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Jason_46956's avatar
Jason_46956
Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
Apr 13, 2011

Maintaining config between different Boot Locations

Dear F5 Guru's,

 

 

Have run into a problem with trying to do testing with different versions of F5.

 

 

Currently running (in a test lab) 10.2.1 with HF1. Along comes HF2 so we install the Hotfix onto an alternate Boot Location.

 

 

We boot onto the new version and do some testing. In this particular case we ran into some problems with HF2 (support call is open and working in this).

 

 

Since the bug we found stops our testing we boot back to HF1 - great be able to have an alternate boot location.

 

 

Now, we have done this numerous times - booted back and forth between HF1 and HF2.

 

 

The problem is that the configurations between HF1 and HF2 have no diverged. Changes in one boot location are not reflected in the other. The most trivial has been iRule changes.

 

 

What is supposed to happen here? Talking with local F5 support people say the config is common across partitions and should not be affected. But looking at the partition tables when booted from different boot locations the /config volume is different.

 

 

My assumption is that when initially applied the hotfix it copies over the current config. Subsequent reboot's just uses the last good one for each partition.

 

 

How do we go about getting the config's updated? Not too worried about backporting changes in HF2 back to HF1. But HF2 and HF1 have now diverged so much that the HF2 is out of date.

 

 

What is best practise? Do we re-apply the hotfix? Can we re-apply it? Do we need to do a 'archive' (create a ucs) and 'recover' that (which has its own problems - different support case again) between boot locations? Can you do this?

 

 

Your guidance is appreciated.

 

 

Jason

 

config
design

8 Replies

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  • nitass's avatar
    nitass
    Icon for Employee rankEmployee
    Apr 13, 2011
    >Talking with local F5 support people say the config is common across partitions and should not be affected.

     

    >But looking at the partition tables when booted from different boot locations the /config volume is different.

     

     

    You are correct. Each partition/volume has its own configuration.

     

     

    >Do we re-apply the hotfix? Can we re-apply it? Do we need to do a 'archive' (create a ucs) and 'recover' that (which has its own problems - different support case again) between boot locations?

     

     

    There is cpcfg utility available in v10. Anyway, I never tested it.
  • Nathan_Houck_65's avatar
    Nathan_Houck_65
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Apr 13, 2011
    Are you using Volumes or Partitions?

     

     

    I have found that the configurations between partitions will be synced, if you install software via the Software Volume Management tool in the GUI. I had a box that had partitions instead of Volumes and I installed version 10.2 to the 2nd partition through SVM in the GUI. When I did, it brought over the configuration from the currently running active partition.

     

  • hooleylist's avatar
    hooleylist
    Icon for Cirrostratus rankCirrostratus
    Apr 13, 2011
    When you use the GUI to create a new slot, the current slot's config will be copied. No further copying of the config will be done between slots though. You can boot to one slot, create a UCS, boot to the other slot and load the UCS if you want to copy it. Or as Nitass said, you can try the cpcfg tool to do this for you:

     

     

     

    http://support.f5.com/kb/en-us/products/big-ip_ltm/manuals/product/bigip_getting_started_guide_10_1_0/bip_gs_pre_install.html

     

    Copying the configuration

     

     

    You can use the cpcfg utility to copy the running configuration from one installation location to another. This is a quick way to update an offline location to the latest configuration, and is useful when applying hotfixes, where the configuration and license are not applied to the target.

     

     

    The operation replaces the configuration on the target. The destination for the copy operation must represent an installation location that is not currently active, and that contains a configuration older than the source.

     

     

    To copy the running configuration

     

     

    1. On the source, log on to the command line using an account with administrative permissions.

     

    2. Type the following command:

     

    cpcfg source=

     

     

    If you do not specify a source, the operation uses the configuration from the active installation location. For example, to copy the active configuration from HD1.3 to HD1.1, if you are logged on to HD1.3, you run the following command:

     

    cpcfg HD1.1

     

     

     

    Aaron
  • Jason_46956's avatar
    Jason_46956
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Apr 19, 2011
    All,

     

     

    Thanks for the pointers to the 'cpcfg' utility.

     

     

    I have given this a try, but in our tests the iRules are not copied across. Next I will try the option of using a UCS file before and after.

     

     

    Previously could not do this due to another bug with UCS restores (was losing APM customisations) - but we have a work around for this now.

     

     

    With regard to iRule's not being copied I have opened a support case (C867774) to try and resolve this issue - or to get an explanation at least.

     

     

    Will advise how using the UCS files works (need to schedule some time with developers again before I can test).

     

     

    jason

     

  • Austin_Geraci's avatar
    Austin_Geraci
    Icon for MVP rankMVP
    May 21, 2011
    That's odd.. so the rest of the config copies over but not te irules?? Or are the irules the only difference? As the bulk of the config is in the bigip.conf which includes the irule info.. minus info in bigip_base.conf and certs...

     

     

    How did u make out?
  • hooleylist's avatar
    hooleylist
    Icon for Cirrostratus rankCirrostratus
    May 23, 2011
    It looks like there are one or more bugs with the cpcfg command. I'd just use a UCS backup to do the copying for now :)

     

     

    Aaron
  • lunitic_56137's avatar
    lunitic_56137
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Feb 11, 2016

    When using the cpcfg command you want to do a few things first. Make sure the destination partition is licensed and on the same version and hotfix level. Also try a load sys config to verify the config files are not corrupted.

     

    These may be remedial steps to most on here but running this process has helped me not have an issue with syncing configs.