Updated Date: 04/03/2009
Summary:
This technical note documents the process of upgrading to BIG-IP software version 9.3.1 from BIG-IP software versions 9.0.5 through 9.2.5, using the local installation procedure. For information about installing the software, please refer to the instructions below.
Contents:
The minimum system requirements for this release are:
Note: The 520/540 platform must meet certain requirements in order to support this version of the BIG-IP software. For more information, including memory requirements, see 520/540 Platform: Installing BIG-IP version 9.3.
The supported browsers for the browser-based Configuration utility are:
Note that we recommend that you leave the browser cache options at the default settings.
Important: Popup blockers and other browser add-ons or plug-ins may affect the usability of the browser-based Configuration utility. If you experience issues with navigation, we recommend that you disable these types of browser plug-ins and add-ons.
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This installation method is supported only on the following platforms that contain hard drives:
If you are unsure which platform you have, look at the sticker on the back of the chassis to find the platform number.
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This technical note describes how to copy an installation manager (IM) file of the BIG-IP software to the hard drive of the unit you want to upgrade to version 9.3.1. You can perform a local upgrade if you have direct access to the system. We recommend using the local upgrade if you have a direct connection to the unit you want to upgrade.
Important: You can only apply this upgrade to BIG-IP version 9.x systems.
Important: A valid service contract is required to complete this upgrade.
Warning: You must reactivate the license on the BIG-IP system you intend to upgrade before you begin the upgrade.
Important: You cannot upgrade to version 9.3.1 from versions 9.0 through 9.0.4. You must first upgrade to 9.0.5, or a later 9.x release.
Important: You should perform the installation on the standby unit in a redundant system. If you are satisfied with the results, initiate failover and apply the upgrade to the other unit in the redundant system.
Warning: You must turn off mirroring before you attempt to upgrade to version 9.3.1. We do not support mirroring between units that are not running the same version of the software.
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If the BIG-IP system is currently running version 9.x, you can upgrade directly to version 9.3.1, using the following procedure.
The process of upgrading to BIG-IP version 9.3.1 requires completing the following steps:
The following sections describe how to perform these tasks.
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Before you upgrade to this version of the software, you need to save your current BIG-IP system configuration data. Backing up your configuration prevents loss of data if, for any reason, the upgrade is not successful.
Collect and archive the existing configuration files, by typing the following command. Note that to have the installer automatically load the configuration file during startup, you must name the file config.ucs and store it in the / partition.
bigpipe config save /config.ucs
Important: If you are upgrading a system that is using zone files with named, you must manually back up all necessary zone files and save them to a remote location. After the upgrade is complete, you can place them on the upgraded system. There is a new location on the version 9.x system for these files: /var/named/config/namedb.
Important: It is critical that you back up the archived configuration files to a secure remote location. In the event installation fails, you might need to use the remotely stored file in order to restore your previous configuration data. For more information about UCS archive files, see SOL4423: Overview of UCS archives.
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After you save the existing configuration, download the installation local-install-9.3.1.<build_number>.im file from http://tech.f5.com. For details about downloading the IM package, see SOL167: Downloading software from F5 Networks.
Note: Before you continue, we recommend downloading the associated MD5 checksum file and performing the MD5 checksum operation to ensure that the file downloaded correctly. For more information about running the MD5 checksum, see Verifying the MD5 checksum of the installation file.
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After you save the existing configuration and download the local installation package, you need to copy the local-install-9.3.1.<build_number>.im file to the /var/tmp directory on the BIG-IP system that you want to upgrade. The following example shows how to use the scp command to copy the file to the BIG-IP system, where <local-install>.im is the name of the local installation IM, and the <bigipsystem> is the BIG-IP system to which you want to copy the IM file.
scp <local-install>.im root@<bigipsystem>:/var/tmp
After you copy the local installation IM file to the BIG-IP system you want to upgrade, you can run the im command to extract the installation files from the local installation IM file.
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Now that you have copied the local installation package to the target system, you are ready to install the 9.3.1 software. On the BIG-IP system, use the im command to extract the installation files from the IM package and run the installation script.
im local-install-9.3.1.<build_number>.imThe installation script prompts you for the following information:
Terminal type? [vt100]Press the Enter key to continue, or specify the terminal type you are using. We recommend that you use vt100.
After the installation is complete, the BIG-IP system reboots and you lose connectivity to the BIG-IP system.
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This product protected by U.S. Patents 6,311,278, 6,374,300; 6,473,802; 6,505,230; 6,640,240; 6,772,203; 6,970,933; 7,113,962; and 7,114,180. Other patents pending.