F5 BIG-IQ What's New in v8.4.0?

Key Concepts:

• BIG-IQ version 8.4
• BIG-IP device upgrade
• Backup
• Pre-assessment
• Post-assessment
• SSL Orchestrator
• Application templates
• Cloud providers (VMware, AWS, Azure)
• F5OS (Velos, R-Series)

BIG-IP Device Upgrade Process:

1. Initiating the Upgrade: The video begins with the user stating the intention to upgrade a BIG-IP device using BIG-IQ version 8.4.
2. Backup Creation: Before initiating the upgrade, the user emphasizes the importance of creating a backup of the BIG-IP device. This is a crucial step to ensure data preservation and rollback capabilities in case the upgrade fails.
3. Task Creation: The user navigates to the relevant section within BIG-IQ to create an upgrade task, specifying the target version as 17.5. The user notes that a backup could also be performed from this interface.
4. Task Execution: After creating the task, the user manually starts the task.
5. Transfer Completion and Pausing: The video shows the transfer process completing, and the task is paused due to a pre-configured option.
6. Pre-Assessment: The user initiates a pre-assessment to identify potential issues before the actual upgrade. The pre-assessment passes, and the user proceeds.
7. Upgrade Execution: The user continues with the upgrade process.
8. Post-Assessment: After the upgrade completes, a post-assessment is performed to verify the success of the upgrade and the stability of the system.
9. Verification: The video confirms that the BIG-IP device was successfully upgraded to version 17.5.

New Features in BIG-IQ 8.4:

1. SSL Orchestrator: BIG-IQ 8.4 introduces the SSL Orchestrator, which allows users to create and manage SSL/TLS inspection topologies directly from the BIG-IQ interface. The user demonstrates creating a new L3 topology and highlights the available services.
2. Application Templates and Cloud Providers: The new version includes a variety of application templates and supports multiple cloud providers, including VMware, AWS, and Azure.
3. F5OS Support: BIG-IQ 8.4 now supports F5OS for Velos and R-Series platforms, enabling users to manage and configure these platforms from the BIG-IQ interface. The user mentions that this support opens up a variety of possibilities.

Notable Quotes:

• "Before I do the upgrade let's go ahead and make sure that we get a backup." (Emphasizing the importance of backups)
• "If we go take a look here we can see that it successfully upgraded to version 7.5." (Confirming the successful upgrade)

Technical Terms:

• BIG-IQ: F5's centralized management platform for BIG-IP devices.
• BIG-IP: F5's application delivery controller (ADC).
• SSL Orchestrator: A feature for managing and optimizing SSL/TLS traffic inspection.
• F5OS: F5's operating system for Velos and R-Series platforms.
• Velos: F5's chassis-based platform.
• R-Series: F5's appliance-based platform.
• L3 Topology: A network topology based on Layer 3 (Network Layer) of the OSI model.
• Pre-assessment: A check performed before an upgrade to identify potential issues.
• Post-assessment: A check performed after an upgrade to verify its success.

Logical Connections:

The video follows a logical sequence: preparation (backup), execution (upgrade), and verification (assessments). The introduction of new features in BIG-IQ 8.4 is presented after the upgrade demonstration, showcasing the benefits of upgrading.

Synthesis/Conclusion:

The video provides a practical demonstration of upgrading a BIG-IP device using BIG-IQ 8.4. It highlights the importance of backups and assessments. Furthermore, it showcases the new features in BIG-IQ 8.4, including the SSL Orchestrator, enhanced application templates, cloud provider support, and F5OS integration, demonstrating the value proposition of upgrading to the latest version.