What is iApps LX?

iApps® LX is built on top of the iControl® LX framework and enables application management and deployment of functionality within a BIG-IP® system and with any external managed device that you can send an API request to. Examples of external API systems are a customer’s OpenStack interface, an LDAP active directory server or any cloud connector. iApps LX can also be used to create a wizard for different Big-IP configurations, such as a routing decision table to configure routing rules. With iApps LX, you can create a custom UI with strong authentication.

iApps LX is built on a REST API framework, allowing bi-directional communication and commands.

iApps LX uses JavaScript, making its creation and deployment of template configurations (within and beyond the BIG-IP) seamless. iApps LX is implemented by creating and deploying block instances, which can be done from REST API commands (see Creating an iApps LX block instance using REST APIs) or from the BIG-IP GUI (see Creating an iApps LX block instance from the BIG-IP GUI).

An iApps LX block instance is created from a JSON template, which can be created or imported as part of an iApps LX RPM package.

iApps LX Architecture Overview

The iApps LX framework consists of the following components:

  • iApps LX State Engine

The state engine is responsible for maintaining the collection of blocks (their states, attributes, and values), taking API calls from the users, and interfacing/orchestrating tasks with the proccessors.

Refer to the iApps LX State Engine section for more information.

  • iApps LX Blocks

An iApps LX block is a JSON data instance in a specific format. These data blocks are in the form of templates and instances.

Refer to the iApps LX Blocks section for more information.

  • GUI

The view component of iApps LX is the iApps LX GUI. iApps LX includes a default view, available in the BIG-IP® GUI that is populated from the JSON template. Alternately, you can create your own custom GUIs using HTML and JavaScript.

In addition, iApps LX can also be used via API REST requests, without using any GUI at all.

Refer to the iApps LX GUI section for more information.

  • Node.js Processors

The processors are iControl LX extensions that perform an action from the values of JSON block instance. The configuration processor is required and the stats and audit processors are optional.

Refer to the iApps LX Processors section for more information.

iApps LX Feature Terminology

In the iApps LX documentation, the terminology is based upon implementing the feature using REST APIs. For more information, refer to the iApps LX Glossary.