Installing and Locking a Specific Version of F5 NGINX Plus
A guide for installing and locking a specific version of NGINX Plus to ensure stability, meet internal policies, and prepare for controlled upgrades. Introduction The most common way to install F5 NGINX Plus is by using the package manager tool native to your Linux host (e.g., yum, apt-get, etc.). By default, the package manager installs the latest available version of NGINX Plus. However, there may be scenarios where you need to install an earlier version. To help you modify your automation scripts, we’ve provided example commands for selecting a specific version. Common Scenarios for Installing an Earlier Version of NGINX Plus Your internal policy requires sticking to internally tested versions before deploying the latest release. You prefer to maintain consistency by using the same version across your entire fleet for simplicity. You’d like to verify and meet additional requirements introduced in a newer release (e.g., NGINX Plus Release 33) before upgrading. Commands for Installing and Holding a Specific Version of NGINX Plus Use the following commands based on your Linux distribution to install and lock a prior version of NGINX Plus: Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, 24.04 LTS sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install -y nginx-plus=<VERSION> sudo apt-mark hold nginx-plus Debian 11, 12 sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install -y nginx-plus=<VERSION> sudo apt-mark hold nginx-plus AlmaLinux 8, 9 / Rocky Linux 8, 9 / Oracle Linux 8.1+, 9 / RHEL 8.1+, 9 sudo yum install -y nginx-plus-<VERSION> sudo yum versionlock nginx-plus Amazon Linux 2 LTS, 2023 sudo yum install -y nginx-plus-<VERSION> sudo yum versionlock nginx-plus SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12, 15 SP5+ sudo zypper install nginx-plus=<VERSION> sudo zypper addlock nginx-plus Alpine Linux 3.17, 3.18, 3.19, 3.20 apk add nginx-plus=<VERSION> echo "nginx-plus hold" | sudo tee -a /etc/apk/world FreeBSD 13, 14 pkg install nginx-plus-<VERSION> pkg lock nginx-plus Notes Replace <VERSION> with the desired version (e.g., 32-2*). After installation, verify the installed version with the command: nginx -v. Holding or locking the package ensures it won’t be inadvertently upgraded during routine updates. Conclusion Installing and locking a specific version of NGINX Plus ensures stability, compliance with internal policies, and proper validation of new features before deployment. By following the provided commands tailored to your Linux distribution, you can confidently maintain control over your infrastructure while minimizing the risk of unintended upgrades. Regularly verifying the installed version and holding updates will help ensure consistency and reliability across your environments.Introducing the single Installation script for F5 NGINX Instance Manager
F5 NGINX Instance Manager (NIM) is a centralised management tool designed to simplify the administration and monitoring of F5 NGINX instances across various environments, including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid infrastructures. It provides a single interface to efficiently oversee multiple NGINX instances, making it particularly useful for organisations using NGINX at scale. In the past, installing NGINX Instance Manager and its dependencies could often be a tedious and error-prone process. Whether you’re dealing with databases, NGINX proxies, or multiple components that require manual configuration, the time and effort involved can quickly add up. This is where our new single-installation script comes into play. Designed to streamline and simplify the installation of NGINX Instance Manager, this script allows you to set up everything you need on a supported operating system with minimal effort. Gone are the days of hunting for specific installation commands, configuring dependencies manually, or worrying about compatibility issues between different systems. With this script, you can install NGINX Instance Manager, the Clickhouse database, and NGINX proxy components in one seamless operation. Key Features: One-command installation: The script automates the installation of NGINX Instance Manager, Clickhouse database, and the NGINX proxy. Just run the script, and it takes care of everything. Cross-platform compatibility: The script supports all the operating systems specified in our technical specification document, making it versatile for different environments. Offline installation support: For users working in environments without internet access, the script can pull all necessary binaries from our software repository, enabling installation on a disconnected host. Simply gather the required binaries beforehand, and you’re good to go! License key integration: The only thing you’ll need to run the script in a fresh operating system environment are your license keys. This makes the process even easier, as there’s no need for additional setup steps. What you need A fresh machine with one of the supported operating systems installed. Download the JSON web token, SSL certificate, and private key for NGINX Instance Manager from MyF5 (including trials). You can use the same files as F5 NGINX Plus in your MyF5 portal. Download the script here. Step 1 - Download and run the installation script By default, the script: Assumes you’re connected to the internet for installations and upgrades Reads SSL files from the /etc/ssl/nginx directory Installs the latest version of NGINX Open Source Installs Clickhouse Installs the latest version of NGINX Instance Manager If you want to use the script with non-default options (e.g. to use NGINX Plus instead of Open Source), use these switches: To point to a repository key stored in a directory other than /etc/ssl/nginx: -k /path/to/your/<nginx-repo.key> file To point to a repository certificate stored in a directory other than /etc/ssl/nginx: -c /path/to/your/<nginx-repo.crt> file To install NGINX Plus (instead of NGINX OSS): -p <nginx_plus_version> -j /path/to/licence.jwt You also need to specify the current operating system. To get the latest list supported by the script, run the following command: grep '\-d distribution' install-nim-bundle.sh To see other options in the script, run: sudo bash install-nim-bundle.sh -h For example, to use the script to install NGINX Instance Manager on Ubuntu 24.04, with repository keys in the default /etc/ssl/nginx directory, with the latest version of NGINX Plus, run the following command: sudo bash install-nim-bundle.sh -n latest -d ubuntu24.04 -j /path/to/license.jwt In most cases, the script completes the installation of NGINX Instance Manager and associated packages. At the end of the process, you’ll see an auto generated password. Save that password. You’ll need it when you sign in to NGINX Instance Manager. Step 2 – Access NGINX Instance Manager To access the NGINX Instance Manager web interface, open a web browser and go to https://<NIM_FQDN>, replacing <NIM_FQDN> with the Fully Qualified Domain Name of your NGINX Instance Manager host. The default administrator username is admin, and the generated password is saved, in encrypted format, to the /etc/nms/nginx/.htpasswd file. The password was displayed in the terminal during installation. If you’d like to change this password, refer to the “Set or Change User Passwords” section in the Basic Authentication topic. This single-installation solution significantly reduces the complexity of deploying Instance Manager, whether you’re operating in a connected or disconnected environment. Now, all it takes is a simple command to get everything up and running. For more information and alternative options when using the script for NGINX Instance manager, please see the instructions here.Introducing the New Docker Compose Installation Option for F5 NGINX Instance Manager
F5 NGINX Instance Manager (NIM) is a centralised management solution designed to simplify the administration and monitoring of F5 NGINX instances across various environments, including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid infrastructures. It provides a single interface to efficiently oversee multiple NGINX instances, making it particularly useful for organizations using NGINX at scale. We’re excited to introduce a new Docker Compose installation option for NGINX Instance Manager, designed to help you get up and running faster than ever before, in just a couple of steps. Key Features: Quick and Easy Installation: With just a couple of steps, you can pull and deploy NGINX Instance Manager on any Docker host, without having to manually configure multiple components. The image is available in our container registry, so once you have a valid license to access it, getting up and running is as simple as pulling the container. Fault-Tolerant and Resilient: This installation option is designed with fault tolerance in mind. Persistent storage ensures your data is safe even in the event of container restarts or crashes. Additionally, with a separate database container, your product’s data is isolated, adding an extra layer of resilience and making it easier to manage backups and restores. Seamless Upgrades: Upgrades are a breeze. You can update to the latest version of NGINX Instance Manager by simply updating the image tag in your Docker Compose file. This makes it easy to stay up-to-date with the latest features and improvements without worrying about downtime or complex upgrade processes. Backup and Restore Options: To ensure your data is protected, this installation option comes with built-in backup and restore capabilities. Easily back up your data to a safe location and restore it in case of any issues. Environment Configuration Flexibility: The Docker Compose setup allows you to define custom environment variables, giving you full control over configuration settings such as log levels, timeout values, and more. Production-Ready: Designed for scalability and reliability, this installation method is ready for production environments. With proper resource allocation and tuning, you can deploy NGINX Instance Manager to handle heavy workloads while maintaining performance. The following steps walk you through how to deploy and manage NGINX Instance Manager using Docker Compose. What you need A working version of Docker Your NGINX subscription’s JSON Web Token from MyF5 This pre-configured docker-compose.yaml file: Download docker-compose.yaml file . Step 1 - Set up Docker for NGINX container registry Log in to the Docker registry using the contents of the JSON Web Token file you downloaded from MyF5 : docker login private-registry.nginx.com --username=<JWT_CONTENTS> --password=none Step 2 - Run “docker login” and then “docker compose up” in the directory where you downloaded docker-compose.yaml Note: You can optionally set the Administrator password for NGINX Instance Manager prior to running Docker Compose. ~$ docker login private-registry.nginx.com --username=<JWT_CONTENTS> --password=none ~$ echo "admin" > admin_password.txt ~$ docker compose up -d [+] Running 6/6 ✔ Network nim_clickhouse Created 0.1s ✔ Network nim_external_network Created 0.2s ✔ Network nim_default Created 0.2s ✔ Container nim-precheck-1 Started 0.8s ✔ Container nim-clickhouse-1 Healthy 6.7s ✔ Container nim-nim-1 Started 7.4s. Step 3 – Access NGINX Instance Manager Go to the NGINX Instance Manager UI on https://<<DOCKER_HOST>>:443 and license the product using the same JSON Web Token you downloaded from MyF5 earlier. Conclusion With this new setup, you can install and run NGINX Instance Manager on any Docker host in just 3 steps, dramatically reducing setup time and simplifying deployment. Whether you are working in a development environment or deploying to production, the Docker Compose-based solution ensures a seamless and reliable experience. For more information on using the docker compose option with NGINX Instance manager such as running a backup and restore, using secrets, and many more, please see the instructions here.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.
