How to: Create a BIG-IP Next Central Manager on VMware¶

This document describes how to install the BIG-IP Next Central Manager on VMware.

Task Overview¶

Click below to jump to the appropriate section for detailed instructions.

Download OVA
Deploy OVA
Launch console and change password
Run the setup script
Configure the BIG-IP Next Central Manager

Prerequisites¶

MyF5 login and Central Manager OVA image
VMware vSphere hypervisor version 7.x and credentials
Hypervisor Resources:
- BIG-IP Next Central Manager is available in two image options: Standard and Large.

Image	vCPUs	RAM	Disk space
Standard	8	16 GB	350 GB
Large	16	64 GB	1 TB

Standard Image: Recommended for environments with fewer applications and lower throughput requirements. See Scale guidance configuration for Standard image BIG-IP Next Central Manager specific objects.
Large Image: Recommended for environments with a higher number of applications and greater throughput requirements. See Scale guidance configuration for Large image BIG-IP Next Central Manager specific objects.
One network interface
Network Resources:
- IP Address, subnet, and hostname
- SMB or NFS network attached storage (NAS) and credentials
- NTP Server
- DNS Server
- Gateway Router
Review the appropriate Release Notes

Procedures¶

Complete the steps below to install BIG-IP Central Manager.

Download OVA¶

Use your credentials to sign in to my.f5.com
Click the Downloads tile.
Review the End User License Agreement and Program Terms.
Select the I have read and agreed to the terms of the End User License Agreement and Program Terms. checkbox and click Next.
Select BIG-IP_Next in the Group field. The Tell us more about the product you want section is displayed.
Select Central Manager in the Product Line field.
Select the latest version in the Product Version field.
Select the latest version name in the Select a product container section.
Select the OVA file in the Select a download file section.
Select the appropriate region in the Download locations field.
Click Download.
Repeat the above steps to download the sha256 or md5 checksum files.
Verify the downloaded OVA file using the checksum: Verifying the MD5 checksum for the downloaded F5 software file.
Move the verified OVA file to a desired location.

You are now ready to deploy the OVA to create the CM virtual machine.

Deploy OVA¶

Log in to the VMware vSphere Client.
In the left navigation pane, select an appropriate host or cluster for BIG-IP Next Central Manager.
Click ACTIONS > Deploy OVF Template.
Select the previously downloaded the OVA file to install a VM:
a. Select Local file and click UPLOAD FILES.
b. Select the OVA file, and click Open.
Click NEXT.
Type a VM name and select a location. Click NEXT.
Important: Do not use the plus ( + ) symbol in the VM name.
Select a location for the compute resource and click NEXT.
Verify the temmplate details and click NEXT.
Select the storage for the configuration and disk files, and click NEXT.
Select a Destination Network and click NEXT.
Review the settings and click FINISH.

Launch console and change password¶

In the left pane, click the icon to view the Hosts and Cluster menu.
Navigate to the BIG-IP Next Central Manager virtual machine location.
Open the VM console using the Launch Web Console or Launch Remote Console.
The console opens.
Specify admin in the central-manager login and Password fields.
The You are required to change your password… message is displayed.
Change the password. Type:
- Current password
- New password
- Retype new password
  The Welcome message is displayed.

Run the setup script (Optional)¶

Note: This is required if the user wants to configure a static IP address for the VM instance or the DNS server configuration is available only during the initial setup. After the CM services are started, adding these conifiguration settings are not available. Follow the instructions below.

While still on the CM console, at the $ prompt, type setup
Welcome… and instructions display.

Note: Below message is displayed if BIG-IP Next Central Manager is already installed:

BIG-IP Next Central Manager has already been installed.
Running setup again will destroy all current configuration and data.
Please run ‘/opt/cm-bundle/cm uninstall -c’ prior to running ‘setup’ if you wish to continue.

Specify the required input,

Note: Example values are shown within parentheses. If there is a default value, it will be shown within square brackets and will automatically be used if no value is entered.

Network with DHCP
- Hostname (example.com):
  [‘10.145.77.192’] found on the management interface.
- Do you want to configure a static IP address (N/y) [N]:
- Primary NTP server address (0.pool.ntp.org) (optional):
- Alternate NTP server address (1.pool.ntp.org) (optional):
Network with a management IP address (No DHCP)
- Hostname (e.g. example.com): central-manager-server-1
- IP address(es) [‘10.192.10.136’] found on the management interface.
- Do you want to configure a static IP address (N/y) [N]: 10.192.10.139/24
- Management IP Address & Network Mask [192.168.1.245/24]: 10.192.10.139/24
- Management Network Default Gateway [192.168.1.1]: 10.192.10.1
- Primary DNS nameserver (e.g. 192.168.1.2): 10.196.1.1
- Alternate DNS nameserver (e.g. 192.168.1.3) (optional): 10.196.1.1
- Primary NTP server address (i.e 0.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org) (optional):
- Alternate NTP server address (e.g. 1.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org) (optional):
- IPv4 network CIDR to use for service IPs [100.75.0.0/16]:
- IPv4 network CIDR to use for pod IPs [100.76.0.0/14]:
  
  Note: About the two inputs for service and pod IPs, the system uses the two internal IP addresses for communication between invidual containers. Make sure the defaults listed do not conflict with the existing IP address space on your network. If they do, choose a different IP range for the service and pod IPs to resolve the conflict.
Summary and Installation
```
Summary
-------

Hostname: central-manager-server-1
Management Network Already Configured: False
Management IP Address: 10.192.10.139/24
Management Gateway: 10.192.10.1
DNS Servers: 10.196.1.1, 10.196.1.1
IPv4 network CIDR to use for service IPs: 100.75.0.0/16
IPv4 network CIDR to use for pod IPs: 100.76.0.0/14
```
- Would you like to complete configuration with these parameters (Y/n) [N]:
  
  Type Y to complete
Access the BIG-IP Next Central Manager GUI
1. From a web browser, navigate to the address you configured earlier: https://<cm-ip-address-or-hostname/>.
2. Verify that the CM GUI appears.
Note: The CLI password for admin and the GUI password are not the same. The default GUI password is admin/admin. If you set the CLI password for admin, it does not change the GUI password.

Configure the BIG-IP Next Central Manager¶

The BIG-IP Next Central Manager has been successfully created. You can configure it using BIG-IP Next Central Manager GUI or API. See Configure the Standalone or High Availability using BIG-IP Next Central Manager GUI.