The 7000 Series Platform
About 7000 Series models
The BIG-IP
®
7000 Series platform is a powerful system that is capable of managing traffic for any size of enterprise. This platform series includes models that support either hard disk drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SSDs).
F5 offers three performance levels of SSL offload in the 7000 Series: the 7000s, 7200v, and 7200v-SSL.
The 7200v-SSL platform features high performance SSL hardware that frees up servers from the task of encrypting and decrypting data.
The 7000 Series platform is available with a FIPS-certified hardware security module (HSM) as a factory-installed option (7200v-FIPS).
Note: FIPS is not supported in vCMP guests.
Please see the data sheet at https://f5.com/products/platforms for more information.
About the platform
Before you install this platform, review information about the controls and ports located on both the front and back of the platform.
On the front of the platform, you can reset the unit using the LCD control buttons and view the indicator
LEDs for disk drive access. You can also use the front-panel LEDs to assess the condition of the platform.
On the back, you can power off the unit.
Figure 1: Front view of the 7000 platform
1.
Disk drive bay 1
2.
Disk drive bay 2
3.
Management 10/100/1000 port
4.
USB ports
5.
Console serial port
6.
Serial (hard-wired) failover port
7.
10/100/1000 interfaces
8.
1G/10G optical ports
The 7000 Series Platform
9.
Indicator LEDs
10.
LCD display
11.
LCD control buttons
The back of the platform includes two AC power supplies and the fan tray.
Figure 2: Back view of the platform
1.
Fan tray
2.
Power input panel 1 (power switch and power receptacle)
3.
Power input panel 2 (power switch and power receptacle)
4.
Chassis ground lug
Hardware included with the platform
This platform should include all of the hardware components listed here.
Quantity
2
Hardware
Power cables (black), AC power only
Note: The power cables included with this unit are for exclusive use with this unit and should not be used with other electrical appliances.
1
2
1
2
10
4
1
1
2
1
DC terminal block plug, DC power option only
RJ45 to RJ45 failover cable, CAT 5 crossover (blue)
RJ45 to DB9 console port cable (beige)
RJ45F to RJ45M rolled adapter (beige)
Quick-install rail kit (left and right rails)
Front-mount brackets (left and right)
M4 screws
#10-32 pan head screws
Front bezel
SFP+ transceiver modules
10
Platform Guide: 7000 Series
Peripheral hardware requirements
For each platform, you might need to provide additional peripheral hardware. If you plan to remotely administer the system, it would be helpful to have a workstation already connected to the same subnet as the management interface.
Type of hardware
Network hubs, switches, or connectors to connect to the platform network interfaces
Description
You must provide networking devices that are compatible with the network interface cards that are installed in the platform. You can use either
10/100/1000/10000-Gigabit or 40-Gigabit Ethernet switches.
External USB CD/DVD drive or USB flash drive
You can use any USB-certified CD/DVD mass storage device or a USB flash drive for installing upgrades and for system recovery.
Note: External CD/DVD drives must be externally powered.
Serial console You can remotely manage the platform by connecting to a serial console terminal server through the console port.
Important: In the event that network access is impaired or not yet configured, the serial console might be the only way to access the unit. You should perform all installations and upgrades using the serial console, as these procedures require reboots, in which network connectivity is lost temporarily.
Management workstation on the same IP network as the platform
You can use the default platform configuration if you have a management workstation set up.
LCD panel
The LCD panel provides the ability to manage the unit without attaching a console or network cable.
Figure 3: The LCD panel and control buttons
About the LCD menus
There are three menus on the LCD panel. You can configure the display options to meet your needs.
11
The 7000 Series Platform
Options menu
You can use the Options menu to adjust the display properties of the LCD panel.
Option
Heartbeat
Backlight
Description
Enables (checked) or disables (unchecked) the heartbeat panel on the LCD. This heartbeat does not affect the failover mechanism of the system.
Specifies an LCD screen backlighting option. Select from these options:
• ON enables the backlight.
• GRAY enables the software to specify when the backlight is illuminated.
• OFF disables the backlight.
Contrast
On
Brightness
Off
Brightness
Sets the contrast of the LCD.
Adjusts LCD backlight brightness.
Controls the brightness of the LCD when the backlight is off.
System menu
You can use the System menu to view options for rebooting, halting, and netbooting the hardware. This menu also provides options for configuring the management interface.
Option
DHCP
Description
Controls the use of DHCP. Select from these options:
• disabled (default)
• enabled
Management Changes the management interface information. Select from these options:
• Address Type indicates whether to use an IPv4 or IPv6 address.
• Mgmt IP sets the management interface IP address. You can use an IPv4 or IPv6 address.
• Prefix Length sets the length of the routing prefix for the IPv4 or IPv6 management
IP address.
• Mgmt Gateway sets the default route for the management interface. This route is necessary if you plan to manage the unit from a different subnetwork.
• Commit saves your changes.
Serial Speed
Reboot
Halt
Netboot
Changes the baud rate of the management serial port. Select from these options:
• 9600
• 19200 (default)
• 57600
• 115200
Reboots the unit.
Halts the unit.
Boots the unit over an IP network. Select this option if you are installing software from a PXE server.
12
Platform Guide: 7000 Series
Screens menu
You can use the Screens menu to specify the information that is displayed on the default screens.
Option
DateScreen
InfoScreen
RaidScreen
Description
Displays the date and time.
Displays the information screen.
Displays the RAID status screen.
Note: Not available on solid-state drive (SSD) platforms.
VersionScreen Displays product version information.
Using the LCD panel
Put the LCD panel into Menu mode to manage the platform using the LCD menus and control buttons.
Press the X button to activate Menu mode for the LCD.
The Left Arrow, Right Arrow, Up Arrow, and Down Arrow buttons are functional only when the LCD is in Menu mode.
Pausing on a screen
Normally, the screens cycle on the LCD panel at a constant rate, but you can pause on a specific screen.
Push the Check button to toggle the LCD screen between Hold and Rotate modes.
In Hold mode, a single screen is displayed. The Rotate mode changes the screen displayed on the LCD every four seconds.
Powering on the unit
Use the LCD control buttons to power on the unit.
Press the Check button to power on a unit that is shut down.
Halting the unit
Use the LCD control buttons to halt the unit. You should halt the unit before you power it down or reboot it using the LCD menu options.
1.
Press the X button, then use the arrow keys to navigate to the System menu.
2.
Press the Check button.
3.
Navigate to the Halt menu.
4.
Press the Check button.
5.
Press the Check button again at the confirmation screen.
Wait 60 seconds before powering the machine off or rebooting it.
13
The 7000 Series Platform
Putting the unit in standby mode
Use the LCD control buttons to put the unit into standby mode.
Hold the X button for four seconds to put the unit in standby mode and power off the host subsystem.
F5
® recommends that you halt the system before you power off the system in this manner.
Resetting the unit
Use the LCD control buttons to reset the unit.
Hold the Check button for four seconds to reset the unit.
You should only use this option after you halt the unit.
Clearing alerts
Use the LCD control buttons to clear alerts from the LCD screen.
Press the Check button to clear any alerts on the LCD screen.
You must clear any alerts on the screen before you can use the LCD panel.
Indicator LEDs
The behavior of each LED indicates the status of the system.
Status LED
The status LED indicate the operating state of the system.
State
off/none green solid yellow solid yellow blinking
(with traffic)
Description
System is halted and powered down.
System is running in normal mode. Also indicates that the system is in an Active state of a device group.
System is running in an impaired mode. The condition is not considered to be significant enough to be considered an alarm condition. Also indicates that the system is the Standby member of a device group.
The system is not under host computer control. This might be due to the host being halted or in EUD mode, or due to a software or hardware problem that interferes with the host's control of the LED.
14
Platform Guide: 7000 Series
Alarm LED
The alarm LED indicate system alarm conditions and the severity of the alarm condition.
There are five levels of messages.
Note: The alarm LED might continue to display until alerts are cleared using the LCD panel.
State
off/none yellow solid yellow blinking red solid red blinking
Description
Informational or no alarm conditions present. System is operating properly.
Warning (0). System may not be operating properly, but the condition is not severe or potentially damaging.
Error (1). System is not operating properly, but the condition is not severe or potentially damaging.
Alert (2) or Critical (3). System is not operating properly, and the condition is potentially damaging.
Emergency (4). System is not operating, and the condition is potentially damaging.
Power supply LEDs
The power supply LEDs indicate the operating state of the power supplies.
Power 1 state Power 2 state Description
green solid yellow solid off/none green solid yellow solid off/none
Power supply is present and operating properly. Also indicates when the system in is power standby mode.
Power supply is present, but not operating properly.
No power supply present.
Indicator LED behavior
The indicator LEDs behave in a specific manner to indicate system or component status.
Behavior
off (none) solid blinking intermittent
Description
LED is not lit and does not display any color.
LED is lit and does not blink.
LED turns on and off at a regular frequency.
LED turns on and off with an irregular frequency and might sometimes appear solid.
Defining custom alerts
The
/etc/alertd/alert.conf
and the
/config/user_alert.conf
files on the BIG-IP
® system define alerts that cause the indicators to change. The
/etc/alertd/alert.conf
file defines standard system alerts, and the
/config/user_alert.conf
file defines custom settings. You should edit only the
/config/user_alert.conf
file.
15
The 7000 Series Platform
1.
Open a command prompt on the system.
2.
Change to the
/config directory.
cd /config
3.
Using a text editor, such as vi or Pico, open the
/config/user_alert.conf
file.
4.
Edit the file, as needed.
For example, add these lines to the end of the file to create a custom alert in which the front panel LEDs indicate when a node is down: alert BIGIP_MCPD_MCPDERR_POOL_MEMBER_MON_DOWN "Pool member (.*?):(.*?) monitor status down."
{ snmptrap OID=".1.3.6.1.4.1.3375.2.4.0.10"; lcdwarn description="Node down" priority="1"
} alert BIGIP_MCPD_MCPDERR_NODE_ADDRESS_MON_DOWN "Node (.*?) monitor status down." { snmptrap OID=".1.3.6.1.4.1.3375.2.4.0.12"; lcdwarn description="Node address down" priority="1"
} alert BIGIP_MCPD_MCPDERR_POOL_MEMBER_MON_UP "Pool member (.*?):(.*?) monitor
{ status up." snmptrap OID=".1.3.6.1.4.1.3375.2.4.0.11"
} alert BIGIP_MCPD_MCPDERR_NODE_ADDRESS_MON_UP "Node (.*?) monitor status up."
{
} snmptrap OID=".1.3.6.1.4.1.3375.2.4.0.13"
5.
Save the file and exit the text editor.
Platform interfaces
Every platform includes multiple interfaces. The exact number of interfaces that are on the system depends on the platform type.
Each interface on the platform has a set of properties that you can configure, such as enabling or disabling the interface, setting the requested media type and duplex mode, and configuring flow control.
About managing interfaces
You can use the Traffic Management Shell ( tmsh
) or the BIG-IP
® interfaces.
Configuration utility to manage platform
Viewing the status of a specific interface using tmsh
You can use tmsh to view the status of a specific interface on a platform.
1.
Open the Traffic Management Shell ( tmsh
).
tmsh
16
Platform Guide: 7000 Series
2.
Change to the network module.
net
The system prompt updates with the module name: user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#
3.
Display the current status of a specific interface.
show interface <interface_key>
This is an example of the output that you might see when you run this command on interface 1.1:
-------------------------------------------------------------
Net::Interface
Name Status Bits Bits Pkts Pkts Drops Errs
In Out In Out
Media
-------------------------------------------------------------
1.1
up 5.9T
0 7.3G
0 7.3G
0 10000SR-FD
Viewing the status of all interfaces using tmsh
You can use tmsh to view the status of all interfaces on the platform.
1.
Open the Traffic Management Shell ( tmsh
).
tmsh
2.
Change to the network module.
net
The system prompt updates with the module name: user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#
3.
Display the current status of all interfaces.
show interface
This is an example of the output that you might see when you run this command:
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
----------------------------------------------------------------
Net::Interface
Name Status Bits Bits
In Out
Pkts Pkts Drops Errs
In Out
Media
----------------------------------------------------------------
1.1
up 5.9T
0 7.3G
0 7.3G
0 10000SR-FD miss miss miss miss miss miss
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 none none none none none none
1.8
1.9
1.10
1.11
1.12
1.13
1.14
miss miss miss miss miss miss miss
1.15
1.16
miss miss
1.17
uninit
1.18
uninit
1.19
uninit
1.20
uninit
1.21
uninit
1.22
uninit
1.23
uninit
1.24
uninit
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 none none none none none none none none none none none none none none none none none
17
The 7000 Series Platform
2.1
uninit
2.2
uninit
2.3
uninit
2.4
uninit
2.5
miss
2.6
miss mgmt
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 up 182.1G
6.8G
41.2M
6.0M
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 none none none none none none
1000T-FD
Viewing the status of all interfaces using the Configuration utility
You can use the BIG-IP
®
Configuration utility to view the status of all interfaces on the platform.
1.
On the Main tab, click Network > Interfaces > Interface List.
This displays the list of available interfaces.
2.
On the menu bar, click Statistics.
The Statistics screen for all interfaces opens.
About interface media type and duplex mode
All interfaces on the system default to auto-negotiate speed and full duplex settings. We recommend that you also configure any network equipment that you plan to use with the system to auto-negotiate speed and duplex settings. If you connect the system to network devices with forced speed and duplex settings, you must force the speed and duplex settings of the system to match the settings of the other network device.
Important: If the system is attempting to auto-negotiate interface settings with an interface that has the speed and duplex settings forced (that is, auto-negotiation is disabled), you will experience severe performance degradation. This applies to 10GbE and 40GbE interfaces.
By default, the media type on interfaces is set to automatically detect speed and duplex settings, but you can specify a media type as well. Use the following syntax to set the media type: tmsh modify net interface <interface_key> media <media_type> | auto
If the media type does not accept the duplex mode setting, a message appears. If media type is set to auto
, or if the interface does not accept the duplex mode setting, the duplex setting is not saved to the
/config/bigip_base.conf
file.
Important: Auto-MDI/MDIX functionality is retained when you manually configure an interface to use specific speed and duplex settings. You can use either a straight-through cable or a crossover cable when media settings are forced, and you will be able to successfully link to either DTE or DCE devices.
Valid media types
This table lists the valid media types for the tmsh interface command.
Note: This platform might not support all of the media type options that are available in the Traffic
Management Shell ( tmsh
).
10BaseT half
10BaseT full
10GBaseER full
100BaseTX full
1000BaseLX full
1000BaseCX full
18
Platform Guide: 7000 Series
10GBaseLR full
10GBaseSR full
10GBaseT full
10SFP+Cu full
40GBaseSR4 full
40GBaseLR4 full
100BaseTX half
1000BaseT half
1000BaseT full
1000BaseSX full auto none no-phy
Viewing valid media types for an interface
You can use tmsh to view the valid media types for an interface.
Note: This platform might not support all of the media type options that are available in tmsh
.
1.
Open the Traffic Management Shell ( tmsh
).
tmsh
2.
Change to the network module.
net
The system prompt updates with the module name: user@bigip01(Active)(/Common)(tmos.net)#
3.
Display the valid media types for a specific interface.
list interface <interface_key> media-capabilities
Important: In all Gigabit Ethernet modes, the only valid duplex mode is full duplex.
This is an example of the output that you might see when you run this command on interface 1.3: net interface 1.3 { media-capabilities { none auto
10T-FD
10T-HD
100TX-FD
100TX-HD
1000T-FD
1000T-HD
}
}
Network interface LED behavior
The appearance and behavior of the network interface LEDs on the platform indicate network traffic activity, interface speed, and interface duplexity.
RJ45 Copper interface LED behavior
The appearance and behavior of the RJ45 network interface LEDs indicate network traffic activity, interface speed, and interface duplexity.
19
The 7000 Series Platform
Link
No Link/Idle
10Mbit/s, half duplex
10Mbit/s, full duplex
100Mbit/s, half duplex
100Mbit/s, full duplex
1Gbit/s, half duplex
1Gbit/s, full duplex
Speed LED
Not lit
Yellow blinking (with traffic)
Yellow blinking (with traffic)
Yellow solid
Yellow solid
Green solid
Green solid
Activity LED
Not lit
Yellow blinking (with traffic)
Green blinking (with traffic)
Yellow blinking (with traffic)
Green blinking (with traffic)
Yellow blinking (with traffic)
Green blinking (with traffic)
SFP+ port LED behavior
The appearance and behavior of the SFP+ optical interface LEDs indicate network traffic activity, interface speed, and interface duplexity.
Link
No link/Idle
1 Gbit/s, full duplex
10 Gbit/s, full duplex
40 Gbit/s, full duplex
Speed LED
Not lit
Yellow solid
Green solid
Green solid
Activity LED
Not lit
Green blinking (with traffic)
Green blinking (with traffic)
Green blinking (with traffic)
Note: Applies only to bundled
10GbE interfaces.
Transceiver module specifications
For current specification information for optical transceivers that are supported by this platform, see F5
®
Platforms: Accessories.
Cable pinout specifications
For current pinout information for this platform, see F5
®
Platforms: Accessories.
Always-On Management
The Always-On Management (AOM) subsystem enables you to manage the system remotely using serial console or SSH, even if the host is powered down. The AOM Command Menu operates independently of the Traffic Management Operating System
®
(TMOS
®
).
You can use the command menu to reset the unit if TMOS has locked up, or get access to TMOS directly, so that you can configure it from the command-line interface.
Note: The available functionality and options in AOM vary depending on the platform type.
20
Platform Guide: 7000 Series
AOM Command Menu options
The AOM Command Menu provides the AOM options for the platform. You can access the AOM Command
Menu using either a serial console or SSH.
Note: The availability of menu options varies depending on the platform type.
I
Letter
B
P
R
N
Option
Set console baud rate
Display platform information
Description
Configures the baud speed for connecting to AOM using the serial console. Select from these options:
• 9600
• 19200 (default)
• 38400
• 57600
• 115200
Displays information about the AOM firmware and bootloader, chassis serial and part numbers, blade serial number, MAC address, and power status for the active console.
Powers the host subsystem on or off.
Power on/off host subsystem
Reset host subsystem Resets the host subsystem with a hardware reset.
Important: F5 Networks does not recommend using this option under typical circumstances. It does not allow for graceful shutdown of the system.
Configure AOM network Runs the AOM network configuration utility. This utility enables you to reconfigure the IP address, netmask, and default gateway used by
AOM. If you use this option while connected using SSH, your session will be disconnected as a part of the network configuration operation.
Note: This option is not available when you are connected using SSH.
S Configure SSH Server
A
H
E
Reset AOM
Host Console Capture
Buffer
Display error report
Sets a session idle timeout (in seconds) for the AOM SSH server.
Available values are 0 (no timeout; default value), or between 30 and
86400 (one day).
Resets the AOM subsystem. In this case, the system is reset with a hardware reset.
Important: We do not recommend using this option under normal circumstances. It does not allow for graceful shutdown of the system.
Buffers the last 4K bytes of console output from the host and saves it to a non-volatile storage location.
Important: This option is hidden and disabled by default. It is intended to be used as a diagnostic tool by F5 technical support. When this option is enabled, then disabled, the buffer is cleared.
Displays a list of latched events/errors or out-of-range sensors.
21
The 7000 Series Platform
Letter Option
Q Quit menu and return to console
Description
Exits the AOM Command Menu and returns to terminal emulation mode.
Accessing the AOM Command Menu from the serial console
You can access the AOM Command Menu using the front panel serial console.
1.
Connect to the system using the serial console.
2.
Open the AOM Command Menu.
Esc (
Configuring the management network
You can assign a management IP address, netmask, and gateway to access AOM either manually or with
DHCP.
1.
Connect to the system using the serial console.
2.
Open the AOM Command Menu.
Esc (
3.
Type n to open the AOM management network configurator.
4.
Assign a management IP address, netmask, and gateway:
• To use DHCP to assign the addresses, type y when prompted about using DHCP.
• To manually assign the addresses, type n when prompted about using DHCP. At the prompts, type values for IP address (required), netmask (required), and gateway (optional).
A confirmation message displays the configured management IP address, netmask, and gateway.
5.
(Optional) Type i to verify the assigned addresses.
Accessing the AOM Command Menu using SSH
Before you access the AOM Command Menu using SSH, you must assign a management IP address, netmask, and gateway for AOM. You can assign the addresses manually or with DHCP.
You can access the AOM Command Menu remotely using SSH from a management workstation that is connected to the same subnet as the platform's management (MGMT) interface.
Note: On this platform, AOM allows only one SSH connection at a time.
1.
Open an SSH session, where
<ip addr>
is the IP address that you configured for AOM.
ssh root@<ip addr>
2.
Type the root password.
3.
Open the AOM Command Menu.
Esc (
22
Platform Guide: 7000 Series
Setting an SSH idle session timeout
You can specify a timeout value (in seconds) for idle AOM SSH sessions. You can access the AOM
Command Menu using either a serial console or SSH.
1.
Connect to the system using the serial console.
2.
Open the AOM Command Menu.
Esc (
3.
Type s to configure a timeout value for idle SSH sessions.
4.
Type a timeout value.
The default value is 0 (no timeout). Available values are 0, or between 30 and 86400 (one day).
Disabling network configuration
You can connect to the system's serial console to disable SSH access to AOM over the network. This does not affect console access to AOM.
1.
Connect to the system using the serial console.
2.
Open the AOM Command Menu.
Esc (
3.
Type n to open the AOM management network configurator.
4.
Type n when prompted about using DHCP.
5.
Type
0.0.0.0
at the IP address prompt.
A confirmation message displays the configured management IP address, netmask, and gateway.
6.
(Optional) Type i to verify that network configuration is disabled.
About the host console capture buffer
When enabled, the host console capture buffer (H) option in the AOM Command Menu buffers the last 4K bytes of console output from the host and saves it to a non-volatile storage location.
Important: This option is intended to be used as a diagnostic tool by F5
®
Technical Support.
Enabling the host console capture buffer
1.
Connect to the system using the serial console or by opening an SSH session to the AOM management
IP address.
2.
Open the AOM Command Menu.
Esc (
3.
Enable the host console capture buffer (H) option.
Esc h
4.
When prompted to confirm, type y
.
This message displays:
Host console capture buffer enabled.
The host console capture buffer (H) option now displays in the AOM Command Menu.
23
The 7000 Series Platform
Showing the host console capture buffer
1.
Connect to the system using the serial console or by opening an SSH session to the AOM management
IP address.
2.
Open the AOM Command Menu.
Esc (
3.
Type h to select the host console capture buffer option.
This message displays:
The host console capture buffer is actively capturing.
4.
Type s to show the contents of the buffer.
Disabling the host console capture buffer
When you no longer require use of the host console capture buffer, you can disable it.
1.
Connect to the system using the serial console or by opening an SSH session to the AOM management
IP address.
2.
Open the AOM Command Menu.
Esc (
3.
Type h to select the host console capture buffer option.
This message displays:
The host console capture buffer is actively capturing.
4.
Type d to disable the host console capture buffer.
5.
When prompted to confirm, type y
.
This message displays:
Host console capture buffer disabled.
The buffer is cleared, and the host console capture buffer (H) option no longer displays in the AOM
Command Menu.
24
