How to: Generate a BIG-IP Next Instance QKView and upload to iHealth or Support¶
Overview¶
You can generate a QKView file for a BIG-IP Next instance (either standalone or HA configuration), upload the file to F5 iHealth or Support, and download the QKView file.
If you’re using Central Manager, the QKView file is automatically uploaded to iHealth. It will also be available to download from Central Manager for a limited time after generation.
Procedures¶
Generate and download a QKView file that is automatically uploaded to iHealth for a BIG-IP Next standalone or HA instance by using the BIG-IP Next Central Manager UI, the Central Manager API, or the Instance API.
When you generate a QKView file from BIG-IP Next Central Manager, it automatically uploads to your iHealth account. However, if you’re using the Instance API, you’ll need to manually upload the QKView file to iHealth or Support.
Generate a BIG-IP Next Instance QKView file¶
Prerequisites
BIG-IP Next instances are added to BIG-IP Next Central Manager.
If generating a QKView task for BIG-IP Next HA instances, identify whether you are generating a QKView file for the active or standby node, or both.
F5 iHealth Account. Visit F5 iHealth for account registration — this is a free service, but requires registration.
F5 iHealth account credentials including the Client ID and Secret. To generate credentials:
On the new iHealth site, login with your email and password.
In the API Token area, click Generate New Credentials.
(Optional) A F5 Support case number.
Once the QKView file generation process is complete, you will see either one of the following statuses:
Completed - The QKView file was generated and automatically sent to the iHealth account.
Failed - The QKView file either failed to generate, or was generated, but was not sent to the iHealth account. The error will be indicated in the status.
Use one of the following procedures based on your BIG-IP Next instance configuration:
Generate standalone BIG-IP Next Instance QKView File
Click the Workspace icon next to the F5 logo, and click Instances.
From the left menu click My Instances.
Select the row for a BIG-IP Next HA instance, click Actions… and then Create QKView. Alternatively, you can click the instance name, and then click QKView Files from the instance properties panel menu.
Click Create.
Enter the required iHealth credentials:
Enter the Client ID.
Enter the Secret.
(Optional) To overwrite previously saved credentials select an Expiry Date for BIG-IP Next Central Manager to store iHealth credentials (up to 6 months).
Click Submit and confirm the action.
Click Generate.
Enter a QKView File Name.
(Optional) Enter your F5 Support Case Number.
Click Generate.
Generating a QKView file can take a few minutes. Review the statuses to ensure the file was generated and uploaded to iHealth.
Generate HA BIG-IP Next instance QKView File(s)
Click the Workspace icon next to the F5 logo, and click Instances.
From the left menu click My Instances.
Select the row for a BIG-IP Next standalone instance, click Actions… and then Create QKView. Alternatively, you can click the instance name, and then click QKView Files from the instance properties panel menu.
Click Create.
Select the row for a BIG-IP Next HA instance, click Actions… and then Create QKView. Alternatively, you can click the instance name, and then click QKView Files from the instance properties panel menu.
Click Create.
Enter the required iHealth credentials:
Enter the Client ID.
Enter the Secret.
(Optional) To overwrite previously saved credentials select an Expiry Date for BIG-IP Next Central Manager to store iHealth credentials (up to 6 months).
Click Submit and confirm the action.
Click Generate.
Enter a QKView File Name.
(Optional) Enter your F5 Support Case Number.
At the bottom of the panel, select whether to generate a QKView for either the active, standby, or both nodes.
Click Generate.
The QKView file list displays the status of the node(s) selected.
Generating a QKView file can take a few minutes. Review the statuses to ensure the file was generated uploaded to iHealth.
Prerequisites
Authenticate with the BIG-IP Next Central Manager API. For details refer to How to: Authenticate with the BIG-IP Next Central Manager API.
instance_id
- To view a full list of managed instances, send the following get request:GET https://{{bigip_next_cm_mgmt_ip}}/api/v1/spaces/default/instances
filename
- Add a unique file name to identify the QKView file.ihealth_user
andihealth_password
- Have your iHealth account credentials ready. To check if your credentials are valid use the OpenAPI for QKView: F5 BIG-IP Next API Specification - QKView Feature.f5_support_case
- (Optional) you can add an F5 support case number to iHealth and share with the listed case owner.
Generate a BIG-IP Next Instance QKView File:
Generate a QKView file for a BIG-IP Next instance by sending the POST request to
/spaces/default/instances/{instance_id}/qkviews
endpoint.
The generated QKView file is automatically uploaded to the iHealth account listed in the request.Note: If you are generating QKView File for an HA Pair, when using the Active Instance’s ID, the QKView for both the Active and Standby will be generated.
POST https://{{bigip_next_cm_mgmt_ip}}/api/v1/spaces/default/instances/{instance_id}/qkviews
Request body example with iHealth credentials and F5 Support case number:
{ "instance_id": "f4a0bdb2-8b31-4a8e-aee9-7f2ac2b629d2", "filename": "qkview_file", "source": "INSTANCE", "storage": "EXTERNAL", "ihealth_user": "user_admin", "ihealth_password": "user_password", "save_credential": true, "user_agent": "CM", "f5_support_case": "C351101", "share_with_case_owner": false, "visible_in_gui": false }
Click for sample successful response ▶
{ "_links": { "self": { "href": "/v1/qkviews/43b7bd5b-5b61-4a64-8fe4-68ef8ed910f2" } }, "qkview_id": "43b7bd5b-5b61-4a64-8fe4-68ef8ed910f2", "task_id": "3325e40d-d9f2-4ab7-adb3-4ce1b6dbd48e" }
Note: If you want to upload the QKView File to iHealth or Support, you need to continue the procedure to download the QKView File in the next section and subsequently upload to iHealth or Support. This method requires manual download and upload to iHealth or Support.
Prerequisite
BIG-IP Next Instance on a VM.
Generate QKView file
Log in to the BIG-IP Next Instance by sending the GET request to
v1/login
endpoint.GET https://{{bigip_next_mgmt_floating_ip}}:5443/api/v1/login
Generate a QKView by sending the PUT request to the
qkview
endpoint.PUT https://{{bigip_next_mgmt_floating_ip}}:5443/api/v1/qkview
For the request payload, use the following example to provide a filename for the QKView.
{ "name": "qkview_se3prod" }
Click for sample successful response ▶
{ "id": "fbdac393-365c-4719-bdb1-a49f4a073291", "verb": "PUT", "uri": "/qkview", "request": "{\"name\":\"qkview_demo_1\"}", "role": "QKVIEW", "status": "PENDING", "message": { "code": "", "title": "", "detail": "", "links": null }, "creationTime": "2024-10-25T19:59:14.949641Z", "updateTime": "2024-10-25T19:59:14.949641Z", "owner": "adminCM", "authn": "local", "authz": "global", "generation": "", "sequence": "" }
Retrieve the status of the Instance QKView by sending the GET request to the
/v1/jobs
endpointGET https://{{bigip_next_mgmt_floating_ip}}:5443/api/v1/jobs/{{qkview_job}}
Click for sample successful response ▶
{ "authn": "local", "authz": "global", "creationTime": "2024-10-25T19:59:14.949641Z", "id": "fbdac393-365c-4719-bdb1-a49f4a073291", "message": { "code": "", "detail": "\"Qkview status on standalone node at 10.145.129.254\": {\"IP address\":\"10.145.129.254\",\"Qkview file name\":\"qkview_demo_1.tar.gz\",\"Qkview status\":\"Qkview created successfully.\",\"Resource Link\":\"/files/e51f0bcf-19ab-4a1c-863e-3085c16a4adb\"}", "links": [ { "resourceLink": "/files/e51f0bcf-19ab-4a1c-863e-3085c16a4adb" } ], "title": "" }, "messageHistory": [ { "code": "", "creationtime": "2024-10-25T20:01:08.770154Z", "detail": "\"Qkview status on standalone node at 10.145.129.254\": {\"IP address\":\"10.145.129.254\",\"Qkview file name\":\"qkview_demo_1.tar.gz\",\"Qkview status\":\"Qkview created successfully.\",\"Resource Link\":\"/files/e51f0bcf-19ab-4a1c-863e-3085c16a4adb\"}", "title": "" } ], "owner": "adminCM", "role": "QKVIEW", "status": "SUCCEEDED", "updateTime": "2024-10-25T20:01:08.775862Z", "uri": "/qkview", "validation": { "steps": [ { "agent": "f5-csm-icb", "role": "QKVIEW", "start_time": "2024-10-25T20:01:08.775862Z", "status": "SUCCEEDED" }, { "agent": "f5-csm-icb", "finish_time": "2024-10-25T20:01:08.775862Z", "role": "QKVIEW", "start_time": "2024-10-25T19:59:14.963908Z”, "status": "RUNNING" }, { "agent": "f5-csm-api-engine", "finish_time": "2024-10-25T19:59:14.963908Z", "role": "QKVIEW", "start_time": "2024-10-25T19:59:14.949641Z", "status": "PENDING" } ] }, "verb": "PUT" }
Download a QKView file¶
Once you generate a QKView file, you can download the QKView file to your local network. If the QKView file generation task fails, retry generating the QKView.
Note: QKView files are retained for a limited time on BIG-IP Next Central Manager. Depending on the outcome of the file generation, the following is the amount of time a QKView file is saved after it is generated:
The QKView task status is Completed - 1 day
The QKView task status is Failed- 7 days
The QKView will capture QKView Instance logs for the last 90 days.
Once a QKView file is uploaded to iHealth, you can download the file directly from your iHealth account.
Click the Workspace icon next to the F5 logo, and click Instances.
From the left menu click My Instances.
Select the name of the instance to open the instance properties panel.
From the panel menu, click QKView Files.
Select the check box for the QKView file row.
Click Download.
The QKView file is downloaded to your local system’s downloads. You can manually upload the file to iHealth or F5 support.
Note: Do not cancel the action during the download.
Prerequisite
Authenticate with the BIG-IP Next Central Manager API. For details refer to How to: Authenticate with the BIG-IP Next Central Manager API.
Once you have successfully generated a QKView file, you can download it to your local system. Ensure you have the following information:
qkview_id
- The ID number created when the file was generated.
Retrieve a list of all QKView file information by sending the GET request to
/spaces/default/instances/{instance_id}/qkviews
endpoint.GET https://{{bigip_next_cm_mgmt_ip}}/api/v1/spaces/default/instances/{instance_id}/qkviews
Download the QKView file by sending the GET request to
spaces/default/instances/{instance_id}/qkviews/files/{id}/download
endpoint.GET https://{{bigip_next_cm_mgmt_ip}}/api/v1/spaces/default/instances/{instance_id}/qkviews/files/{id}/download
Upload the downloaded QKView file to iHealth by sending the POST request to
/spaces/default/instances/{instance_id}/qkviews/{id}/upload
endpoint:POST https://{{bigip_next_cm_mgmt_ip}}/api/v1/spaces/default/instances/{instance_id}/qkviews/{id}/upload
Request body example:
{ "username": "user", "user_agent": "Chrome", "description": "Description about the request", "f5_support_case": "case", "share_with_case_owner": false, "visible_in_gui": true }
To upload to iHealth or F5 support, first download the QKView file.
Prerequisite
BIG-IP Health Account
Procedures
Download QKView file
Retrieve the QKView files by sending the GET request to
/files
endpoint.
Identify the ID of the respective QKView file.GET https://{{bigip_next_mgmt_floating_ip}}:5443/api/v1/files
Download the QKView file by sending the GET request to
/files/<qkview_file_id>/download
endpoint.Replace the
qkview_file_id
with the ID from the previous request’s response.GET https://{{bigip_next_mgmt_floating_ip}}:5443/api/v1/files/{{QKVIEW_FILE_ID}}/download
After the download is complete, save the response as a file on your local machine.
If needed, follow these steps to manually upload your QKView file to iHealth or F5 Support.
If you used Central Manager UI to generate your QKView, the upload to iHealth should automatically occur after generation. If the upload fails, follow these steps to upload the file manually.
If you used Central Manager API to generate and download your QKView, the procedure to upload to iHealth has been detailed in the API workflow. If needed, follow these steps to upload your QKView manually to iHealth.
If you are using the Instance API, you must follow these steps to provide your QKView file to iHealth or F5 Support.
Upload QKView file to iHealth¶
Click ihealth.f5.com.
Redirects to the F5 Login page.Type your Email and Password, and click Login.
F5 iHealth opens.Note: BIG-IP iHealth is free but requires registering for an account, if you do not already have one.
Click Upload.
Upload a QKView displays.Next to File(s), click Choose.
Go to the saved QKView file (previously generated/created in steps above), select it, and click Open.
Click Upload QKView(s).
Back on the main iHealth window, the Extraction process starts.
Upload QKView file to Support¶
Access Support Files
Permanent account holders
In the upper-right corner of the AskF5 home page, select My Support.
If you have not already logged in, you are prompted to do so.Under Service Requests, select the service request for which you want to upload or download files.
On the right side of the Service Request Details section, select Manage Attachments.
The F5 Support Files site opens in a new window.
Temporary users access
Go to the F5 Support Files site and login with the credentials provided by a permanent account holder.Upload a QKView file using a web browser
On the Home folder page, select the folder for the service request you want.
Select Incoming (upload to F5).
In the upper-right corner of the Upload to F5 page, select the Upload files icon.
In the Upload files dialog box, select Browse.
In the Open dialog box, go to the QKView file you want to upload, point at it with your cursor, select the check box that displays, and when you are finished selecting, select Open.
Either a success or failure notification displays. When an upload fails, close the notification and try again.In the Upload Files dialog box, select Done.
Note: You cannot see the files in the folder after uploading them.
Delete a QKView file log entry¶
You can delete a QKView file from your instance QKView file log and delete the QKView file from BIG-IP Next Central Manager, if applicable. When removing a QKView log entry for a BIG-IP Next HA instance, you must delete all log entries associated with the QKView generation task.
Deleting a log entry from BIG-IP Next Central Manager does not impact your upload to iHealth.
Note: QKView file log entries are automatically removed from BIG-IP Next Central Manager after 90 days. Depending on the status, QKView files can be downloaded from BIG-IP Next Central Manager within 1 or 7 days after it is generated.
Click the Workspace icon next to the F5 logo, and click Instances.
From the left menu click My Instances.
Select the name of the instance to open the instance properties panel.
From the panel menu, click QKView Files.
Select the check box for the QKView file row. If you have generated multiple files for an HA instance, select all rows associated with the HA instance.
Click Delete.
The QKView file log entry is removed from the list.
Retrieve the QKView file information by sending the GET request to
spaces/default/instances/{instance_id}/qkviews
endpoint.GET https://{{bigip_next_cm_mgmt_ip}}/api/v1/spaces/default/instances/{instance_id}/qkviews
Identify the ID of the QKView file from the response.
Delete the QKView file by sending the DELETE request to
spaces/default/instances/{instance_id}/qkviews/{id}
endpoint.DELETE https://{{bigip_next_cm_mgmt_ip}}/api/v1/spaces/default/instances/{instance_id}/qkviews/{id}