AppWorld LATAM 2026, except as described in the Official Rules. Please see the Official Rules for complete terms, including conditions for participation and eligibility. Sign up for DevCentral and join the Community Contests group. Find Hannah or Buu at the Community area if you need any assistance. Build and submit before 11:59pm Pacific Time JULY 31, 2026. Edit your draft entry as much as you like, but once you submit, that’s what we’ll review. Here an example entry pinned at the top of the Contest Entries page you should follow. Make sure to add these tags to your entry: "appworld 2026", "latam", and "irules" as shown on that example. IMPORTANT - You need to join the Contests group to submit your entry. New to iRules? Perfect! We welcome participants at all skill levels. If you’re just getting started, check out our Getting Started with iRules: Basic Concepts guide. This contest is a great opportunity to learn by doing. Feel free to bring your favorite colleagues and AI buddies to help craft your entry. Final Thoughts Post any and all of your contest-related questions in comments below. The iRules Contest has a rich history of surfacing creative solutions from the community. Approaching problems differently inspires some of the best ideas we've seen. We're looking forward to seeing and celebrating what you build. Learn it. Build it. Share it. See you at AppWorld LATAM 2026!
Announcing the first F5 NGINX Commercial Long-Term Support release
Today, we’re introducing a major change in how NGINX delivers software to enterprise customers: the first F5 NGINX Commercial Long-Term Support (LTS) release. Due to 2026's intensifying threat landscape, platform teams are under increasing pressure to keep critical infrastructure secure while minimizing operational disruption. Frequent upgrades, short support timelines, and constantly evolving features make that challenge harder than it needs to be. NGINX recognizes this burden. For the first time, NGINX customers can choose an annual, feature frozen release with three years of guaranteed support, while continuing to access rapid innovation through frequent Continuous Releases (CRs). Why we introduced LTS Modern application environments, especially Kubernetes and API-driven platforms, demand both reliability and velocity. Until now, achieving that balance has often required trade-offs; frequent upgrades, shorter support windows, or unclear lifecycle expectations. The new NGINX LTS track eliminates those tradeoffs for production environments that value long-term stability. What is in the first LTS Release The inaugural NGINX LTS release launches with F5 NGINX Plus. F5 NGINX Ingress Controller is expected to be added shortly after launch, with F5 WAF for NGINX and NGINX as a Service planned for the back half of the calendar year, followed by additional NGINX components. A clear support lifecycle model Each NGINX LTS release is supported for 36 months from General Availability and includes critical and high-security fixes, stability bug fixes, maintained third‑party dependencies, and full technical support. LTS releases are feature-frozen to protect production stability. Dual Lane Release Model Long‑Term Support (LTS) Annual, feature‑frozen releases designed for production environments. Each LTS is supported for three years with security patches, stability fixes, and full technical support. Continuous Releases (CR) Regular releases that deliver new features and improvements throughout the year. Only the latest CR is supported, and fixes are delivered by upgrading forward. Versioning Model The versioning format follows this structure: <product>.<major>.<minor>.<patch>.<package> Examples: LTS Patch Release: PLS.37.0.0.1 -> PLS.37.0.1.2 37.0 Stays the same since this is still the same LTS Patch increments 0 -> 1, a fix has been added Package increments 1 -> 2, a new build or image is produced Security Release: PLS.37.0.1.2 -> PLS.37.0.2.3 A critical CVE was identified Fixed delivered as another patch release Same LTS Release is used in this case Minor Release PLS.37.1.0.1 Continuous-release version Bump in minor versions showing new features added The next continuous-release version would be R37.2.0.1 Major Release PLS.37.0.0.1 -> PLS.38.0.0.1 Major increment 37 -> 38 New LTS Release Feature frozen at GA New 3 year support window Security without forced upgrades All supported LTS releases receive timely fixes for critical and high‑severity CVEs, without requiring customers to adopt new features or breaking changes. Easier planning Customers can standardize on LTS for production, adopt CR for innovation, and align upgrades with annual planning cycles. Getting started You can begin using the first NGINX LTS release today by deploying LTS images and following updated installation and upgrade guidance in NGINX documentation. NGINX Long-Term Support (LTS) Our commitment NGINX LTS delivers enterprise‑grade predictability without slowing innovation. Customers can confidently standardize on LTS for production while continuing to adopt new capabilities on their own terms through continuous releases.AppWorld Berlin 2026 – iRules Contest Winning Results
The second iRules Contest of the year wrapped up at AppWorld Berlin this week. This contest was looking towards the future, challenging participants to write an iRule that goes beyond BIG-IP’s built-in capabilities. The theme, using WebSockets or the Message Routing Framework, inspired iRules preventing abuse and intrusion. At the heart of it, we’ve loved the creative innovation of the iRules written for this years’ contests. The AppWorld Berlin iRules Contest submissions were inspiring. Across the board, judges’ feedback on the top contenders shared a common theme: these solutions are interesting. The winning iRules were well-documented, easy to understand, with clear potential value for production use. Without further ado, we’re proud to announce the winners of the AppWorld Berlin iRules Contest: Grand Prize Winner - Goerle_dev Rule: WS-Exfil-Shield: Catching What WAFs Miss After the 101 Handshake Summary This iRule addresses gaps in traditional WAFs by extending session-level, behavior-based threat detection to WebSocket traffic using real-time inspection within F5 BIG-IP. Detection operates in two stages; an initial timing-based heuristic is followed by payload validation using AI. Malicious actors are either blocked or routed to a honeypot for isolation and further observation. This iRule closes the gap that openly documented by major WAF vendors, post-handshake Websocket blind spot, with a practical, SIEM-ready enforcement. 2nd Place - Injeyan_Kostas Rule: WS-Shield: WebSocket Abuse Detection & Adaptive Enforcement Gateway Summary This iRule addresses securing WebSocket traffic by enabling real-time, behavior-based enforcement in F5 BIG-IP to proportionally mitigate abusive patterns without application changes. It introduces a behavioral enforcement engine designed to secure WebSocket traffic with adaptive, real-time mitigation without requiring application changes. Rather than relying on static thresholds, the system dynamically responds to behavior. Clean traffic naturally recovers, while abusive patterns escalate through enforcement tiers until they are cut off. This allows it to detect subtle, persistent attacks that traditional rate limiting often misses. In testing, the iRule identified and disconnected a bot sending repetitive payloads every half second, without triggering a rate threshold. The iRule adds an extensible, behavior-driven security layer that enables adaptable defenses with minimal investment, despite optional external dependencies. 3rd Place - Robb-Fr Rule: Generic iRule Based on Datagroup Parsing Summary This iRule addresses the complexity of migrating large numbers of Apache virtual hosts by centralizing flexible traffic routing and redirection logic within F5 BIG-IP using simple, extensible datagroups. It turns input into a simple form into a datagroup entry that CREATES iRULES for things like redirects, pools, error pages, rewrites, and more. This iRule is accessible to a wide range of F5 practitioners, as F5 expertise is not required. There are no direct iRule edits, and no way for them to break the device. This iRule lowers operational friction by enabling non-NetOps teams to manage complex traffic flows, improving agility during large-scale migrations. Category Awards The 20 Lines or Less Award - Kai_Wilke In honor of Colin Walker - short on lines, long on legend. The scroll bar never stood a chance. Rule: SUPER-WEBSOCKET-HANDSHAKE-LOGGER™® (SWHL) iRule The Layered Defense Award - ChristianEssel For elegant use of nested virtual servers to solve problems the apps won't. Rule: Layered Virtual ICAP Scanning Solution Gratitude A big thank you to all contestants who participated in the AppWorld Berlin iRules Contest. Your creativity, innovation, and willingness to share your ideas continue to push the community forward. Thank you to our judges: John_Alam Joel_Moses Moe_Jartin Chris_Miller Michael_Waechter dennypayne Kevin_Stewart Marcus-f5 SimonKowallik Sorin_Boiangiu Steve Scott Thank you to the DevCentral community. We learn together, grow together, and inspire each other every day. What's Next? Innovation and Creativity have been a key part of the contest rubric. We’re leaning into it, too. As we plan more contests for the year, we’re looking beyond iRules, with potential to expand to all programmability. The future is coming for us all; let’s greet it and move forward together.Win Big in Vegas: The iRules Contest is back with $5k on the line at AppWorld 2026
Hey there, community, iRules Contest here...did you miss me? Well I’m back in business, baby, in Vegas, no less! At AppWorld 2026, we’re challenging DevCentral community members in attendance to design and build innovative iRules that solve real-world problems, improve performance, and enhance customer experiences. Whether you’re a seasoned iRules veteran or just getting started, we can’t wait to see what you create. Note: participation in this edition of the iRules Contest is limited to AppWorld 2026 attendees. But fear not! We’re hitting the road this year as well. The Challenge Plan out and write an iRule that go beyond BIG-IP’s built-in capabilities. Think of the future: the possibilities are wide open. We’ll drop a couple hints leading up to the event, and you’ll have a final hint in your registration swag bag, so keep your eyes peeled. There might even be a hint in an iRules related article to release this week, who knows? $5,000 to the Grand Prize Winner -- Are You In? Total prize money is $10,000, with the other $5,000 distributed across 2nd place, 3rd place, and five category awards. Place Prize Grand Prize $5,000 2nd Place $2,500 3rd Place $1,000 Five Category Awards $300/ea What Makes for a Winning Entry? The 100-point scale judging criteria for submissions is defined below across five categories: Innovation & Creativity (25 points) Does this solution show original thinking? Consider: Novel use of iRule features or creative problem-solving Fresh perspective on common challenges Unique approach that stands out from typical solutions Business Impact (20 points) Would customers actually use this? Consider: Solves a real operational problem or customer need Practical applicability and potential adoption Clear business value Technical Excellence (25 points) Is it well-built and production-ready? Consider: Works correctly and handles edge cases Performance-conscious (efficient, minimal resource impact) Follows security best practices Clean, readable code Theme & Requirements Alignment (20 points) Does it address the contest theme using required technologies (to be announced at the event)? Consider: Relevance to the specified theme Effective use of required technology How well the chosen technology fits the solution Presentation (10 points) Can you understand what it does and why it matters? Consider: Clear explanation of the problem and solution Quality of demo or presentation Documentation sufficient to implement Important Dates Contest Opens: 6:00PM Pacific Time MARCH 10, 2026 Submission Deadline: 11:59PM Pacific Time MARCH 10, 2026 Winners Announced: MARCH 12, 2026 during general sessions How to Enter Register for AppWorld 2026 — You must be a registered attendee Register for the Contest — Registration will open on the AppWorld event app soon. The contest is open to all f5 partners, customers, and DevCentral members registered for and in attendance at the contest MARCH 10, 2026 at F5 AppWorld 2026, except as described in the Official Rules. Please see the Official Rules for complete terms, including conditions for participation and eligibility. Build and submit — During the 6-hour window on contest night before 11:59PM. Edit your draft entry as much as you like, but once you submit, that’s what we’ll review. There is an example entry pinned at the top of the Contest Entries page you should follow. Make sure to add these tags to your entry: "appworld 2026", "vegas", and "irules" as shown on that example. This contest is BYOD. Bring your own device to develop and submit your iRules submission. However, a lab environment in our UDF platform will be provided if you need a development environment to test your code against. New to iRules? No problem. We welcome participants at all skill levels. If you’re just getting started, check out our Getting Started with iRules: Basic Concepts guide. This contest is a great opportunity to learn by doing. Also, feel free to bring your favorite AI buddy with you to help craft your entry. The goal is innovation and impact, not syntax expertise. Questions? Post any and all of your contest-related questions to the pinned thread in the Contests group on DevCentral. We’ll monitor, but allow for a business day to receive a response leading up to AppWorld. The iRules Contest has a history of surfacing creative solutions from the community. Some of the best ideas we’ve seen came from people who approached problems differently, and we’re looking forward to seeing what you build this year. Register. Prepare. Compete. See you at AppWorld!2026 F5 DevCentral MVP Announcement
DevCentral exists as a thriving community for, and because of, our members. Every single day, talented people visit with a curiosity and desire to solve problems and share their expertise. This brings technical excellence to us all, and their spirit of generosity is what weaves together our individual threads into the tapestry of a global community. Some individuals stand out, demonstrating an extraordinary commitment. For over 15 years, DevCentral MVPs have represented the heart and soul of our community and year after year, we are in awe of the way these MVPs cultivate connections, both locally and globally. They are the most active voices, exemplary leaders, and the embodiment of a community-mindset. This dedication deserves credit and the F5 DevCentral MVP award is presented annually to recognize these most outstanding contributors. We are therefore proud to announce the 2026 F5 DevCentral MVP cohort. Many continue a legacy of sustained dedication while others are new this year. Please join us in celebrating our new and returning the 2026 DevCentral MVPs: Aswin_mk Austin_Geraci boneyard neeeewbie CA_Valli Daniel_Wolf Enes_Afsin_Al whisperer Jim_Schwartzme1 JoseLabra JoshBecigneul Juergen_Mang Kai_Wilke KeesvandenBos Injeyan_Kostas m_dun Mayur_Sutare Michael_Saleem mihaic zamroni777 Mohamed_Ahmed_Kansoh Amine_Kadimi Niels_van_Sluis Nikoolayy1 P_Kueppers Patrik_Jonsson Philip_Jonsson PhatANhappy F5_Design_Engineer Samir ScottE Sebastiansierra Sherouk lnxgeek Tofunmi tysmith Paulius Congratulations Congratulations and thank you to the F5 DevCentral MVPs for your acts of community. You make us all better. — Learn more about the F5 DevCentral MVP program and how to get involved.
F5 partners with Chainguard to offer NGINX Plus in security-hardened containers
Cloud-native applications demand container images that are both efficient and secure. To help enterprises meet these expectations, F5 NGINX is partnering with Chainguard to deliver NGINX within their Commercial Builds ecosystem. F5 has long been synonymous with scalable, reliable application delivery and security solutions. Partnering with Chainguard allows us to extend this trust into the world of secure container images. F5 NGINX Plus is available in Chainguard-built containers, enabling organizations to simplify security and compliance while focusing on what matters most: running their applications with confidence. Delivering software in containers requires consistency across security, compliance, and operational reliability—areas where traditional methods, like distributing binaries, fall short by creating inefficiencies and manual maintenance burdens. Chainguard takes the complexity out of container management with secure, hardened images that minimize vulnerabilities and accelerate compliance processes. This collaboration empowers F5 NGINX Plus users to deploy production-ready images effortlessly, providing peace of mind and improved operational efficiency. Why Chainguard Commercial Builds? Chainguard Commercial Builds introduces a modern model for packaging commercial software. We work directly with Chainguard, who packages and maintains our commercial software in the Chainguard Factory – a secure, SLSA Level 3-compliant system, designed to deliver minimal attack surface, zero CVEs, full provenance, SBOMs, and predictable vulnerability response. This partnership means we can deliver the security, compliance, and ease of use our customers demand while letting Chainguard handle the burden of securely building and maintaining container images with the latest dependencies – so you can have wall-to-wall coverage across your stack. Why NGINX Plus? NGINX Plus powers scalable application delivery through advanced proxying, load balancing, API gateway, and caching features. It offers dynamic configuration updates, robust observability, and integrated security tools, making it ideal for modern architectures. Now delivered with Chainguard images, NGINX Plus combines its core capabilities with enterprise-grade security and compliance features. F5 NGINX in F5’s Application Delivery & Security Platform NGINX One is part of F5’s Application Delivery & Security Platform. It helps organizations deliver, improve, and secure new applications and APIs. This platform is a unified solution designed to ensure reliable performance, robust security, and seamless scalability for applications deployed across cloud, hybrid, and edge architectures. NGINX Plus, a key component of NGINX One, adds features to open-source NGINX that are designed for enterprise-grade performance, scalability, and security. Better Deployment, Reduced Overhead NGINX Plus packaged in Chainguard images provides: Minimal attack surfaces Zero CVEs and complete provenance Built-in SBOMs for compliance FIPS readiness and fast vulnerability remediation This partnership simplifies deployments, reduces operational work, and helps teams unlock NGINX Plus’s full performance. Get Started NGINX Plus with Chainguard images is available now. Learn more here. NGINX Plus documentation can be found here.
