Use BIG-IP for free
When dealing with network construction projects that use BIG-IP, it is convenient to be able to test using BIG-IP in advance.
F5 offers a virtual appliance called BIG-IP Virtual Edition (BIG-IP VE), as well as a free trial license.
By using these, you can test the operation using BIG-IP for free.
Note that VMware ESXi is required as the platform on which to install BIG-IP VE.
Create an F5 account
Create an F5 account to download the BIG-IP VE image file.
Access the following web page.
Click Create one. On the F5 login page.
Enter your email and click Next.
Enter each item and click Register Now.
After this, an email will be sent to the registered email. Wait for an email.
When you receive the email, click the link in the email to display the password setting screen.
Enter your password and click Submit.
Click log in. On the screen below to log in.
Download BIG-IP VE image file
When you log in to your F5 account, you will see the screen below.
Click the version of BIG-IP you want to download.
The following screen will be displayed, so select the minor version. Then click x.x.x_Virtual-Edition.
Click I Accept.
The following screen will be displayed. Click BIGIP-x.x.x-0.0.18.ALL-vmware.ova.
Click any location on the screen below. Then the download will start.
Obtaining a license key
Use a free trial license that you can try for 30 days.
Access the following URL.
The following screen will be displayed. Enter each item and click Request license keys.
The following screen will be displayed. Wait for your license key to reach your F5 account email address.
Install BIG-IP VE on ESXi
Creating a virtual machine
First, create a virtual machine.
Select OVA File as the type.
Enter the virtual machine name and drag and drop the BIG-IP VE ova file into the lower area.
Select the storage where you want to install BIG-IP VE.
Click I agree, then click Next.
Select the port group to which each interface of BIG-IP is associated. (You can change it later.) Then click Next.
Click Finish.
After this, wait until the virtual machine creation is completed.
Starting a virtual machine
After creating the virtual machine, start the virtual machine.
Open the virtual machine console.
When the login prompt is displayed, enter the following to set the password.
- localhost login:
root - Password:
default - (current) UNIX password:
default - New BIG-IP password:
<Enter new password> - Retype new BIG-IP password:
<Enter new password>
Initial setting of BIG-IP
Set the IP address of the management interface
First, disable DHCP.
tmsh modify sys global-settings mgmt-dhcp disabledNext, set the IP address of the management interface and the default gateway.
tmsh create / sys management-ip <IP address/Prefix length>
tmsh create / sys management-route default gateway <Nexthop address>Finally save the settings.
tmsh save / sys config partitions allAccess the GUI
Access https://<BIG-IP IP address> with a web browser.
The login screen will be displayed, so log in. The user name is admin and the password is the password set immediately after starting BIG-IP.
You will need to reset your password, so reset your password.
After this, the login screen will be displayed again, so log in with the changed password.
BIG-IP activation
After logging in, the following screen will be displayed. Click Next.
Click Activate on the next screen.
Enter the pre-obtained free trial license key in Base Registration Key.
Set the Activation Method to Manual.
Click Next.
Set the Manual Method to Download/Upload File.
Click Click Here To Download Dossier File in Step 1:Dossier.
Access the following URL.
Select dossier.do downloaded from BIG-IP and then click Next.
Check the checkbox and click Next.
Download the license.
Return to the BIG-IP GUI, select the license you downloaded in Step 3: License, and click Next.
Click Log in when the screen below appears.
Initial setting of BIG-IP
Click Next when the following screen is displayed.
Click Next.
In the screen below, set the Host Name and Root Account. The Host Name should be [****. Local]. Change the settings of other items as needed.
Click Finished on the screen below.
The following screen will be displayed.
This completes the initial setting of BIG-IP.
After this, you can freely configure BIG-IP and test the operation.
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