Lab 5.2: Deploy our SSG in Azure

Since we have already seen the different components needed to deploy a SSG successfuly, we will automatically deploy it and review its configuration.

Launch our SSG - Access our orchestrator - Azure

To setup BIG-IQ and Azure automatically, open a SSH connection on the system called: Ubuntu Lamp Server

Once connected via SSH, go into the folder: f5-azure-vpn-ssg:

cd f5-azure-vpn-ssg/

we will need to edit the following files:

• config.yml: This file will contains all the information needed to

  deploy the Azure environment successfuly.

• 08a-create-Azure-auto-scaling.yml: we will change the setup of the default SSG

  that gets deployed. we want to deploy 2 instances to review how it is setup as part of a SSG group.

Launch our SSG - Update config.yml - Azure

Note

How to Use the vi Editor

Use your favorite editor to update this file.

vi config.yml

Here are the settings you will need to change to deploy everything successfuly:

• SUBSCRIPTION_ID

• TENANT_ID

• CLIENT_ID

• SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_SECRET

• PREFIX: Specify a prefix that will be used on each object automatically

  created. we will use udf-<your NAME>. For example: udf-azure-demo

  Warning

  DO NOT PUT a - at the end or your deployment will fail.

  We need you to put something so that your PREFIX will be UNIQUE to you or it will overlap with other student’s env. If your name is ‘common’, pick something else that should be unique or append your first name to it.

  Use udf- in the prefix or your SSG deployment will fail

  Remember that the PREFIX must be 15 CHARACTERS MAX

Save the config file.

Here is an example of the updated config.yml file:

##################################################################################################
###########################         UPDATE VARIABLE BELOW          ###############################
##################################################################################################

# Enabling Azure Marketplace images for programmatic access
# On the Azure portal go to All Services
# In the General section, click on Marketplace
# Type in "F5 BIG-IP" in the Search Box to filter the items
# Click on each of the images and do the following
# Click on the "Want to deploy programmatically?"  link on the right
# Click on "Enable" and Save

# Select Azure Cloud for VNET and VPN creation: AzureCloud, AzureChinaCloud, AzureUSGovernment, AzureGermanCloud
Azure_CLOUD: AzureCloud
# Select Azure Cloud for BIG-IQ SSG: Azure, Azure_CHINA, Azure_US_GOVERNMENT, Azure_GERMANY
Azure_BIGIQ_CLOUD: Azure

SUBSCRIPTION_ID: <Subscription Id>
TENANT_ID: <Tenant Id>
CLIENT_ID: <Client Id>
SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_SECRET: <Service Principal Secret>
# web browser and access token to sign in (if set to yes, delete USERNAME AND PASSWORD variables)
USE_TOKEN: no

# A unique searchable prefix to all resources which are created
# Use a prefix w/o spaces or special characters (NO MORE THAN 10 CHARACTERS, no end with - or special characters)
PREFIX: udf-azure-demo
# Also used for the Azure Resource group name

# Select on of  the region below (default East US) - westus, westeurope, eastasia, brazilsouth ...
# run az account list-locations --output table
DEFAULT_LOCATION: eastus

# Adjust the BIG-IP Version based on your region
BYOL_BIGIP_NAME: "f5-big-all-1slot-byol"
BYOL_BIGIP_VERSION: "13.1.100000" #14.0.001000

Note

We don’t have to change anything else as long as we use the US-East (N. Virginia) Location

Warning

in your config.yml file, you have the default password that will be used for the admin user This password will be enforced on all the VEs deployed in your SSG.

# BIG-IQ SSG CONFIG
BIGIP_USER: admin
BIGIP_PWD: **************

MAKE SURE TO NOTE IT SOMEWHERE

Launch our SSG - Update our SSG configuration - Azure

To update configuration pushed by the orchestrator, we will update the file called 08a-create-azure-auto-scaling.yml. Use your favorite editor to update it.

Look for this section in the file:

- include_tasks: ./helpers/post.yml
  with_items:
    - name: Create service scaling group
      url: "{{BIGIQ_URI}}/cm/cloud/service-scaling-groups"
      body: >
        {
            "name": "{{SSG_NAME}}",
            "description": "Azure scaling group",
            "environmentReference": {
                "link": "https://localhost/mgmt/cm/cloud/environments/{{cloud_environment_result.id}}"
            },
            "minSize": 1,
            "maxSize": 3,
            "maxSupportedApplications": 3,
            "desiredSize": 1,
            "providerType": "Azure",
            "postDeviceCreationUserScriptReference": null,
            "preDeviceDeletionUserScriptReference": null,
            "scalingPolicies": [
            {
                "name": "scale-out",
                "cooldown": 30,
                "direction": "ADD",
                "type": "ChangeCount",
                "value": 1
            },
            {
                "name": "scale-in",
                "cooldown": 30,
                "direction": "REMOVE",
                "type": "ChangeCount",
                "value": 1
            }]
        }

Change the minSize and desiredSize from 1 to 2 :

- include_tasks: ./helpers/post.yml
  with_items:
    - name: Create service scaling group
      url: "{{BIGIQ_URI}}/cm/cloud/service-scaling-groups"
      body: >
        {
            "name": "{{SSG_NAME}}",
            "description": "Azure scaling group",
            "environmentReference": {
                "link": "https://localhost/mgmt/cm/cloud/environments/{{cloud_environment_result.id}}"
            },
            "minSize": 2,
            "maxSize": 3,
            "maxSupportedApplications": 3,
            "desiredSize": 2,
            "providerType": "Azure",
            "postDeviceCreationUserScriptReference": null,
            "preDeviceDeletionUserScriptReference": null,
            "scalingPolicies": [
            {
                "name": "scale-out",
                "cooldown": 30,
                "direction": "ADD",
                "type": "ChangeCount",
                "value": 1
            },
            {
                "name": "scale-in",
                "cooldown": 30,
                "direction": "REMOVE",
                "type": "ChangeCount",
                "value": 1
            }]
        }

Launch our SSG - Trigger the deployment - Azure

Now that the relevant files have been updated, we can trigger the deployment.

To trigger the deployment, run the following command:

./000-RUN_ALL.sh ssg

It will ask you to press Enter to confirm that you subscribed and agreed to the EULA in the marketplace. Press enter to start the deployment.

You should see something like this:

f5student@ip-10-1-1-5:~/f5-azure-vpn-ssg$ nohup ./000-RUN_ALL.sh ssg &
f5student@ip-10-1-1-5:~/f5-azure-vpn-ssg$ tail -f nohup.out

Did you subscribed and agreed to the software terms for 'F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition - BEST - BYOL' in Azure Marketplace?

Enabling Azure Marketplace images for programmatic access:
- On the Azure portal go to All Services
- In the General section, click on Marketplace
- Type in 'F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition - BEST - BYOL' in the Search Box to filter the items
- Click on each of the images and do the following
- Click on the 'Want to deploy programmatically?'  link on the right
- Click on 'Enable, then Save.'


EXPECTED TIME: ~45 min

Installation Azure CLI

Set Cloud Name to  AzureCloud

Login
[
{
    "cloudName": "AzureCloud",
    "id": "a3615-1ds30-41dfd-a146-dba5dewssdf6a1b",
    "isDefault": true,
    "name": "f5-AZR-SEATTLE",
    "state": "Enabled",
    "tenantId": "abawewsd6-905c-4wwewwws9-9wew8-dfew44rrtwewe33",
    "user": {
    "name": "dbw34343fc-fsdf5-4werswsw4-83wefwdf6-2b9ererdfsdf02b",
    "type": "servicePrincipal"
    }
}

At this stage, we should start deploying your environment in Azure. In your Azure Console, go to Resource groups.

Here we can see that the objects are being deployed with the prefix udf-azure-demo as mentioned in config.yml file (prefix attribute)

In the next lab, we will review what has been setup on BIG-IQ and what was deployed in our Azure VNET.