BIG-IP® Platform Guide for the Hewlett-Packard® ProLiant BL20p Blade Server System version 4.
Product Version This manual applies to version 4.5 of the BIG-IP® software. Legal Notices Copyright Copyright © 2003, F5 Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. F5 Networks, Inc. (F5) believes the information it furnishes to be accurate and reliable. However, F5 assumes no responsibility for the use of this information, nor any infringement of patents or other rights of third parties which may result from its use.
Acknowledgments This product includes software developed by the University of California, Berkeley and its contributors. This product includes software developed by the Computer Systems Engineering Group at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. This product includes software developed by the NetBSD Foundation, Inc. and its contributors. This product includes software developed by Christopher G. Demetriou for the NetBSD Project. This product includes software developed by Adam Glass.
This product includes open SSH software developed by Tatu Ylonen (ylo@cs.hut.fi), Espoo, Finland (© 1995). This product includes open SSH software developed by Niels Provos (© 1999). This product includes SSH software developed by Mindbright Technology AB, Stockholm, Sweden, www.mindbright.se, info@mindbright.se (© 1998-1999). This product includes free SSL software developed by Object Oriented Concepts, Inc., St. John's, NF, Canada (© 2000).
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents BIG-IP Software on the Hewlett-Packard ProLiant BL20p Blade Server System Getting started ................................................................................................................................1-1 Task overview .........................................................................................................................1-1 What is BIG-IP software? .....................................................................................................
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BIG-IP Software on the Hewlett-Packard ProLiant BL20p Blade Server System • Getting started • Installing the hardware • Installing the BIG-IP software • Activating the license • Using the Setup utility • Setting up a basic BIG-IP software configuration • Performing backup and recovery • Finding additional resources
BIG-IP Software on the Hewlett-Packard ProLiant BL20p Blade Server System Getting started The BIG-IP® Platform Guide for the Hewlett-Packard® ProLiant BL20p Blade Server System is designed to help you install and activate the BIG-IP software on Hewlett-Packard ProLiant BL p-Class systems, including ProLiant BL20p and ProLiant BL20p G2 blade server systems. Before you begin installing the BIG-IP software, we recommend that you refer to the following sections of the BIG-IP software documentation.
Chapter 1 What is BIG-IP software? The BIG-IP software delivers an easy-to-use solution for deploying and managing local area traffic. The software provides a scalable and secure platform where you can build and deploy web-based applications for intranet, extranet, or Internet environments.
BIG-IP Software on the Hewlett-Packard ProLiant BL20p Blade Server System Power management The BIG-IP software provides support for the graceful shutdown of active server blades running BIG-IP software. • For graceful shut down of a server blade, press the server blade power button for one second.
Chapter 1 Reviewing basic configurations Figure 1.1, following, shows the most basic kind of BIG-IP component configuration. In this configuration, a router is connected directly to NIC2 of the back of the blade server system chassis. The router channels traffic to the BIG-IP software that is loaded onto one server blade. The BIG-IP software can then load balance inbound Internet traffic to several web server blades using an external switch.
BIG-IP Software on the Hewlett-Packard ProLiant BL20p Blade Server System Installing the BIG-IP software Once you have properly installed the blade server system hardware, you are ready to install the BIG-IP software. To install the BIG-IP software on the Hewlett-Packard ProLiant BL20p blade server system, you use the network boot procedure known as a Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE). The BIG-IP software installation disk supports configuring a host to act as a PXE server.
Chapter 1 3. When prompted, select a DHCP server, based on whether you are using an existing DHCP server, or setting up the host as the DHCP server. To use an existing DHCP server on the subnet: a) Select yes at the prompt. This avoids possible conflicts and automatically completes the PXE server configuration. The host displays the settings you selected, and prompts you to accept or reject them. b) If the settings are correct, type yes to accept them.
BIG-IP Software on the Hewlett-Packard ProLiant BL20p Blade Server System The Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) control panel is the central management program used by the ProLiant p-Class system. This program allows you to select a target server blade and load the BIG-IP software using the PXE server. The program offers both a web and a command line interface. Note The following instructions assume that you have already assigned an IP address or DNS name to the Integrated Lights-Out control panel.
Chapter 1 Figure 1.3 Patch panel RJ-45 module connector assignments To open the web interface using the iLO connectors 1. Open a web browser on the workstation, and in the address bar, type the IP address or DNS name of the iLO web interface. The login screen opens. 2. Type the user name and password, and click Log In. The summary screen opens. To open the command line interface using the iLO connectors 1.
BIG-IP Software on the Hewlett-Packard ProLiant BL20p Blade Server System Performing a PXE boot Once you are connected to the server blade, begin the PXE boot process. To boot the server blade using the web interface 1. From the summary page of the iLO web interface, click the Bays tab, and select the bay that houses the target server blade. 2. Click Virtual Power Button, and select Power Cycle System On, After Off. 3. To open the console window while the server blade is rebooting, click Remote Console.
Chapter 1 Activating the license Once you have loaded the BIG-IP software onto the target server blade(s), you must have a valid license certificate to activate the software. To gain a license certificate, you need to provide two items to the license server: a registration key and a dossier. The registration key is a 25-character string that lets the license server know which F5 Networks products you are entitled to license.
BIG-IP Software on the Hewlett-Packard ProLiant BL20p Blade Server System To automatically activate a license from the command line 1. At the logon prompt on the command line, type the user name root and the password default. 2. At the prompt, type license. The following prompts appear: IP: Netmask: Default Route: 1.1, 1.2 Select interface to use to retrieve license 3.
Chapter 1 6. At the Reboot Prompt screen, select when you want to reboot the server blade. You must reboot the server blade to complete the license activation. To manually activate a license using the Configuration utility 1. Open a browser from the administrative workstation and open the Configuration utility using the following address: https://192.168.1.245. This is a default address on the server blade’s local area network. 2. At the logon prompt, type the user name root and the password default.
BIG-IP Software on the Hewlett-Packard ProLiant BL20p Blade Server System • At the License File box, click Browse to locate the license file on the hard drive, and click Install License. The License Status screen displays the status messages, and the message Process complete appears when the BIG-IP software has finished activating the license. 11. To finish the licensing process, click License Terms, review the EULA, and accept it. 12.
Chapter 1 Setting up a basic BIG-IP software configuration The most common application of the BIG-IP software is to distribute traffic across an array of web servers that host standard web traffic, including e-commerce traffic. Figure 1.4 on page 1-15 shows a configuration where a BIG-IP system load balances two sites: www.siterequest.com and store.siterequest.com. The www.siterequest.com site provides standard Web content, and the store.siterequest.com site is the e-commerce site that sells items to www.
BIG-IP Software on the Hewlett-Packard ProLiant BL20p Blade Server System Figure 1.
Chapter 1 Performing backup and recovery Each time you perform a clean installation, you completely delete all configuration data. Therefore, we recommend that each time you perform a new installation or upgrade of the BIG-IP software, you also back up the configuration data and license information, and store it in a remote location. Completing this backup ensures that you have retained your configuration data and license information in case you need to recover the BIG-IP software in the future.
BIG-IP Software on the Hewlett-Packard ProLiant BL20p Blade Server System For specific information on how to perform a backup or recovery from the Configuration utility, see the online help for the System Admin/Configuration Management screen. For detailed information on backup and recovery procedures, see the Technical Note BIG-IP Backup and Recovery; you can find this on the F5 Networks technical support web site (http://tech.f5.com).
Chapter 1 Finding additional resources You can use the following resources to find additional technical information about BIG-IP software: ◆ Reference and solutions guides You can download additional documentation such as the BIG-IP Reference Guide and the BIG-IP Solutions Guide from the Documentation section of the CD.
Glossary
Glossary bigpipe The bigpipe utility provides command line access to the BIG-IP software. BIOS BIOS stands for basic input/output system. The BIOS is software that is built-in to the computer and determines what the computer can do without accessing programs from a disk. blade server system A blade server system is an enclosure that houses server blades and provides shared components such as power, fans, and cabling. See also server blade.
Glossary Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) The integrated Lights-Out (iLO) control panel is the central management program used by the ProLiant p-Class System. This program allows you to select a target server blade, and load the BIG-IP software using the PXE server. The program offers a web and command line interface. license certificate A license certificate is a digital file created by the F5 Networks license server.
Glossary registration key The registration key is a 25-character string that you need to license your F5 Networks products. You may have received the registration key from F5 Networks by email, or you may find it on the back of the CD case. See also dossier. server blade A server blade is a board that contains memory, a processor, disk storage, network connectivity, and other associated electronics.
Glossary Glossary - 4
Index
Index H A automatic license activation defined 1-10 from the command line 1-11 using the Configuration utility 1-11 B backup, performing 1-16 basic configuration BIG-IP software 1-4 BIG-IP system CD 1-1 bigpipe commands 1-18 bigpipe config install command 1-16 bigpipe config save command 1-16 blade server system booting with PXE 1-9 booting with the web interface 1-9 connecting to 1-6 connecting with the cable connector 1-7 connecting with the management connector 1-7 browsers, supported 1-10 hardware i
Index PXE booting the blade server system 1-9 PXE boot 1-9 performing 1-9 PXE port connecting 1-5 PXE server configuring host as 1-5 connecting to blade server 1-6 R recovery, data 1-16 recovery, performing 1-16 redundant 1-13 redundant system using the Setup utility 1-13 registration key 1-10 release notes 1-18 remote location storing data 1-16 S server see blade server system Setup utility 1-13 shutdown, graceful 1-3 solutions finding 1-18 system backup 1-16 system restore 1-16 system upgrade 1-17 T t
