Configuration and Discovery

The following sections describe how to configure and discover F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) services for monitoring by SL1 using the F5 BIG-IP PowerPack:

Prerequisites for Monitoring F5 BIG-IP

Before you can monitor F5 BIG-IP services using the F5 BIG-IP PowerPack, you must ensure that SL1 can communicate with BIG-IP using SNMP and you must know the SNMP community string for the BIG-IP system. SL1 can then use the data collected from BIG-IP to create device records for all components managed by BIG-IP.

Creating an SNMP Credential for F5 BIG-IP

To use the Dynamic Applications in the F5 BIG-IP PowerPack, you must first define an SNMP credential in SL1. This credential allows SL1 to communicate with the BIG-IP system.

To configure an SNMP credential for F5 BIG-IP:

Go to the Credentials page (Manage > Credentials).

Click the Create New button.

In the drop-down list that appears, select Create SNMP Credential. The Credential Editor page appears:

In the SNMP Version field, select SNMP V2.
In the Name field, enter a name for the credential.
In the All Organizations drop-down field, select the organizations the credential belongs to.
In the SNMP Community (Read Only) field, enter the community string for the BIG-IP system.
Optionally, supply values in the other fields in this page. In most cases, you can use the default values for the other fields.
Click the Save & Close button.

Creating an SNMP Credential for F5 BIG-IP in the SL1 Classic User Interface

To use the Dynamic Applications in the F5 BIG-IP PowerPack, you must first define an SNMP credential in SL1. This credential allows SL1 to communicate with the BIG-IP system.

To configure an SNMP credential for F5 BIG-IP:

Go to the Credential Management page (System > Manage > Credentials).

Click the Actions button.

In the drop-down list that appears, select Create SNMP Credential. The Credential Editor page appears:

In the SNMP Version field, select SNMP V2.
In the Profile Name field, enter a name for the credential.
In the SNMP Community (Read Only) field, enter the community string for the BIG-IP system.
Optionally, supply values in the other fields in this page. In most cases, you can use the default values for the other fields.
Click the Save button.

Discovering an F5 BIG-IP System

After you have created an SNMP credential for the F5 BIG-IP system that you want to monitor, you can create and

run a discovery session that will discover the BIG-IP system and automatically align Dynamic Applications with the

BIG-IP system.

To do so, perform the following steps:

Go to the Discovery Session page (Hamburger Menu > Devices > Discovery Sessions).
Click the Add Devices button to create a new discovery session. You will be redirected to a self-guided service where you can add devices.

Select Unguided Network Discovery, then click the Select button. You will be redirected to a page where you can create and create a Discovery Session that will discover the BIG-IP system and automatically align Dynamic Applications with the BIG-IP system. This is a 3-step process.
Enter a name for your Discovery Session in the Discovery Session Name field and select an organization from the Select the organization to add discovered devices to drop-down field.

Select the SNMP credential(s) that connected your devices, then click the Next button.
Select an IP or Hostname, then click the Save and Run button. The Discovery Logs window will appear.
When the BIG-IP system is discovered, you can click the device name to view the system device's properties.

Discovering an F5 BIG-IP System in the SL1 Classic User Interface

After you have created an SNMP credential for the F5 BIG-IP system that you want to monitor, you can create and run a discovery session that will discover the BIG-IP system and automatically align Dynamic Applications with the BIG-IP system.

To do so, perform the following steps:

Go to the Discovery Control Panel page (Hamburger Menu > Devices > Discovery Sessions).
Click the Add Devicesbutton to create a new discovery session. The Discovery Session Editor window appears:

Enter values in the following fields:

IP Address Discovery List. Enter the IP address for the BIG-IP system.
SNMP Credentials. Select the SNMP Credential for the BIG-IP system.

Optionally, you can enter values in the other fields on this page. For more information about the other fields on this page, see the Discovery & Credentials section.
Click the Save button and then close the Discovery Session Editor window.
The discovery session you created will appear at the top of the Discovery Control Panel page. Click its lightning-bolt icon () to run the discovery session.
The Discovery Session window appears. When the BIG-IP system is discovered, you can click its device icon () to view the system device's properties.

Aligning F5 BIG-IP Dynamic Applications

The Dynamic Applications in the F5 BIG-IP PowerPack are divided into four types:

Count. These Dynamic Applications poll BIG-IP to determine the number of component devices monitored by SL1.

Discovery. These Dynamic Applications poll BIG-IP for new instances of component devices or changes to existing instances of component devices.
Configuration. These Dynamic Applications retrieve configuration information about each component device and retrieve any changes to that configuration information.
Performance. These Dynamic Applications poll BIG-IP for performance metrics.

The following Dynamic Applications are aligned automatically to the F5 BIG-IP system when you run discovery:

F5: Viprion Chassis Slot Status
F5 BIG-IP: Cluster Status
F5 BIG-IP: CPU Configuration
F5 BIG-IP: Disk Array Status
F5 BIG-IP: Fan Status
F5 BIG-IP: Interface Usage (64Bit)
F5 BIG-IP: Performance
F5 BIG-IP: Power Supply Status
F5 BIG-IP: System Configuration
F5 BIG-IP: Temperature
F5 BIG-IP: vCMP VM Configuration
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Node Configuration
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Node Discovery
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Node Performance
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Pool Configuration
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Pool Discovery: Non-Default Pools
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Pool Discovery: Virtual Server Default Pools
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Pool Member Configuration
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Pool Member Discovery
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Pool Member Performance
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Pool Performance
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Virtual Server Configuration
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Virtual Server Discovery
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Virtual Server Performance
Host Resource: Configuration
Net SNMP: CPU
Net SNMP: Physical Memory
Net SNMP: Swap

To discover all of the component devices in the BIG-IP system, you must manually align the "F5 BIG-IP LTM: Service Discovery" Dynamic Application with the BIG-IP root device. For instructions on how to do this, see the section on Manually Aligning the Dynamic Application with the BIG-IP Root Device.

If these Dynamic Applications are not aligned during discovery, perform the following steps to add them manually:

Go to the Device Manager page (Hamburger Menu > Devices > Device Manager) for the BIG-IP system.
Click the Collections tab. The Dynamic Application Collections page appears.
Click the Actions button and then select Add Dynamic Application. The Dynamic Application Alignment page appears.

In the Dynamic Applications field, select the Dynamic Application that you want to align to the BIG-IP system.
In the Credentials field, select the SNMP credential for the BIG-IP system.
Click the Save button.

Manually Aligning the "F5 BIG IP LTM: Service Discovery" Dynamic Application with the BIG-IP Root Device

When you run discovery, the "F5 BIG-IP LTM: Component Counts" Dynamic Application is automatically aligned with the F5 BIG-IP system. This Dynamic Application enables you to determine the number of component devices in your BIG-IP system that will be discovered.

To determine the BIG-IP component device count:

Go to the Device Manager page (Hamburger Menu > Devices > Device Manager).
Click the wrench icon () for the BIG-IP system.
In the Device Administration panel, click the Collections tab. The Dynamic Application Collections page displays.
Click the plus icon (+) for the "F5 BIG-IP LTM: Component Counts" Dynamic Application. If collection for the Dynamic Application was successful, the graph icons () for the "F5 BIG-IP LTM: Component Counts" presentation objects are enabled.

Click a graph icon () for any of the "F5 BIG-IP LTM: Component Counts" presentation objects to view the collected data for that presentation object. The Device Performance page displays the number of components that are being monitored.

After verifying the number of component devices that will be discovered, perform the following steps to start component device discovery by aligning the "F5 BIG-IP LTM: Service Discovery" Dynamic Application with the BIG-IP root system:

Go to the Device Manager page (Hamburger Menu > Devices > Device Manager).
Click the Collections tab. The Dynamic Application Collections page appears.
Click the Actions button and then select Add Dynamic Application. The Dynamic Application Alignment page appears.

In the Dynamic Applications field, select F5 BIG-IP LTM: Service Discovery.
In the Credentials field, select the SNMP credential for the BIG-IP system.
Click the Save button.

Aligning F5 BIG-IP Dynamic Applications in the SL1 Classic User Interface

The Dynamic Applications in the F5 BIG-IP PowerPack are divided into four types:

Count. These Dynamic Applications poll BIG-IP to determine the number of component devices monitored by SL1.

Discovery. These Dynamic Applications poll BIG-IP for new instances of component devices or changes to existing instances of component devices.
Configuration. These Dynamic Applications retrieve configuration information about each component device and retrieve any changes to that configuration information.
Performance. These Dynamic Applications poll BIG-IP for performance metrics.

The following Dynamic Applications are aligned automatically to the F5 BIG-IP system when you run discovery:

F5: Viprion Chassis Slot Status
F5 BIG-IP: Cluster Status
F5 BIG-IP: CPU Configuration
F5 BIG-IP: Disk Array Status
F5 BIG-IP: Fan Status
F5 BIG-IP: Interface Usage (64Bit)
F5 BIG-IP: Performance
F5 BIG-IP: Power Supply Status
F5 BIG-IP: System Configuration
F5 BIG-IP: Temperature
F5 BIG-IP: vCMP VM Configuration
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Node Configuration
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Node Discovery
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Node Performance
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Pool Configuration
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Pool Discovery: Non-Default Pools
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Pool Discovery: Virtual Server Default Pools
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Pool Member Configuration
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Pool Member Discovery
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Pool Member Performance
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Pool Performance
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Virtual Server Configuration
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Virtual Server Discovery
F5 BIG-IP LTM: Virtual Server Performance
Host Resource: Configuration
Net SNMP: CPU
Net SNMP: Physical Memory
Net SNMP: Swap

If these Dynamic Applications are not aligned during discovery, perform the following steps to add them manually:

Go to the Device Properties page (Devices > Classic Devices > wrench icon) for the BIG-IP system.
Click the Collections tab. The Dynamic Application Collections page appears.
Click the Actions button and then select Add Dynamic Application. The Dynamic Application Alignment page appears.

In the Dynamic Applications field, select the Dynamic Application that you want to align to the BIG-IP system.
In the Credentials field, select the SNMP credential for the BIG-IP system.
Click the Save button.

Manually Aligning the "F5 BIG IP LTM: Service Discovery" Dynamic Application with the BIG-IP Root Device in the SL1 Classic User Interface

To determine the BIG-IP component device count:

Go to the Device Manager page (Devices > Classic Devices, or Registry > Devices > Device Manager in the classic SL1 user interface).
Click the wrench icon () for the BIG-IP system.
In the Device Administration panel, click the Collections tab. The Dynamic Application Collections page displays.
Click the plus icon (+) for the "F5 BIG-IP LTM: Component Counts" Dynamic Application. If collection for the Dynamic Application was successful, the graph icons () for the "F5 BIG-IP LTM: Component Counts" presentation objects are enabled.

Click a graph icon () for any of the "F5 BIG-IP LTM: Component Counts" presentation objects to view the collected data for that presentation object. The Device Performance page displays the number of components that are being monitored.

Go to the Device Properties page (Devices > Classic Devices > wrench icon) for the BIG-IP system.
Click the Collections tab. The Dynamic Application Collections page appears.
Click the Actions button and then select Add Dynamic Application. The Dynamic Application Alignment page appears.

In the Dynamic Applications field, select F5 BIG-IP LTM: Service Discovery.
In the Credentials field, select the SNMP credential for the BIG-IP system.
Click the Save button.

Viewing Component Devices

When SL1 performs collection for the F5 BIG-IP system, SL1 will create component devices that represent each device and align other Dynamic Applications to those component devices. Some of the Dynamic Applications aligned to the component devices will also be used to create additional component devices. All component devices appear in the Device Manager page just like devices discovered using the ScienceLogic discovery process.

In addition to the Device Manager page, you can view the F5 BIG-IP system and all associated component devices in the following places in the user interface:

The Device Investigator page (Devices > Map) modal page displays a map of a particular device and all of the devices with which it has parent-child relationships. Double-clicking any of the devices listed reloads the page to make the selected device the primary device:

The Device Components page (Hamburger Menu > Devices > Device Components) displays a list of all root devices and component devices discovered by SL1 in an indented view, so you can easily view the hierarchy and relationships between child devices, parent devices, and root devices. To view the component devices associated with an F5 BIG-IP system, find the BIG-IP device and click its plus icon (+):

The Component Map page (Hamburger Menu> Maps > Classic Maps > Device Maps > Components) allows you to view devices by root node and view the relationships between root nodes, parent components, and child components in a map. This makes it easy to visualize and manage root nodes and their components. SL1 automatically updates the Device Component Map as new component devices are discovered. SL1 also updates each map with the latest status and event information. To view the map for an F5 BIG-IP system, go to the Device Component Map page and select the map from the list in the left NavBar. To learn more about the Device Component Map page, see the section on Views.

Viewing Component Devices in the SL1 Classic User Interface

In addition to the Device Manager page, you can view the F5 BIG-IP system and all associated component devices in the following places in the user interface:

The Device View modal page (click the bar-graph icon [] for a device, then click the Topology tab) displays a map of a particular device and all of the devices with which it has parent-child relationships. Double-clicking any of the devices listed reloads the page to make the selected device the primary device:

The Device Components page (Devices > Device Components) displays a list of all root devices and component devices discovered by SL1 in an indented view, so you can easily view the hierarchy and relationships between child devices, parent devices, and root devices. To view the component devices associated with an F5 BIG-IP system, find the BIG-IP device and click its plus icon (+):

The Device Component Map page (Classic Maps > Device Maps > Components) allows you to view devices by root node and view the relationships between root nodes, parent components, and child components in a map. This makes it easy to visualize and manage root nodes and their components. SL1 automatically updates the Device Component Map as new component devices are discovered. SL1 also updates each map with the latest status and event information. To view the map for an F5 BIG-IP system, go to the Device Component Map page and select the map from the list in the left NavBar. To learn more about the Device Component Map page, see the section on Views.

Troubleshooting Known Issues

The following known issues affect version 105 of the F5 BIG-IP PowerPack:

All snippets display a "RequestsDependency" warning. This is caused by importing requests in python3.6 or python3.9, but does not affect collection.
Virtual Servers with the same name may only have one discovered instance of duplicate named servers discovered, modeled, and present in the configuration table in the "F5 Big-IP LTM: Virtual Server Discovery" Dynamic Application. Additionally, due to a change in how Python 2 and Python 3 handle dictionaries, when upgrading from version 103 to version 104, the duplicated device that is discovered, modeled, and listed in the configuration table may change.

F5 and ScienceLogic both recommend that virtual servers have unique names.