Module 6: BIG-IQ Zone Management ================================ .. note:: Estimated time to complete: **10 minutes** Since BIG-IQ 6.1, you can have **zones** for the Data Collection Devices, DCDs. The zoning allows you to put BIG-IP devices and DCDs in close proximity to each other while the BIG-IQ management console is in another location. The biggest reason for doing this is to avoid any issues relating to latency between the BIG-IP and DCDs. All DCD’s CM’s form a single ES cluster, the Zone part is for BIG-IP’s to try to connect to a local DCD. Replication within the ES cluster does not follow Zones. .. note:: There can still be latency issues when using BIG-IQ management console to view statistical data as the queries for that data are done in real-time, which means they must traverse the network for both the query and the results. .. include:: /accesslab.rst Configure a new DCD and setup 2 different zones ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Using the lab environment, the goal is to configure the BIG-IQ management console and DCD1 in the ``default`` zone. The DCD2 at the other location will be in zone ``westcoast``. The BIG-IPs will be assign to the approriate zone depending on their location. .. image:: ../pictures/module6/img_module6_lab1_diagram.png :align: center :scale: 50% | 1. Let's first add a BIG-IQ DCD image in the blueprint. - in lab environment: In the ``F5 Products`` column, click on **ADD** .. image:: ../pictures/module6/img_module6_lab1_1a.png :align: center :scale: 60% | Select approriate release of BIG-IQ (same as the existing active BIG-IQ part of the blueprint) and set the following values for CPU/Memory/Disk: - vCPUs: 4 - Memory: 16 GiB - Disk Size: 500 GiB Click on **CREATE**. .. image:: ../pictures/module6/img_module6_lab1_1b.png :align: center :scale: 60% | After few minutes, the VM is created in the lab environment. Click on the new VM, go to the Subnets tab and bind additional interfaces (External and Internal). .. image:: ../pictures/module6/img_module6_lab1_1c.png :align: center :scale: 60% | Finally, start the new BIG-IQ. .. image:: ../pictures/module6/img_module6_lab1_1d.png :align: center :scale: 60% | Then, start the new BIG-IQ DCD VM. 2. Connect via ``SSH`` or ``Web Shell`` to the system *Ubuntu Lamp Server*. *(if you use the Web Shell, login as f5student first: su - f5student)*. 3. Edit the hosts file and make sure only the ``big-iq-dcd-2.example.com`` is not commented with a ``#``. .. warning:: Double check the IP address of the new secondary BIG-IQ and update it if necessary .. code:: # cd /home/f5/f5-ansible-bigiq-onboarding # vi hosts [f5_bigiq_cm] #big-iq-cm-1.example.com ansible_host=10.1.1.4 ... #big-iq-cm-2.example.com ansible_host=10.1.1.x ... [f5_bigiq_dcd] #big-iq-dcd-1.example.com ansible_host=10.1.1.6 ... big-iq-dcd-2.example.com ansible_host=10.1.1.9 ... .. note:: `How to Use the vi Editor`_ .. _How to Use the vi Editor: https://www.cs.colostate.edu/helpdocs/vi.html 4. Once the new VE is full up and running, execute the following script to onboard this new secondary BIG-IQ CM. :: cd /home/f5/f5-ansible-bigiq-onboarding sudo docker build -t f5-ansible-runner . ./ansible_helper ansible-playbook /ansible/bigiq_onboard.yml -i /ansible/hosts 5. Verify the new secondary BIG-IQ DCD has been correctly added to the BIG-IQ Data Colletion Devices list. .. image:: ../pictures/module6/img_module6_lab1_3.png :align: center :scale: 60% | 6. Currently, there is only 1 zone defined called ``default``. We will create a new zone called ``westcoast``, keeping the ``default`` zone for the East coast. .. note:: In order to avoid error messages complaining about the lack of a default zone in the Device tab, you must have one DCD at minimum using the ``default`` zone 7. Let's define the new zone ``westcoast`` on the new BIG-IQ DCD 02 added earlier. Login on the BIG-IQ CM server, go to the **System** tab, under **BIG-IQ DATA COLLECTION** > **BIG-IQ Data Collection Devices**, select the new BIG-IQ DCD 02. In **Properties**, and click **Edit**, select the Zone box, click **Create New**. Enter the name ``westcoast`` as the name of the new Zone. .. image:: ../pictures/module6/img_module6_lab1_4.png :align: center :scale: 60% | It might takes few minutes for the new zone to be set. .. image:: ../pictures/module6/img_module6_lab1_5.png :align: center :scale: 60% | 8. Change the Zone of the ``SEA-vBIGIP01.termmarc.com`` and ``SJC-vBIGIP01.termmarc.com`` BIG-IP to ``westcoast``. Select the BIG-IP device from the **Devices** menu, and select **STATISTICS COLLECTION**. Once selected, select ``westcoast`` from the Zone drop down menu. It might takes few minutes for the new zone to be set. .. image:: ../pictures/module6/img_module6_lab1_6.png :align: center :scale: 60% | 9. Check on the Devices tab the statistic collection is happening as expected. .. image:: ../pictures/module6/img_module6_lab1_7.png :align: center :scale: 60% |