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Deploy BIG-IP Next Site

Published April 5, 2023 | Last modified March 5, 2025

Objective

This guide provides instructions on how to create a customer edge (CE) site using F5® Distributed Cloud Console to deploy BIG-IP Central Manager and BIG-IP Next instances. For more information on a CE Site, refer to F5 Distributed Cloud - Customer Edge.

Important: This guide does not provide instructions on how to deploy an F5® App Stack Site.

Prerequisites

The following prerequisites apply:

Procedure

Create a BIG-IP Central Manager Site on F5 Distributed Cloud Console

  • Log in to the F5 Distributed Cloud Console.

  • Navigate to Multi-Cloud Network Connect > Manage > Site Management > BIG-IP Next Central Manager.

  • Click Add BIG-IP Central Manager and enter the following details:

    • Name: Ensure it matches the name used in BIG-IP Next Central Manager.
    • Label: Select the appropriate label from the dropdown menu.
    • Description: Provide a description for the registration.
    • F5XC Software Version: Choose the latest software, or specify a version by entering the version number.

  • Click Save and Exit.

  • Select the BIG-IP Central Manager you wish to integrate and click Actions:

    • Click Generate Node Token.
    • Copy the node token from the window that appears.

  • Click Close.

Integrate the BIG-IP Central Manager Site with F5 Distributed Cloud Console

Important: This integration procedure involves a restart of the BIG-IP Central Manager and therefore users are requested to save all configurations before commencement of this procedure.

  • Log in to BIG-IP Next Central Manager as admin.

  • Click the workspace icon next to the F5 icon. Click Infrastructure, and then click Integrations. The New Integrations screen opens.

  • Click Add Integrations. A drawer will appear, displaying a restart warning along with instructions for the required procedures to be completed in F5 Distributed Cloud. Follow these instructions before continuing.

  • Click Next. A new Add Integration window opens. In the F5 Distributed Cloud section, perform the following:

    • Enter BIG-IP Next Central Manager Site Name, that was created on the F5 Distributed Cloud during Site Token generation.

Important: The site name should match with the name created in F5 Distributed Cloud Console.

  • Paste the token generated on the F5 Distributed Cloud for the BIG-IP Next Central Manager Site. If you do not have a site token, then generate one from Multi-Cloud Network service in the F5 Distributed Cloud Console. This site token is valid for 24 hours only.

  • In the BIG-IP Next Central Manager section, enter the Longitude (Geographic coordinates) of the location where the Central Manager is deployed. For example: 19.0760. Enter the Latitude (Geographic coordinates) of the location where the Central Manager is deployed. For example: 72.8777.

  • Click Save & Restart.

  • For the confirmation pop-up that appears to restart, click Yes, Restart. You will be logged out of BIG-IP Next Central Manager.

  • Log in again with your credentials.

  • Navigate to the Integrations page. You will see the new integration with one of the following statuses:

    • Pending Approval: This status shows that the registration process is complete on the Central Manager side but is pending approval from the F5 Distributed Cloud. If no action is taken on the ‌F5 Distributed Cloud Console, the status will automatically change to “Failed”.
    • Failed: This status shows that registration issues were encountered, and the process needs to be repeated.

Note: For Failed status, you can cancel the registration during this stage by clicking Unregister from XC, which reverts all changes made to BIG-IP Next Central Manager.

  • Successful: The integration is successful. You cannot delete or unregister from BIG-IP Next Central Manager, but the registration can be cancelled from F5 Distributed Cloud Console.

Note: These operations will require a restart of the Central Manager.

Create a BIG-IP Next Instance Site

  • Log in to the F5 Distributed Cloud Console.

  • Navigate to Multi-Cloud Network Connect > Manage > Site Management > BIG-IP Next Central Manager.

  • Click Add BIG-IP Central Manager and enter the following details:

    • Name: Ensure it matches the name used in BIG-IP Next Central Manager.
    • Label: Select the appropriate label from the dropdown menu.
    • Description: Provide a description for the registration.
    • F5XC Software Version: Choose the latest software, or specify a version by entering the version number.

  • Click Save and Exit.

  • Select the BIG-IP Central Manager you wish to integrate and click Actions:

    • Click Generate Node Token.
    • Copy the node token from the window that appears.

  • Click Close.

Integrate BIG-IP Next Instances with F5 Distributed Cloud from BIG-IP Central Manager

  • Log in to BIG-IP Next Central Manager as admin.

  • Click the workspace icon next to the F5 icon. Click Infrastructure, and then click My Instances.

  • Select the instance you want to integrate with the Distributed Cloud by clicking Actions > Onboard to Distributed Cloud. The Onboard to Distributed Cloud page opens.

  • In the F5 Distributed Cloud section, enter the following information:

    • Enter BIG-IP Next Instance site name that was created on the F5 Distributed Cloud Console during site token generation.

Important: The site name should match with the name created in F5 Distributed Cloud Console.

  • Paste the token generated on the F5 Distributed Cloud for the BIG-IP Next Central Manager Site. If you do not have a site token, then generate one from Multi-Cloud Network service in the F5 Distributed Cloud Console. This site token is valid for 24 hours only.

  • In the BIG-IP Next Instance section, enter the following information:

    • Enter the Longitude (geographic coordinates) of the location where the Central Manager is deployed. For example, 19.0760.
    • Enter the Latitude (geographic coordinates) of the location where the Central Manager is deployed. For example, 72.8777.
    • Enter Site Local Outside for the interface on the BIG-IP Next Instance that will connect to the F5 Distributed Cloud.
    • Enter Site Local Inside for the interface on the BIG-IP Next Instance that will connect to the local network.

  • Click Onboard. You will be redirected to the My Instances page. The newly integrated instance will have an F5XC tag in front of the instance name.

Note: The F5XC tag indicates that the instance is managed by F5 Distributed Cloud. This tag cannot be modified in BIG-IP Next Central Manager.

Deregister BIG-IP Next Instance from BIG-IP Central Manager

Caution: If the instance has been configured with objects (like apps, access profiles, and other things), then the deregistering of the instance will leave the configuration in a corrupt state.

To deregister the instance, follow these steps:

  • Log in to BIG-IP Next Central Manager as admin.

  • Click the workspace icon next to the F5 icon.

  • Click Infrastructure, and then click My Instances.

  • Select the instance with the F5XC tag that you want to deregister from the Distributed Cloud Console. Click Actions > Unregister from Distributed Cloud.

  • Click Yes, Unregister.

Deregister BIG-IP Next Instance from Distributed Cloud Console

These steps are only valid for BIG-IP Next instances that are successfully onboarded (as in integrated with Distributed Cloud).

  • Delete any universal zero trust network access (UZTNA) gateway created that references the BIG-IP Next instance that you wish to delete. Note there is no “deregister” option for UZTNA gateways (use DELETE under the Actions).

  • Delete the BIG-IP Next Instance site under Multi Cloud Network Connect that references the BIG-IP Next instance you wish to delete (the option to "deregister" is DELETE under Actions).

Concepts

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