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semperfiguy_759's avatar
semperfiguy_759
Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
Feb 24, 2009

9.2 to 9.4 on new hardware

What is the best procedure to migrate a config to new hardware and new code version?

 

 

I am going to replace 2 3400's running 9.2.3 with 2 3600's running 9.46.

 

Here is my plan:

 

 

1. Build 3600's with 9.46

 

2. Copy crts, keys, selfips etc

 

3. Copy config from 3400 and B load on 3600

 

4. Address any syntax changes etc

 

5. Verify config in the lab

 

6. Cut over

 

 

Any recommendations or advice? Anything I am missing?

 

 

Thanks
config
design

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  • dennypayne's avatar
    dennypayne
    Icon for Employee rankEmployee
    Feb 24, 2009
    The biggest issue I think you'll run into with that is the partitioning that is available in 9.4.x changes the layout of the bigip.conf a bit. You may have to copy and paste the monitor, profile, pool, virtual, etc. components of the 9.2 config into the 9.4.6 bigip.conf that is built by default, rather than just trying to run b load on the 9.2 config.

     

     

    Denny
  • JRahm's avatar
    JRahm
    Icon for Admin rankAdmin
    Feb 24, 2009
    If you have any downtime available, I'd suggest upgrading an available bootslot in the current 3400 standby unit (assuming they are a pair) to 9.4.6, then you can export a single configuration file that you can then import on your new 3600's.
  • Mike_Sullivan_2's avatar
    Mike_Sullivan_2
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Mar 05, 2009
    I just asked support this same question. They recommended this procedure (which I have not tried yet):

     

     

    1. Save the running configs from current pair as UCS archives.

     

     

    ( https://support.f5.com/kb/en-us/solutions/public/2000/200/sol2250.html )

     

     

    2. Set up the new units running 9.x (the currnt old version) on one partition, and load the UCS archives onto this pair.

     

     

    Basically you're replicating the HA pair on the new hardware at this point.

     

     

    3. Install a current version of the BigIP software on the other partition of the new units (9.3.1 or 9.4.6). When asked by the installer if you want to set them up with an existing config (the old config on the other partition) or clean (no config) choose the option to roll forward the old config.

     

     

    At this point you have an HA pair with exact same config, only on new hardware, and on its other partition, the rolled forward version of that config. This way if there is a problem with something on the new version in your environment, you can just reboot into the old partition which you already know works.

     

     

    4. Swap the hardware. I would reccomend taking the standby unit of the old pair off line, and plug the standby unit of the new pair in its place. Verify that they see each other and that they both know they are a part of an HA pair. Then fail over to the secondary unit and let it take the active roll. While it is handling the traffic, pull the remaining old unit (primary) off line, and plug the new primary into its place. Verify that the HA pair (now made of the two new units) can see one another etc, then you can fail back to make the new primary unit active.

     

     

    Cheers,

     

    Mike