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Manual Chapter : Integrating VMware

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BIG-IQ Cloud

  • 4.4.0
Manual Chapter
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Configuring VMware NSX 6.1 for BIG-IQ Cloud

You must have installed a BIG-IQ system with two control plane subnets: one to be used for provisioning BIG-IP devices, and the other for BIG-IP device discovery. These two subnets need to be interconnected.

Additionally, you must configure the following objects in VMware vSphere Web Client before you can perform this task.

  • A Datacenter.
  • A Datastore for your Datacenter.

Configuring the VMware objects described in this task makes it possible for a BIG-IQ system to configure and license a BIG-IP VE that you can manage with NSX as a load balancing service runtime. Your vCenter users can use this service runtime to deploy load-balanced virtual servers.

  1. On the command line for the BIG-IQ system, use the following tmsh command to configure the BIG-IQ system to have the default route on the second control plane network. tmsh create net route 0.0.0.0/0 gw 192.168.44.1
  2. In the VMware vSphere Web Client, create four networks. Two networks must be control plane networks; the BIG-IQ system uses one for provisioning BIG-IQ systems and the other to discover BIG-IP devices. The other two networks are data plane; the BIG-IP device uses one to pass external traffic and the other to pass internal traffic.
  3. In the VMware vSphere Web Client, create four IP Pools, one for each network. As you create each pool, you are prompted for a name. Make a note of the names you choose so that when you need to associate each pool to a network interface, you will know which is which.
    1. Define the provisioning network for the BIG-IP device. Use a typical IP address range to refer to the first management IP pool: 192.168.11.0/24.
    2. Define the external data network. Use a typical IP address range to refer to the first data IP pool: 10.22.0.0/16.
    3. Define the internal data network. Use a typical IP address range to refer to the second data IP pool: 10.33.0.0/16.
    4. Define the discovery network for the BIG-IP device. Use a typical IP address range to refer to the second management IP pool: 192.168.44.0/24.
  4. In the VMware vSphere Web Client, set up a web server on one of the just-created management networks. The NSX Manager uses the URL of this web server to access the installation file (OVF) for the BIG-IP VE you intend to provision.
  5. Copy the OVF file that the NSX Manager will use to create the BIG-IP VE to an accessible location on the just-created web server.

The next tasks to perform are:

  • Create a new user
  • Activate a pool license
  • Create a BIG-IQ software - VMware NSX connector
  • Create a BIG-IQ device image (also referred to as an NSX node template)
  • Configure your virtual application networks

Network requirements for communication with VMware cloud services

For proper communication, BIG-IQ Cloud must have network access to the resources on which VMware software is installed. Before you can manage cloud resources, you must define a network route between the BIG-IQ Cloud device’s internal VLAN and the management VLAN on the VMware.

Discovering devices located in the VMware cloud

After you license and perform the initial configuration for the BIG-IQ system, you can discover BIG-IP devices running version 11.3 or later. For proper communication, you must configure each F5 device you want to manage with a route to the BIG-IQ system. If you do not specify the required network communication route between the devices, then device discovery fails.

For devices located in a third-party cloud, you must know the internal self IP address (For OpenStack or VMware cloud) or the external self IP address for Amazon EC2. You also must configure BIG-IQ Cloud with DNS so it can resolve the endpoint by name. To access this setting, log in to BIG-IQ System, select the BIG-IQ system you want to modify, and click the gear icon.

  1. Hover over the Devices header, click the + icon when it appears, and then select Discover Device.
  2. In the IP Address field, type the device's external self IP address. You cannot discover a BIG-IP device using its management IP address.
  3. When the BIG-IQ system and the BIG-IP device are on different subnets, you must create a route:
    1. Use SSH to log in to the BIG-IQ system's management IP address as the root user.
    2. Type the following command: tmsh create net route <route name> {gw <x.x.x.x> network default}
    Where <route name> is a user-provided name to identify the new route, and <x.x.x.x> is the IP address of the default gateway for the internal network.
  4. In the Admin User Name and Admin Password fields, type the administrator user name and password for the managed device.
  5. Select the Auto Update Framework check box to direct the BIG-IQ system to perform any required REST framework updates on the BIG-IP device. For the BIG-IQ system to properly manage a BIG-IP device, the BIG-IP device must be running the most recent REST framework. If you do not select the Auto Update Framework check box before you click the Add button, a message displays prompting you do update the framework or cancel the task.
  6. Click the Add button.
BIG-IQ System populates the properties of the device that you added, and displays the device in the Devices panel.
You can now associate this device with an VMware cloud connector and allocate resources to tenants.

Create a connection between the BIG-IQ device and NSX

To enable integration between a third-party cloud provider and the BIG-IQ device, you must configure a cloud connector. A cloud connector is a resource that identifies the local or virtual environment in which a tenant deploys applications and, when necessary, adds parameters required by third-party cloud providers.
  1. Log in to BIG-IQ Cloud with your administrator user name and password.
  2. Hover over the Connectors header and click the + icon when it appears.
  3. In the Name and Description fields, type a name and description. You can use the name and description to help you organize network resources into logical groups based on certain criteria, such as the location or application.
  4. From the Cloud Provider list, select VMware NSX.
  5. In the VMware NSX Address field, type the IP address of the VMware system. The VMware IP address must be fully accessible from the BIG-IQ device's internal VLAN.
  6. In the VMware NSX User Name and VMware NSX Password fields, type the credentials that the BIG-IQ device will use to authenticate to the NSX Manager REST API.
  7. In the VMware vCenter Server Address field, type the IP address of the vCenter server.
  8. In the VMware vCenter Server User Name and VMware vCenter Server Password fields, type the credentials that the BIG-IQ device will use to authenticate to the vCenter SOAP API.
  9. In the BIG-IQ User Name and BIG-IQ Password fields, type the credentials that NSX Manager uses to authenticate to the BIG-IQ REST API.
  10. If you plan to use a pool of licenses, in the Device License field, specify the pool of licenses to use when the NSX and BIG-IQ integration provisions a BIG-IP VE. If you skip this step, you'll need to specify a license each time you add a new device.
  11. If you want to specify values for the remaining optional fields (Timezone, NTP Server(s), DNS Servers(s), and DNS Suffix(s)) so that the NSX and BIG-IQ system integration will use them when it provisions a BIG-IP VE, specify those values next.
  12. Click the Save button.

About VMware NSX version 6.0 integration

BIG-IQ Cloud provides you with the tools to provide tenants access to self-deployable iApps through VMware NSX 6.0 integration.

Network requirements for communication with VMware cloud services

For proper communication, BIG-IQ Cloud must have network access to the resources on which VMware software is installed. Before you can manage cloud resources, you must define a network route between the BIG-IQ Cloud device’s internal VLAN and the management VLAN on the VMware.

Discovering devices located in the VMware cloud

After you license and perform the initial configuration for the BIG-IQ system, you can discover BIG-IP devices running version 11.3 or later. For proper communication, you must configure each F5 device you want to manage with a route to the BIG-IQ system. If you do not specify the required network communication route between the devices, then device discovery fails.

For devices located in a third-party cloud, you must know the internal self IP address (For OpenStack or VMware cloud) or the external self IP address for Amazon EC2. You also must configure BIG-IQ Cloud with DNS so it can resolve the endpoint by name. To access this setting, log in to BIG-IQ System, select the BIG-IQ system you want to modify, and click the gear icon.

  1. Hover over the Devices header, click the + icon when it appears, and then select Discover Device.
  2. In the IP Address field, type the device's external self IP address. You cannot discover a BIG-IP device using its management IP address.
  3. When the BIG-IQ system and the BIG-IP device are on different subnets, you must create a route:
    1. Use SSH to log in to the BIG-IQ system's management IP address as the root user.
    2. Type the following command: tmsh create net route <route name> {gw <x.x.x.x> network default}
    Where <route name> is a user-provided name to identify the new route, and <x.x.x.x> is the IP address of the default gateway for the internal network.
  4. In the Admin User Name and Admin Password fields, type the administrator user name and password for the managed device.
  5. Select the Auto Update Framework check box to direct the BIG-IQ system to perform any required REST framework updates on the BIG-IP device. For the BIG-IQ system to properly manage a BIG-IP device, the BIG-IP device must be running the most recent REST framework. If you do not select the Auto Update Framework check box before you click the Add button, a message displays prompting you do update the framework or cancel the task.
  6. Click the Add button.
BIG-IQ System populates the properties of the device that you added, and displays the device in the Devices panel.
You can now associate this device with an VMware cloud connector and allocate resources to tenants.

Associating a VMware cloud connector with a device

To enable integration between a third-party cloud provider and the BIG-IQ device, you must configure a cloud connector. A cloud connector is a resource that identifies the local or virtual environment in which a tenant deploys applications and, when necessary, adds parameters required by third-party cloud providers.
  1. Hover over the Connectors header and click the + icon when it appears.
  2. In the Name and Description fields, type a name and description. You can use the name and description to help you organize network resources into logical groups based on certain criteria, such as the location or application.
  3. From the Cloud Provider list, select VMware Networking.
  4. From the Devices list, select the device you want to associate with this connector.
  5. To select additional devices to associate with this connector, click the + icon at the right of the list. BIG-IQ system discovers application servers associated with this connector, and populates them in the Server panel. If the system discovers F5 devices, it populates the Device panel with them.
  6. In the VMware Networking Address field, type the IP address of the VMware system. The VMware IP address must be fully accessible from the BIG-IQ device's internal VLAN.
  7. In the VMware Networking User Name and VMware Networking Password fields, type the credentials for the VMware administrator.
  8. From the BIG-IQ User Name list, select the BIG-IQ user the VMware administrator should contact and, in the BIG-IQ Password field, type the password for that user.
  9. Click the Save button.

About vCloud Director integration

Integrating vCloud Director (VCD) with your cloud applications makes it possible for you to use the VCD interface to manage the F5 cloud applications. The integration process involves tasks using the user interface in both the F5 BIG-IQ Cloud and the VMware VCD.

After you integrate vCloud Director (VCD) with BIG-IQ Cloud, you can use VCD to manage your cloud applications. After integration, a catalog of BIG-IP Cloud applications appears in the VCD user interface.

BIG-IQ Cloud refers to a service provider's customers as tenants. The VCD equivalent to a tenant is referred to as an organization. BIG-IQ Cloud identifies tenants using a tenant ID. One key to successfully integrating VCD with BIG-IQ Cloud is associating the tenant ID assigned to that catalog with a VCD organization.

To deploy an F5 application catalog in vShield Manager (VSM), you deploy a VSM service profile. While VSM service profiles do not currently recognize F5 tenants, they do recognize VCD organizations. So when your tenant’s ID is associated with a VCD organization, you can use VSM and VCD to administer and deploy the tenant’s application catalog.

When you create a tenant for VCD integration, make a note of the tenant ID so you can connect it to a VCD organization.

Task summary

When you are integrating vCloud Director (VCD) and BIG-IQ Cloud, you must configure VCD, then BIG-IQ, then VCD again.

Network requirements for communication with VMware cloud services

For proper communication, BIG-IQ Cloud must have network access to the resources on which VMware software is installed. Before you can manage cloud resources, you must define a network route between the BIG-IQ Cloud device’s internal VLAN and the management VLAN on the VMware.

Discovering devices located in the VMware cloud

After you license and perform the initial configuration for the BIG-IQ system, you can discover BIG-IP devices running version 11.3 or later. For proper communication, you must configure each F5 device you want to manage with a route to the BIG-IQ system. If you do not specify the required network communication route between the devices, then device discovery fails.

For devices located in a third-party cloud, you must know the internal self IP address (For OpenStack or VMware cloud) or the external self IP address for Amazon EC2. You also must configure BIG-IQ Cloud with DNS so it can resolve the endpoint by name. To access this setting, log in to BIG-IQ System, select the BIG-IQ system you want to modify, and click the gear icon.

  1. Hover over the Devices header, click the + icon when it appears, and then select Discover Device.
  2. In the IP Address field, type the device's external self IP address. You cannot discover a BIG-IP device using its management IP address.
  3. When the BIG-IQ system and the BIG-IP device are on different subnets, you must create a route:
    1. Use SSH to log in to the BIG-IQ system's management IP address as the root user.
    2. Type the following command: tmsh create net route <route name> {gw <x.x.x.x> network default}
    Where <route name> is a user-provided name to identify the new route, and <x.x.x.x> is the IP address of the default gateway for the internal network.
  4. In the Admin User Name and Admin Password fields, type the administrator user name and password for the managed device.
  5. Select the Auto Update Framework check box to direct the BIG-IQ system to perform any required REST framework updates on the BIG-IP device. For the BIG-IQ system to properly manage a BIG-IP device, the BIG-IP device must be running the most recent REST framework. If you do not select the Auto Update Framework check box before you click the Add button, a message displays prompting you do update the framework or cancel the task.
  6. Click the Add button.
BIG-IQ System populates the properties of the device that you added, and displays the device in the Devices panel.
You can now associate this device with an VMware cloud connector and allocate resources to tenants.

Associating a VMware cloud connector with a device

To enable integration between a third-party cloud provider and the BIG-IQ device, you must configure a cloud connector. A cloud connector is a resource that identifies the local or virtual environment in which a tenant deploys applications and, when necessary, adds parameters required by third-party cloud providers.
  1. Hover over the Connectors header and click the + icon when it appears.
  2. In the Name and Description fields, type a name and description. You can use the name and description to help you organize network resources into logical groups based on certain criteria, such as the location or application.
  3. From the Cloud Provider list, select VMware Networking.
  4. From the Devices list, select the device you want to associate with this connector.
  5. To select additional devices to associate with this connector, click the + icon at the right of the list. BIG-IQ system discovers application servers associated with this connector, and populates them in the Server panel. If the system discovers F5 devices, it populates the Device panel with them.
  6. In the VMware Networking Address field, type the IP address of the VMware system. The VMware IP address must be fully accessible from the BIG-IQ device's internal VLAN.
  7. In the VMware Networking User Name and VMware Networking Password fields, type the credentials for the VMware administrator.
  8. From the BIG-IQ User Name list, select the BIG-IQ user the VMware administrator should contact and, in the BIG-IQ Password field, type the password for that user.
  9. Click the Save button.
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