F5 iApp Automated Backup

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎24-Jan-2018

Problem this snippet solves:

This is now available on GitHub!

Please look on GitHub for the latest version, and submit any bugs or questions as an "Issue" on GitHub:

(Note: DevCentral admin update - Daniel's project appears abandoned so it's been forked and updated to the link below. @damnski on github added some SFTP code that has been merged in as well.)

https://github.com/f5devcentral/f5-automated-backup-iapp

Intro

Building on the significant work of Thomas Schockaert (and several other DevCentralites) I enhanced many aspects I needed for my own purposes, updated many things I noticed requested on the forums, and added additional documentation and clarification. As you may see in several of my comments on the original posts, I iterated through several 2.2.x versions and am now releasing v3.0.0. Below is the breakdown!

Also, I have done quite a bit of testing (mostly on v13.1.0.1 lately) and I doubt I've caught everything, especially with all of the changes. Please post any questions or issues in the comments.

Cheers!

Daniel Tavernier (tabernarious)

v3.2.1 (20201210)

Merged v3.1.11 and v3.2.0 for explicit SFTP support (separate from SCP).
Tweaked the SCP and SFTP upload directory handling; detailed instructions are in the iApp.
Tested on 13.1.3.4 and 14.1.3

v3.1.11 (20201210)

Better handling of UCS passphrases, and notes about characters to avoid.
I successfully tested this exact passphrase in the 13.1.3.4 CLI (surrounded with single quote) and GUI (as-is): `~!@#$%^*()aB1-_=+[{]}:./?
I successfully tested this exact passphrase in 14.1.3 (square-braces and curly-braces would not work): `~!@#$%^*()aB1-_=+:./?
Though there may be situations these could work, avoid these characters (separated by spaces): " ' & | ; < > \ [ ] { } ,
Moved changelog and notes from the template to CHANGELOG.md and README.md.
Replaced all tabs (\t) with four spaces.

v3.1.10 (20201209)

Added SMB Version and SMB Security options to support v14+ and newer versions of Microsoft Windows and Windows Server.
Tested SMB/CIFS on 13.1.3.4 and 14.1.3 against Windows Server 2019 using "2.0" and "ntlmsspi"

v3.1.0:

Removed "app-service none" from iCall objects. The iCall objects are now created as part of the Application Service (iApp) and are properly cleaned up if the iApp is redeployed or deleted.
Reasonably tested on 11.5.4 HF2 (SMB worked fine using "mount -t cifs") and altered requires-bigip-version-min to match.
Fixing error regarding "script did not successfully complete: (can't read "::destination_parameters__protocol_enable": no such variable" by encompassing most of the "implementation" in a block that first checks $::backup_schedule__frequency_select for "Disable".
Added default value to "filename format".
Changed UCS default value for $backup_file_name_extension to ".ucs" and added $fname_noext.
Removed old SFTP sections and references (now handled through SCP/SFTP).
Adjusted logging: added "sleep 1" to ensure proper logging; added $backup_directory to log message.
Adjusted some help messages.

New v3.0.0 features:

Supports multiple instances! (Deploy multiple copies of the iApp to save backups to different places or perhaps to keep daily backups locally and send weekly backups to a network drive.)
Fully ConfigSync compatible! (Encrypted values now in $script instead of local file.)
Long passwords supported! (Using "-A" with openssl which reads/writes base64 encoded strings as a single line.)
Added $script error checking for all remote backup types! (Using 'catch' to prevent tcl errors when $script aborts.)
Backup files are cleaned up after any $script errors due to new error checking.
Added logging! (Run logs sent to '/var/log/ltm' via logger command which is compatible with BIG-IP Remote Logging configuration (syslog). Run logs AND errors sent to '/var/tmp/scriptd.out'. Errors may include plain-text passwords which should not be in /var/log/ltm or syslog.)
Added custom cipher option for SCP! (In case BIG-IP and the destination server are not cipher-compatible out of the box.)
Added StrictHostKeyChecking=no option. (This is insecure and should only be used for testing--lots of warnings.)
Combined SCP and SFTP because they are both using SCP to perform the remote copy. (Easier to maintain!)

Original v1.x.x and v2.x.x features kept (copied from an original post):

It allows you to choose between both UCS or SCF as backup-types. (whilst providing ample warnings about SCF not being a very good restore-option due to the incompleteness in some cases)
It allows you to provide a passphrase for the UCS archives (the standard GUI also does this, so the iApp should too)
It allows you to not include the private keys (same thing: standard GUI does it, so the iApp does it too)
It allows you to set a Backup Schedule for every X minutes/hours/days/weeks/months or a custom selection of days in the week
It allows you to set the exact time, minute of the hour, day of the week or day of the month when the backup should be performed (depending on the usefulness with regards to the schedule type)
It allows you to transfer the backup files to external devices using 4 different protocols, next to providing local storage on the device itself
SCP (username/private key without password)
SFTP (username/private key without password)
FTP (username/password)
SMB (now using TMOS v12.x.x compatible 'mount -t cifs', with username/password)
Local Storage (/var/local/ucs or /var/local/scf)
It stores all passwords and private keys in a secure fashion: encrypted by the master key of the unit (f5mku), rendering it safe to store the backups, including the credentials off-box
It has a configurable automatic pruning function for the Local Storage option, so the disk doesn't fill up (i.e. keep last X backup files)
It allows you to configure the filename using the date/time wildcards from the tcl [clock] command, as well as providing a variable to include the hostname
It requires only the WebGUI to establish the configuration you desire
It allows you to disable the processes for automated backup, without you having to remove the Application Service or losing any previously entered settings
For the external shellscripts it automatically generates, the credentials are stored in encrypted form (using the master key)
It allows you to no longer be required to make modifications on the linux command line to get your automated backups running after an RMA or restore operation
It cleans up after itself, which means there are no extraneous shellscripts or status files lingering around after the scripts execute

How to use this snippet:

Find and download the latest iApp template on GitHub (e.g "f5.automated_backup.v3.2.1.tmpl.tcl").
Import the text file as an iApp Template in the BIG-IP GUI.
Create an Application Service using the imported Template.
Answer the questions (paying close attention to the help sections).
Check /var/tmp/scriptd.out for general logs and errors.

Tested this on version:

16.0

Darren_Walker_2 · ‎09-Feb-2018

I've tried this with SCP and SMB and it is working great! I am wondering if it could also cleanup the files in the mount destination: Would I just write that bash logic somewhere in the iAPP?

I noticed a

 Clean up local files

section and wondered if it's as easy as adding bash there that would rm items older than X days. Something like:

find /var/tmp/cifs/$mountp -mtime +30 -exec rm {} \

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎09-Feb-2018

@Darren Walker, I have added your request to the Issues list on the GitHub repository:

https://github.com/tabernarious/f5-automated-backup-iapp/issues

Feel free to leave comments or ideas there! There are some nuances/checks that would have to be worked out. If done improperly this could destroy other critical files on the remote backup volume.

Tristan_Rhodes · ‎13-Feb-2018

Thanks for creating this! You have done a really excellent job on a very valuable tool.

It is embarrassing that an enterprise appliance does not include any methods for automated remote backups.

Tristan

Snl · ‎10-May-2018

HI tabernarious

I am facing one issue with your template were destination ip field only accepting the IP address not the FQDN , is there any way we can fix this .

cheers snl

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎10-May-2018

@snl I have relaxed the destination IP restriction in iApp v3.1.2 (available in the Codeshare above and on GitHub)! You can now use destination FQDN as long as you have DNS configured and functional.

Snl · ‎10-May-2018

HI tabernarious

gr8 , thanks for your kind support.

Cheers Snl

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎10-May-2018

@Darren Walker, I have implemented SMB auto-pruning in iApp v3.1.3 (available in the Codeshare above and on GitHub)! Finally 🙂 Cheers! -Daniel

Stanislas_Piro2 · ‎16-May-2018

Hi,

I tried to use this iApp to backup ucs to remote CIFS server.

I encountered an issue with this iApp because the AD team deny browsing intermediate folders.

if I mount with commands :

mount -t cifs //${server}/${msshare}${mssubdir} ${mountp} -o user=${username}%${password},domain=${msdomain}
ls ${mountp}

I can read files in the mount point, but if I mount with commands (like in your script) :

mount -t cifs //${server}/${msshare} ${mountp} -o user=${username}%${password},domain=${msdomain}
ls ${mountp}${mssubdir}

I have following error:

ls: cannot access /var/tmp/cifs/MY/PATH/: Permission denied

after changing the line 296 to :

exec echo -e "\\!/bin/sh\nf5masterkey=\$(f5mku -K)\nusername=\$(echo \"ENCRYPTEDUSERNAME\" | openssl aes-256-ecb -salt -a -A -d -k \${f5masterkey})\npassword=\$(echo \"ENCRYPTEDPASSWORD\" | openssl aes-256-ecb -salt -a -A -d -k \${f5masterkey})\nmsdomain=\$(echo \"ENCRYPTEDMSDOMAIN\" | openssl aes-256-ecb -salt -a -A -d -k \${f5masterkey})\nserver=\$(echo \"ENCRYPTEDSERVER\" | openssl aes-256-ecb -salt -a -A -d -k \${f5masterkey})\nmsshare=\$(echo \"ENCRYPTEDMSSHARE\" | openssl aes-256-ecb -salt -a -A -d -k \${f5masterkey})\nmssubdir=\$(echo \"ENCRYPTEDMSSUBDIR\" | openssl aes-256-ecb -salt -a -A -d -k \${f5masterkey})\nmountp=\$(echo \"ENCRYPTEDMOUNTP\" | openssl aes-256-ecb -salt -a -A -d -k \${f5masterkey})\ncd /var/local/ucs\nif \[ \! -d \${mountp} \]\nthen\n\tmkdir -p \${mountp}\n\tif \[ \$? -ne 0 \]\n\tthen\n\t\trm -f ${fname_noext}BACKUPFILENAMEEXTENSION_WITHDOT\n\t\texit 1\n\tfi\nfi\nmount -t cifs //\${server}/\${msshare}\${mssubdir} \${mountp} -o user=\${username}%\${password},domain=\${msdomain} 2>> /var/tmp/scriptd.out\nif \[ \$? -ne 0 \]\n\tthen\n\trm -f ${fname_noext}BACKUPFILENAMEEXTENSION_WITHDOT\n\texit 1\nfi\nfONSMB=\$(ls -t \${mountp}/\*.ucs 2>/dev/null| head -n 1 2>/dev/null)\nif \[ \"X\"\${fONSMB} \!= \"X\" \]\n\tthen\n\tsum1=\$(md5sum ${fname_noext}BACKUPFILENAMEEXTENSION_WITHDOT | awk '{print \$1}')\n\tsum2=\$(md5sum \${fONSMB} | awk \'{print \$1}\')\n\tif \[ \${sum1} == \${sum2} \]\n\tthen\n\t\techo \"ERROR: File ${fname_noext}BACKUPFILENAMEEXTENSION_WITHDOT already exists in //\${server}/\${msshare}/\${mssubdir}\" >> /var/tmp/scriptd.out\n\t\tumount \${mountp}\n\t\trm -f ${fname_noext}BACKUPFILENAMEEXTENSION_WITHDOT\n\t\texit 1\n\tfi\nfi\ncp ${fname_noext}BACKUPFILENAMEEXTENSION_WITHDOT \${mountp}\nrm -f ${fname_noext}BACKUPFILENAMEEXTENSION_WITHDOT\n\nif \[ \"PRUNINGMODE\" \!= \"Disabled\" \]; then\n\n\tfiles_tokeep=\$(ls -t \${mountp}\${mssubdir}/*PRUNINGSUFFIX.BACKUPFILENAMEEXTENSION_NODOT 2>/dev/null | head -n CONSERVE\)\n\tfor current_archive_file in `ls \${mountp}\${mssubdir}/*PRUNINGSUFFIX.BACKUPFILENAMEEXTENSION_NODOT 2>/dev/null` ; do\n\t\tcurrent_archive_file_basename=`basename \$current_archive_file`\n\t\tcheck_file=\$(echo \$files_tokeep | grep -w \$current_archive_file_basename)\n\t\tif \[ \"\$check_file\" == \"\" \] ; then\n\t\t\trm -f \$current_archive_file\n\t\tfi\n\tdone\n\tif \[ \"BACKUPFILENAMEEXTENSION_NODOT\" == \"scf\" \] ; then\n\t\ttar_files_tokeep=\$(ls -t \${mountp}\${mssubdir}/*PRUNINGSUFFIX.BACKUPFILENAMEEXTENSION_NODOT.tar 2>/dev/null | head -n CONSERVE\)\n\t\tfor current_archive_tar_file in `ls \${mountp}\${mssubdir}/*PRUNINGSUFFIX.BACKUPFILENAMEEXTENSION_NODOT.tar 2>/dev/null` ; do\n\t\t\tcurrent_archive_tar_file_basename=`basename \$current_archive_tar_file`\n\t\t\tcheck_file=\$(echo \$tar_files_tokeep | grep -w \$current_archive_tar_file_basename)\n\t\t\tif \[ \"\$check_file\" == \"\" \] ; then\n\t\t\t\trm -f \$current_archive_tar_file\n\t\t\tfi\n\t\tdone\n\tfi\nfi\n\numount \${mountp}\n\nexit 0\n\n" > $scriptfile

it works!

I didn't worked with Pruning mode so I didn't try to correct the script in pruning section.

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎16-May-2018

@Stanislas Piron, Awesome! I have added this as an issue on GitHub:

https://github.com/tabernarious/f5-automated-backup-iapp/issues/9

I'll see if I can work this out sooner than later while it's fresh on my mind.

PhillyPDXmike_1 · ‎29-May-2018

Given that clustered BIG-IP appliances synchronize iApp templates and applications created from iApps, has anyone come across a method with this iApp to backup each appliance in the cluster independently?

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎29-May-2018

@PhillyPDXmike, As long as you use the ${host} variable in the file name iApp setting (this is included in the default file name setting) it will generate archives with unique names per device (regardless of clustering). Are there other settings you are hoping to set independently?

PhillyPDXmike_1 · ‎29-May-2018

@tabernarious, Thanks for the quick response!! I am using version 3.1.2 of the iApp and can confirm that the backup worked on both the active and standby units after I copied the public/private key from the active to the standby, edited the hostname in the public key (/root/.ssh/id_rsa.pub) on the standby, then added that public key to my sftp server's authorized_keys file.

My initial question was prompted from a cosmetic situation where the sample output for the "Select the filename format > Destination Parameters" setting carried over from the active appliance (dev02a) to the standby appliance (dev02b).

Your question: "Are there other settings you are hoping to set independently?" Since the UCS backup is specific to each appliance, it'd be nice to somehow have device independence within the iApp which is probably more of an F5 iApp software architecture thing than anything to do with this specific iApp. What are your thoughts?

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎29-May-2018

I’m glad it’s working, though I don’t think you should have had to mess with the keys (copying between boxes)—I’ll test that too. I see what you mean about the cosmetic file name example issue. I’ll have to think about if that can be fixed.

As for your question about the overall architecture, I definitely agree that there are situations when it would be nice to keep apps independent, but I think the vast majority of cases support the existing keep-everything-in-sync model.

aj11 · ‎30-May-2018

Will this work in version 13.1.x also?

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎30-May-2018

@aj1, This should definitely work on 13.1.x. Most of my recent testing has been on 13.1.0.x.

keithhubb · ‎31-May-2018

Hi,

I'm using v3.1.3, and getting this message:

script did not successfully complete: (can't read "::destination_parameters__pruning_mode": no such variable
while executing
"if { $::destination_parameters__pruning_mode eq "Only Prune iApp-Generated Archives" } {
set pruning_suffix $::destination_par..."
invoked from within
"if { $freq != "Disable" } {
Ensure a default $filename_format is set
if { $::destination_parameters__filenam..." line:44)

I Fixed it by changing line 54 from this:

if { $::destination_parameters__pruning_mode eq "Only Prune iApp-Generated Archives" } {

To this:

if { [info exists ::destination_parameters__pruning_mode] && ($::destination_parameters__pruning_mode eq "Only Prune iApp-Generated Archives") } {

Basically validating the variable exists as a condition to the 'if' statement.

aj11 · ‎01-Jun-2018

I'm having some issues with authentication: In the logs, it shows the warning banner on the host I'm trying to send the backup to, but then shows this:

Permission denied, please try again.
Permission denied, please try again.
Received disconnect from xx.xx.xx.xx: 2: Too many authentication failures for backuphost
lost connection
f5.automated_backup iApp automated_backups_iapp:loadbalancer.com_20180601_085600.ucs REMOTE COPY (SCP) FAILED (check for errors above)
f5.automated_backup iApp automated_backups_iapp: FINISHED

We tried to enter the username/password, and I also copied the private key from the backuphost but still the same. Also, I checked /var/local/ucs for the local copy it would (should?) be copying over but there is only a "config.ucs" file (~70M) and the file's last dated a few weeks ago when we first installed it, I believe. It's been running every few minutes but failing and I thought it was just the copy part that fails. Any guidance would help. Thanks.

PhillyPDXmike_1 · ‎01-Jun-2018

In my testing, using the backup files via SCP/SFTP option doesn't save a copy locally.

For the "Copy/Paste the SSH private key to be used for passwordless authentication:" option, I copied/pasted the entire RSA private key including -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----, -----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----, and everything in between. Also, I found these links F5 K13454 and tecmint article very helpful in getting the ssh passwordless authentication working properly, although I didn't have to change any settings on my linux server.

On F5 BIG-IP appliance, create 2048 bit RSA key using the following command at a bash prompt: ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 2048
Accept the default location to save the key (/root/.ssh/id_rsa) by hitting enter
Leave the passphrase blank by hitting enter then hit enter again.
The private key will be save as /root/.ssh/id_rsa and the public key as /root/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
If necessary, create the .ssh directory on the SSH server using the command: ssh user@X.X.X.X mkdir -p .ssh
Copy the public key from the F5 to your SSH server using the following using the command: cat /root/.ssh/id_rsa.pub | ssh user@X.X.X.X 'cat >> .ssh/authorized_keys'
If necessary, change the permission on the .ssh directory and authorized_keys file using the command: ssh username@ip.address "chmod 700 .ssh; chmod 640 .ssh/authorized_keys"

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎01-Jun-2018

@aj1, Regarding your search for the local copies of the UCS Archives, the iApp automatically cleans up the local copy whether the remote copy succeeds or fails. If you want local copies I would recommend deploying a second copy of the iApp that just backs up locally and auto-prunes to prevent filling up the /var partition.

cbrandys · ‎04-Jun-2018

Hello, I a using v3.1.3. When I attempt to implement the script using FTP for remote copy, I receive the following error.

script did not successfully complete: (can't read "::destination_parameters__pruning_mode": no such variable
while executing
"if { $::destination_parameters__pruning_mode eq "Only Prune iApp-Generated Archives" } {
set pruning_suffix $::destination_par..."
invoked from within
"if { $freq != "Disable" } {
Ensure a default $filename_format is set
if { $::destination_parameters__filenam..." line:44)

I am trying to understand the reason for this error. When I choose the "Select the Filename Format" drop-down, I am selecting an option that does include ${host}. Am using code 11.6.1 HF2 on my box. I saw @keithhubb post and resolution but would like to understand the reason for the

text

error before I implement on prod boxes. Thank you.

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎04-Jun-2018

@cbrandys, see keithhubb’s earlier comment for a quick fix (you have to edit the template). I am planning to fix this officially with a release this week (possibly today). Stay tuned.

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎04-Jun-2018

Released v3.1.4 to GitHub and updated CodeShare above. Release Notes:

Fixed can't read "::destination_parameters__pruning_mode" errors using [info exists ...].
LTM from "Required Modules" list; now no modules are required.
SMB/CIFS now directly mounts the target directory instead of the mount point. This allows administrators to deny access to intermediate directories.
Set the pruning_keep_amount default to 3 (previously no default existed).

Sylvain_Q · ‎15-Jun-2018

The script runs perfectelly.

I'd like to know if there is a way to have the ssh done on port 224 instead of 22?

Thank you

Sly

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎15-Jun-2018

@Silvain Q, If you're referring to the SCP/SFTP option, this could be manually configured relatively easily (it will take me more work to make this customizable through the iApp configuration). In a text editor open the iApp template (

f5.automated_backup.v3.1.4.tmpl.tcl

), find the line that starts with:

exec echo -e "scp_function()

...then find this part of the line:

\n\tscp -i /var/tmp/TMSHAPPNAME_scp.key

...and replace it with:

\n\tscp -P 224 -i /var/tmp/TMSHAPPNAME_scp.key

(NOTE:

-P 224

is the

scp

option to modify the destination port.)

I would then recommend changing this line:

sys application template /Common/f5.automated_backup.v3.1.4 {

to

sys application template /Common/f5.automated_backup.v3.1.4_scp224 {

(NOTE: Changing the template name will allow you to have both the original

v3.1.4

and the new

v3.1.4_scp224

templates on the BIG-IP at the same time.)

Finally, save the file you've been editing (I recommend selecting a new name to avoid confusion with the original) and upload it to the BIG-IP (you will have to select "overwrite" unless you edited the

sys application template

name above).

Let me know if you're looking for something else.

Sylvain_Q · ‎15-Jun-2018

Thank you...

That worked perfectelly...

It could be a nice "new feature" for v3.1.5 😉

Suresh_Jo_32729 · ‎07-Aug-2018

All,

I tried this but I got below error in /var/log/script.log

Saving active configuration... /var/local/ucs/abcd.ucs is saved. abcd.ucs GENERATING iApp F5autobackp: abcd.ucs SAVED LOCALLY (/var/local/ucs) iApp F5autobackp: abcd.ucs REMOTE COPY (SCP) STARTING

xxxxxxxxxx

Permission denied, please try again. Permission denied, please try again. Permission denied (publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password). lost connection iApp F5autobackp: abcd.ucs REMOTE COPY (SCP) FAILED (check for errors above) iApp F5autobackp: FINISHED

Any suggestion?

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎08-Aug-2018

@Suresh Jo, Do you have the SCP/SFTP server set up for key-based authentication? And do you have the non-encrypted private key pasted into the iApp?

Support_370705 · ‎28-Aug-2018

Hi,

Could you add a feature to specify the number of occurence you would like with remote backup ? I mean like a logrotate. It's just to avoid a space disk full.

As a workaround, I created a cron on the remote machine to delete file more than XX days.

Thanks,

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎28-Aug-2018

@Support, This feature is currently available for "On this F5" and "Remotely via SMB/CIFS". I have not yet taken the time to devise a similar method for FTP or SFTP/SCP. If you have ideas feel free to share them here or on the GitHub repository: https://github.com/tabernarious/f5-automated-backup-iapp

Cheers!

efouli · ‎18-Sep-2018

Thanks a lot for that iApp, i realy appreciate your effort , i have deployed the iApp and worked from the first time but the second time i got the following error :

script did not successfully complete: (invalid command name "exec" while executing "exec f5mku -K" invoked from within "if { $freq != "Disable" } {

Ensure a default $filename_format is set

if { $::destination_parameters__filenam..." line:44)

Atou · ‎18-Oct-2018

Hi Suresh,

The issue is that the file you want to transfer doesn't exists, had the same issue.

If you debug, you will see that it tries to transfers a file xxx.ucs.ucs.

Replace {fname}BACKUPFILESCRIPTEXTENSION with {fname}

This will fix the issue.

Kind regards,

Anthony

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎18-Oct-2018

@Suresh and @Anthony, This filename extension issue for FTP should have been fixed in v3.1.1 (see changelog) which is carried forward to the latest version (currently v3.1.4). What version(s) of the template are you running?

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎18-Oct-2018

@efouli, I don't believe I've seen that "exec" error before. What version of this iApp are you running, and what version of TMOS are you running? And what method are you using for saving backups (local, SFTP, SMB, or FTP)?

Markie_Parkie_1 · ‎11-Nov-2018

Hi all,

Quick question on the iApp and the passwordless scp copy to remote storage.

I have the solution working fine on the first pair of BIGIPs where the keys are already stored on the device, bit doing a fresh pair now that do not have the private key in the default file but pasted into the iApp the device fails to upload to the scp destination, so it looks like I will have to copy the private key to each device to get this working.. Is this how it's meant to work, as I thought pasting it into the iApp config would do away with this part?

Currently using latest version of the template off GitHub.

Thanks..

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎11-Nov-2018

@Markie Parkie, You should be able to just have the SSH key in the iApp, BUT by default this will fail unless the destination server's SSH fingerprint has been added to '/root/.ssh/known_hosts' (or you set "StrictHostKeyChecking" to "No" in the iApp (not recommended). Have you looked at the iApp logs (/var/tmp/scriptd.out)? If you log into the BIG-IP as root and SSH to the destination server are you prompted about 'Host verification' or similar?

Markie_Parkie_1 · ‎11-Nov-2018

Hi Tabernarious,

I have ssh to the destination server to add the fingerprint but still have the same issue. The log just says about too many Auth attempts and falls pass to password Auth.

Thanks..

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎11-Nov-2018

@Markie Parkie, Could you paste the error from scriptd.out?

Markie_Parkie_1 · ‎12-Nov-2018

iApp DEVICE_BACKUP: xxxxxxx.xxxxxxx.xxxxxxx_20181112_020000.ucs REMOTE COPY (SCP) STARTING

This system is for the use of authorized users only.

Permission denied, please try again.

Received disconnect from xx.xx.xx.xx: 2: Too many authentication failures

lost connection

iApp DEVICE_BACKUP: xxxxxxx.xxxxxxx.xxxxxxx_20181112_020000.ucs REMOTE COPY (SCP) FAILED (check for errors above)

iApp DEVICE_BACKUP: FINISHED

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎12-Nov-2018

@Markie Parkie, I cannot replicate your issue, though I ran into something similar when the destination directory had the wrong permissions (username configured in iApp didn't have write permissions to the directory). Also ensure that you're pasting the OpenSSH b64 private key in this format (with newlines), though I know you've done this successfully elsewhere.

Please let me know if you figure anything out!

Does the username or path have any special characters?

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎15-Nov-2018

v3.1.8 RELEASED

These are the fixes/enhancements (I released v3.1.5 and v3.1.6 recently, so they are included):

v3.1.5 - 20181112

Updated KNOWN ISSUES section (below)
Fixed SCF passphase issue (v11 "tmsh save sys config file NAME" works and applies no passphase ("no-passphase" flag does not exist); v12+ requires use of "no-passphrase" or "passphrase PHRASE"). (github Issue 18)
Reordered filename_format list; default remains ${host}_%Y%m%d_%H%M%S
Tested on 11.6.3.3, 12.1.3.7, and 13.1.1.2

v3.1.6 - 20181114

Fixed lots of issues with SCF files for SFTP/SCP, FTP, and SMB/CIFS (mainly, tar files were not being copied and were not being cleaned up locally). (github Issue 18)
Added logging clarification that when using SCF archives a .tar file is also generated and saved/uploaded.
Added debug logging for the SMB/CIFS script.
Now including on github an expanded form of the upload scripts for better understanding (see "; etc.).

v3.1.7 - 20181115

Now supporting many special characters for passwords (without manually escaping with backslashes). (github Issue 3 and 16)
SMB/CIFS does NOT support comma, single-quote, and double-quote. I successfully tested this exact password to Windows Server 2012: `~!@$%^&*()aB1-_=+[{]}|;:<.>/?
FTP should support all characters (based on limited testing). I successfully tested this exact password to a Linux FTP server: `~!@$%^&*()aB1-_=+[{]}|;:,"<.>'/?

v3.1.8 - 20181115

Scripts for SMB/CIFS and FTP will again be deleted after each backup. (This was in place as of v3.1.6 but was turned off for debugging in v3.1.7 and was not put back.)

v3.1.9 - 20181120

Fixed comment in SMB/CIFS script which was breaking everything due hash escape and a variable reference--I must not have actually tested after I added the comment 😞

Travis_Kamish_2 · ‎20-Nov-2018

Has anyone run into cipher issues. My SCP server was recently hardened and now only except the following cipher "aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr" I am getting the following error. I also tried to change the cipher in the template but that gets same results. I am running auto_backup v3.1.8 and I am

generated this Tcl error: script did not successfully complete: (no matching cipher found: client aes128-cbc,aes256-cbc server aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr lost connection while executing

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎20-Nov-2018

@Travis.Kamish, What version of TMOS are you running? Did you read through the help section under "Cipher" when configuring SCP/SFTP in the iApp? What is the output if you manually attempt to ssh or scp from the F5 CLI to the destination server?

Travis_Kamish_2 · ‎20-Nov-2018

@tabernarious I am running 13.1.0.8 and when I try to ssh from CLI to server I get same error. "no matching cipher found: client aes128-cbc,aes256-cbc server aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr"

I even tried to set the ssh ciphers.

(tmos) list sys ssh include sys sshd { include "Ciphers aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr" }

and with ssh set to none I get same issues with cipher mismatch.

Travis_Kamish_2 · ‎20-Nov-2018

Also if I do this test manually from F5 is works. ssh -vvv -c aes256-ctr username@X.X.X.X

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎20-Nov-2018

@Travis.Kamish, If you paste "aes256-ctr" into the Cipher field of the iApp does it still fail?

Travis_Kamish_2 · ‎20-Nov-2018

Ok my fault I kept missing the cipher option on scp setup. It is working.

Thanks and sorry for wasting your time.

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎20-Nov-2018

@Travis.Kamis, No problem at all. I'm just glad it's working for you!!

By the way, I just released v3.1.9 to fix an issue with SMB.

Markie_Parkie_1 · ‎23-Nov-2018

In regards to my issue.... This was fixed if I copied from the shell itself and into the iApp. Copying from notepad++ or any other way apart from within shell it failed.

Worked a treat when I did this.

Thanks..

Daniel_Tavernie · ‎23-Nov-2018

@Markie Parkie, it may have to do with newline/carriage return formatting etc. I may do some testing to see if I can catch that.

DocHoliday_1978 · ‎27-Nov-2018

Nice iAPP A cool extra feature would be e-mail notification after the backup was successfully copied to the remote location.

DevCentral

F5 iApp Automated Backup

This is now available on GitHub!

Intro

Related posts:

v3.2.1 (20201210)

v3.1.11 (20201210)

v3.1.10 (20201209)

v3.1.0:

New v3.0.0 features:

Original v1.x.x and v2.x.x features kept (copied from an original post):

How to use this snippet:

Tested this on version: