Code Upgrade Guide

Note: Upgrades will be performed on a standby unit first and after successful upgrade make it active device for traffic follow.

Assumptions & Pre-Implementation Tasks:

1. All devices running code v11.4.1 HF9

# tmsh show sys software

---------------------------------------------------
Sys::Software Status
Volume  Product  Version    Build  Active    Status
---------------------------------------------------
HD1.1    BIG-IP   11.4.1    685.0     yes  complete
HD1.2    BIG-IP   11.5.3  2.0.196     no  complete
HD1.3    BIG-IP   11.5.4  1.0.286     no  complete   

2. UCS Backup taken already

Give the file name as -.

tmsh save /sys ucs /var/tmp/$HOSTNAME"_"$(date +%Y%m%d).ucs

3. Get the number of virtuals, pools & nodes available/offline/unknown before the activity from the dashboard (Statistics - Dashboard then select Views - Standard - Local Traffic) Take a ScreenShot to compare to after the upgrade.

4. Take a screen shot of Existing License info. (We can compare the same after re-license)

System ›› License

tmsh show sys license

scp -p /shared/images/*BIGIP-11.5.4.* username@10.7.7.103:/shared/images/

System ›› Software Management: Image List

System ›› Software Management: Hotfix List

Verifying md5 via cli

cd /shared/images/
ls
md5sum --check BIGIP-11.5.4.0.0.163.iso.md5

tmsh grep "Service check date" /config/bigip.license

IMPLEMENTATION

1. Go to System  ›› Software Management: Image List -> check software image -> Click Install button ->Select partition which has very old image -> click Install

Basically this step will ensure that image is staged out to the partition. Similarly repeat same procedure to stage Hotfix as well.

Note: - You can’t update active partition with software image & hotfix and never try that option

2. Once software code & hotfix installed on the partition or volume, Please check in installed images make sure that it is reflected in there.

System  ›› Software Management: Image List

3. it’s time to make the partition or volume active in order to boot the system with new image.

Go to System  ›› Software Management: Boot Locations -> Click the partition where new image was staged.

4. System will be rebooted in order to take new code into effect and finally verify new image with “tmsh show sys software” command

BACKOUT

In case of any issues, revert to previous code.

Select old image partition or volume in order to boot the system with old image.

Go to System  ››  Software Management: Boot Locations -> Click the partition with old image.

OR complete backout by reloading ucs file:

tmsh load /sys ucs /var/tmp/$HOSTNAME"_"$(date +%Y%m%d).ucs

TESTING

1. Make sure the system comes up with new image

tmsh show sys software

3. Verify logs

Referral Links:

SOL7727: License activation may be required prior to a software upgrade for the BIG-IP or Enterprise Manager system

SOL7752: Licensing the BIG-IP system

SOL8337: Verifying the MD5 checksum for BIG-IP installation files