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npaulo_213434's avatar
npaulo_213434
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Aug 04, 2015

LTM to LB a proprietary queuing app on test environment

Hi all,

 

we have a client developing a proprietary queuing app. Most of their clients work with F5 LTM to manage this connections and now this partner wants to create a test environment to see how F5 manage this connections and what challenges this may pose to them.

 

They asked us to install this demo appliance for them but i`m new to F5 world and would really appreciate any help I can have.

 

What template should I use here since this is not a known app? what info should I gather? IP address, ports they use, number of servers, physical or virtual servers,...

 

Thank you!

 

application delivery
deployment
devops
iRules
LTM
performance

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  • VernonWells's avatar
    VernonWells
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    Aug 04, 2015

    I'll start by recommending that you reach out to your F5 Account team. The attached SE should be of great value here.

     

    Having said that, what data is required depends on the functions the BIG-IP is intended to provide. Assuming the primary interest is local load-balancing, if load-balancing is by-flow [1], then there isn't much that you need (but you'll want to figure out if some sort of persistence is needed). If the load-balancing is based on information above layer4 (that is, in the application data or protocol), then things get trickier. If the data need to be manipulated, things get even trickier.

     

    [1] For TCP, a flow is a connection (handshake through RST or FIN sequence); for UDP, a flow is all segments with a common 5-tuple until a timeout is reached without any further segments in the timeout period.

     

  • npaulo_213434's avatar
    npaulo_213434
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Aug 05, 2015

    Hi Vernon,

     

    thanks for your reply. I work on a F5 distributor and our partner asked us for help with this deployment.

     

    Since this is a recent technology for me and our partner I will be needing help to configure the appliance from scratch... I have reached to our SE but he should be traveling or on vacations.

     

    It would be great if you could help me with this. Local LB at layer 4 should be enough and no persistence is needed.

     

    should I use any template? I know F5 use this a lot.

     

    Thank you.

     

  • VernonWells's avatar
    VernonWells
    Icon for Employee rankEmployee
    Aug 05, 2015

    You might consider taking the free on-line training courses:

     

    For a task like this, you may also consider engaging F5 Professional Services:

     

    I say this because, although the steps are easy to enumerate, some basic knowledge about BIG-IP is needed in order to successfully complete each step:

     

    1. configure the BIG-IP management IP, license the system, provision LTM;
    2. add appropriate VLANs and Self-IPs;
    3. configure HA if that is being used;
    4. create a Pool that contains the server IP addresses and port(s);
    5. create a Virtual Server of type "Performance (L4)", providing it the appropriate Virtual IP and application port, as well as SNAT Pool or AutoMap SNAT if SNAT is required.

    These are the associated reference guides:

     

    The sensible software version is likely 11.5.3 with the latest Hotfix. The license must be arranged through your the partner from whom you purchase F5 gear and software.