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Sokol_69126's avatar
Sokol_69126
Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
Jun 23, 2018

Copy Virtuals, pools, nodes, into new environment. Update Ip's

We have been purchased by a new company who wants to migrate all our virtuals into their environment. We have hundreds of these and little time. Is there a good way to export all our virtuals, pools,...
BIG-IP
devops
Jer_O__175899's avatar
Jer_O__175899
Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
Jun 23, 2018

Run tmsh sys config file /var/tmp/backup.scf, which generates a single file with all configurations.

 

Set up your new F5 with appropriate routes, VLANS, SNAT pools etc.

 

Install all new SSL certs on the new F5 for every VIP. Don't try to import old ones.

 

Copy any objects you need from backup.scf to a new file, then edit file with needed changes.

 

To test if it will merge correctly with the new F5, run "tmsh load /sys config merge verify /var/tmp/bigip.conf.new". Using verify is crucial, because it doesn't commit the merge. It only tests it.

 

Once merge verify passes, you can run "tmsh load /sys config merge /var/tmp/bigip.conf.new" to commit.

 

Do the same thing for config/partitions/name/bigip.conf if you use them.

 

  • Sokol_69126's avatar
    Sokol_69126
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Jun 23, 2018

    This is great info! I have a follow up question: The new F5 places everything in a separate partition while the old one has everything in common. Is that just another edit? Can it be imported into the new partition?

     

  • Jer-O's avatar
    Jer-O
    Icon for Cirrus rankCirrus
    Jun 23, 2018

    Please up-vote my answer if you find it helpful. :)

     

    I can't understand why anything would get loaded into a new partition unless you are logged into that partition instead of common. I'm currently using 12.1.3 and am never forced to use a partition. You could try exiting that level of TMSH or in GUI change to Common (upper right). You definitely don't want to be loading these configs into a partition. It makes things much more hairy.

     

  • Jer-O's avatar
    Jer-O
    Icon for Cirrus rankCirrus
    Jun 25, 2018

    The other answer recommending the use of the complete config file is a good one if you don't mind configuring your F5 from scratch by editing the system, network and other settings in the config that is generated. If your F5 is already built (sounds like it is), I'd take the more cautious approach I suggested. That said, there's no better method than save /sys config for backing up and restoring to the same F5. I agree with the comment about migrations requiring a lot of knowledge. Your statement about being stuck in a partition gave me some feelings of concern.

     

  • Jer-O's avatar
    Jer-O
    Icon for Cirrus rankCirrus
    Jun 27, 2018

    Sokal, updated my main comment. Saving an SCF file is easier than what I mentioned previously and is inline with F5's comments.