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F5 Signaling Delivery Controller
Installation Guide
Software Version: 4.0.5
Publication Date: April 2014
Catalog Number: RG-014-405-9 Ver. 2
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1 ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT .......................................................................................................................... 6
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT ................................................................................................ 6
CONVENTIONS ............................................................................................................. 6
GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................... 7
DOCUMENT VERSION HISTORY ....................................................................................... 7
2 PREREQUISITES ......................................................................................................................................... 8
3 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 9
WHAT IS CREATED DURING THE INSTALLATION PROCESS? .................................................... 9
3.1.1 Completing a site survey .................................................................................................................... 9
3.1.2 Creating the site configuration file .................................................................................................... 9
3.1.3 Installing the SDC site ...................................................................................................................... 11
ABOUT THE SITE TOPOLOGY WIZARD ............................................................................. 12
ABOUT THE INSTALLATION UTILITY ................................................................................ 12
ABOUT SDC SITES ....................................................................................................... 12
4 INSTALLING THE INSTALLATION UTILITY ................................................................................................. 13
PREREQUISITES ........................................................................................................... 13
INSTALLING THE INSTALLATION UTILITY ........................................................................... 13
5 CREATING THE SITE CONFIGURATION FILE .............................................................................................. 16
PREREQUISITES ........................................................................................................... 16
CREATING AN SDC SITE CONFIGURATION FILE – AN OVERVIEW ........................................... 16
5.2.1 Step 1: Defining file properties ........................................................................................................ 17
5.2.2 Step 2: Defining basic configuration ................................................................................................ 18
5.2.3 Step 3: Defining networks ................................................................................................................ 19
5.2.4 Step 4: Defining FEP instances ......................................................................................................... 20
5.2.5 Step 5: Summary .............................................................................................................................. 21
CREATING AN SDC SITE CONFIGURATION FILE .................................................................. 21
5.3.1 Defining File Properties and Site Type ............................................................................................. 22
5.3.2 Defining Basic Site Configuration .................................................................................................... 23
5.3.3 Defining the site networks ............................................................................................................... 25
5.3.4 Defining FEP instances ..................................................................................................................... 29
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5.3.5 Summary and Defining SS7 .............................................................................................................. 31
CREATING AN EMS SITE CONFIGURATION FILE – AN OVERVIEW .......................................... 34
5.4.1 Step 1: Defining file properties ........................................................................................................ 34
5.4.2 Step 2: Defining basic configuration ................................................................................................ 35
5.4.3 Step 3: Defining networks ................................................................................................................ 36
5.4.4 Step 4: Defining FEP instances ......................................................................................................... 36
5.4.5 Step 5: Summary .............................................................................................................................. 37
CREATING AN EMS SITE CONFIGURATION FILE ................................................................. 37
5.5.1 Defining File Properties and Site Type ............................................................................................. 38
5.5.2 Defining Basic Site Configuration .................................................................................................... 39
5.5.3 Defining the site networks ............................................................................................................... 41
5.5.4 Summary .......................................................................................................................................... 45
VIEWING THE SITE CONFIGURATION FILE REPORT ............................................................ 46
6 PERFORMING THE INSTALLATION ........................................................................................................... 47
PREREQUISITES ........................................................................................................... 47
PERFORMING AN INSTALLATION .................................................................................... 47
6.2.1 Accessing the wizard ........................................................................................................................ 47
6.2.2 Selecting a site configuration file ..................................................................................................... 47
6.2.3 Select the installation type .............................................................................................................. 48
6.2.4 Select the installation steps ............................................................................................................. 49
6.2.5 Defining the Operating System ........................................................................................................ 52
6.2.6 Confirming the installation setup .................................................................................................... 53
6.2.7 Monitoring the installation progression .......................................................................................... 53
7 POST INSTALLATION PROCEDURES ......................................................................................................... 54
CHANGING THE ROOT PASSWORD ................................................................................. 54
CHANGING THE SNMP COMMUNITY STRING .................................................................. 54
CONNECTING BETWEEN SDC AND EMS SITES ................................................................. 54
7.3.1 Prerequisites .................................................................................................................................... 54
7.3.2 Connecting between an SDC site and an EMS site ........................................................................... 55
7.3.3 Hardening the Connection between an SDC site and an EMS site ................................................... 56
INSTALLING THE SPLUNK LICENSE .................................................................................. 56
8 APPENDIX A: COMMON CLUSTER CONFIGURATIONS .............................................................................. 58
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CLUSTER CONFIGURATION FOR AN SDC SITE .................................................................... 58
CLUSTER CONFIGURATION FOR AN EMS SITE ................................................................... 59
ABOUT F5 NETWORKS...................................................................................................................................... 61
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Legal Notices
Document Name: F5 Signaling Delivery Controller 4.0.5 Installation Guide
Catalog Number: RD-014-405-9 Ver.2
Publication Date: April 2014
Copyright
© 2005-2014 F5 Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.
F5 Networks, Inc. (F5) believes the information it furnishes to be accurate and reliable. However, F5
assumes no responsibility for the use of this information, nor any infringement of patents or other
rights of third parties which may result from its use. No license is granted by implication or otherwise
under any patent, copyright, or other intellectual property right of F5 except as specifically described
by applicable user licenses. F5 reserves the right to change specifications at any time without notice.
Trademarks
F5 Networks, F5, F5 (design), OpenBloX, OpenBloX (design), Rosetta Diameter Gateway, Signaling
Delivery Controller and SDC, are trademarks or service marks of F5 Networks, Inc., in the U.S. and
other countries, and may not be used without F5’s express written consent.
All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Confidential and Proprietary
The information contained in this document is confidential and proprietary to F5 Networks. The
information in this document may be changed at any time without notice.
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Installation Guide
About this Document 6
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1 About this Document
About this Document
This document introduces the F5 SDC Installation Utility, the F5 SDC Topology Wizard, and
describes the installation process.
Conventions
The style conventions used in this document are detailed in Table 1.
Table 1: Conventions
Convention Use
Times New Roman Regular text
Times New Roman
Bold
Names of menus, commands, buttons, and other elements of the
user interface
Times New Roman
Italic
Links to figures, tables, and sections in the document, as well as
references to other documents
Courier New Language scripts
Calibri File names
Note: Notes which offer an additional explanation or a hint on how to
overcome a common problem
Warnings which indicate potentially damaging user operations and
explain how to avoid them
An example
For simplicity, throughout this document, the F5 Signaling Delivery Controller will be referred
to as the SDC.
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Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations
Table 2: Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations
Term Definition
AAA Authentication, Authorization and Accounting
DRA Diameter Routing Agent
EMS Element Management System
FEP-I Front End Proxy
FEP-O Back End Proxy
KPI Key Performance Indicator
Node Physical or virtual addressable entity
Peer Physical or virtual addressable entity. A Client or Server Peer in the
NGN network that provides or consumes AAA services
Remote Node A client or server node in the network that provides or consumes
AAA services
SDC Signaling Delivery Controller
Document Version History
Date – Version Change Reference
April 2014 -2 Added Post Installation
Procedures
Post Installation Procedures
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2 Prerequisites
This document assumes that you have read the F5 SDC Product Description and have
comprehensive understanding of:
1. Positioning of the SDC in and/or between networks
2. SDC and EMS deployments
3. SDC architecture
4. SDC pipeline
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3 Introduction
This section includes the following topics:
What is created during the installation process?
About the Site Topology Wizard
About the Installation Utility
About SDC sites
What is created during the installation process?
The installation process installs, configures, and enables the necessary hardware, network
infrastructure, and SDC components needed to process the expected variants of message types
and traffic load.
3.1.1 Completing a site survey
To correctly assess your specific needs and ensure that the installed solution will meet them, a
site survey, reviewing your anticipated traffic type and scope, is completed. Based on the site
survey, a solution is built and the hardware requirements and site configuration
recommendations are decided upon.
Note: This document assumes that this stage has been successfully completed.
3.1.2 Creating the site configuration file
Using the Site Topology Wizard, the site configuration file is created. The site configuration
file defines the site’s infrastructure – the hardware that the site uses, which networks are used
and their communication paths (within the SDC site, between the SDC and EMS sites, and
with external networks), and the SDC components needed to process the expected traffic.
For more information about creating configuration files, see Creating the site configuration
fileNote: Installing the Installation Utility takes approximately 35 minutes.
Note: The installation process of the Installation Utility includes the installation of an
Operating System. When attempting to install the Installation Utility on a machine with an
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existing Operating System, the Operating System will be deleted and the Operating System on
the bootable media will be installed instead.
To install the Installation Utility:
1. Insert the bootable media (either a USB or CD).
2. Reboot the machine.
3. Enter the machine BIOS and configure the machine to boot from the USB/CD.
4. Reboot the machine.
5. From the OS installation UI select the OS version (the first option).
Note: This step usually takes about 25 minutes to complete.
Figure 1: OS installation screen
6. Enter the following information, as prompted:
a. Host name of the installer machine
b. Management network, mask and interface.
c. An available IP in the management network for the Installation Utility
machine.
d. The default gateway of the machine.
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e. The DHCP network configuration (start and end DHCP).
7. Confirm the configuration, and reboot the machine.
The machine is installed with the installation utility.
8. On the machine that has the Installation Utility installed, the processes below are
configured as follows:
a. The Installation Utility component runs on port 9090 on the Management
Network.
b. The Cobbler (SDC Repository) runs on port 9090 on the Management
Network.
c. The DHCP runs on port 67/68 on the Management Network.
9. After rebooting the machine the DHCP is not started. Perform the following steps to
start the DHCP:
Note: Verify that additional DHCP do not exist in Management Network to avoid
DHCP collisions.
a. Run the following script to start the DHCP
:service dhcpd start
b. Run the following script to disable the DHCP when the Installation Utility is
not in use
:service dhcpd stop
10. Access the Installation Utility by entering the following URL in your internet
browser:
http://<installer_machine_IP>:9090/Installer
Creating the Site Configuration File.
3.1.3 Installing the SDC site
Using the Installation Utility, the SDC site is installed after both the hardware requirements
have been met and the site configuration file has been successfully created and edited (if
needed).
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For more information about performing the installation, see Performing the Installation.
About the Site Topology Wizard
The SDC Topology Wizard is a desktop application. The SDC Topology Wizard guides you
through a short series of questions about the SDC site you want to install. Using the gathered
information, the SDC Topology Wizard creates a site configuration file, which is then
uploaded to and used by the Installation Utility to perform the SDC site installation.
About the Installation Utility
The Installation Utility is a web-based wizard tool that guides you through the steps needed to
perform the site installation.
The Site Topology Wizard creates the site configuration file – an .xml file containing the site
infrastructure information. This .xml file is then uploaded to the Installation Utility and the
installation is performed.
For more information, see Performing the Installation.
About SDC sites
An SDC site contains one or more servers that are configured based on the site configuration
file.
There are two common types of SDC sites:
1. Signaling Delivery Controller (SDC) sites – these sites include the network
infrastructure and SDC components needed to correctly process messages between the
client and server peers.
2. SDC Element Management System (EMS) sites – these sites include the network
infrastructure and SDC components needed to collect and manage data from SDC sites.
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4 Installing the Installation Utility
This section includes the following topics:
Prerequisites
Installing the Installation Utility
Prerequisites
Before installing the Installation Utility, verify that you have:
The bootable media with the installation files.
The IP addresses of the machine that will run the Installation Utility.
Note: The Installation Utility must be installed on at least one server per site.
Installing the Installation Utility
Note: Installing the Installation Utility takes approximately 35 minutes.
Note: The installation process of the Installation Utility includes the installation of an
Operating System. When attempting to install the Installation Utility on a machine with an
existing Operating System, the Operating System will be deleted and the Operating System on
the bootable media will be installed instead.
To install the Installation Utility:
11. Insert the bootable media (either a USB or CD).
12. Reboot the machine.
13. Enter the machine BIOS and configure the machine to boot from the USB/CD.
14. Reboot the machine.
15. From the OS installation UI select the OS version (the first option).
Note: This step usually takes about 25 minutes to complete.
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Figure 1: OS installation screen
16. Enter the following information, as prompted:
a. Host name of the installer machine
b. Management network, mask and interface.
c. An available IP in the management network for the Installation Utility
machine.
d. The default gateway of the machine.
e. The DHCP network configuration (start and end DHCP).
17. Confirm the configuration, and reboot the machine.
The machine is installed with the installation utility.
18. On the machine that has the Installation Utility installed, the processes below are
configured as follows:
a. The Installation Utility component runs on port 9090 on the Management
Network.
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b. The Cobbler (SDC Repository) runs on port 9090 on the Management
Network.
c. The DHCP runs on port 67/68 on the Management Network.
19. After rebooting the machine the DHCP is not started. Perform the following steps to
start the DHCP:
Note: Verify that additional DHCP do not exist in Management Network to avoid
DHCP collisions.
a. Run the following script to start the DHCP
:service dhcpd start
b. Run the following script to disable the DHCP when the Installation Utility is
not in use
:service dhcpd stop
20. Access the Installation Utility by entering the following URL in your internet
browser:
http://<installer_machine_IP>:9090/Installer
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5 Creating the Site Configuration File
This section includes the following:
Prerequisites
Creating an SDC site configuration file – an overview
Creating an SDC site configuration file
Creating an EMS site configuration file – an overview
Creating an EMS site configuration file
Prerequisites
The hardware requirements are understood and fulfilled.
You have read over the next section and have the necessary IP and networking
information.
Creating an SDC site configuration file – an overview
The flow below provides a high level view of the configuration file creation process for an
SDC site, using the SDC Site Topology Wizard.
For a high level view of the configuration file creation process for an EMS site, see Creating
an EMS site configuration file – an overview.
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5.2.1 Step 1: Defining file properties
Figure 2: Topology File Name screen
In this screen, the SDC Topology Wizard begins the site configuration file creation process and
asks you to define a name for the new .xml file that will be created, and the location to which
you want to save the created file. You are also asked to define what type of site you are
configuring – an SDC site or an EMS site. The SDC Topology Wizard screens that follow will
prompt you for information related to the selected site type.
For detailed information, see Defining File Properties and Site Type.
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5.2.2 Step 2: Defining basic configuration
Figure 3: SDC Site Basic Configuration screen
At this point, the SDC Topology wizard knows where the site configuration file is going to be
saved and what it will be called. It also knows if the site is going to be an SDC site or an EMS
site. The SDC Topology wizard now helps you to define the HW, OS, SW version, and NTP
configuration for the site.
For detailed information, see Defining Basic Site Configuration.
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5.2.3 Step 3: Defining networks
Figure 4: Network Configuration screen
At this point, the SDC Topology wizard knows what SDC components need to be configured
in the site configuration file. The SDC Topology wizard also knows how many interfaces it has
through which to configure effective communication between these components, between the
site nodes, and (in cases of multi-site deployments) between sites themselves. The SDC
Topology wizard now needs to configure the networks that these components will run on.
For detailed information, see Defining the site networks.
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5.2.4 Step 4: Defining FEP instances
Figure 5: FEP Configuration screen
In this screen, the SDC Topology wizard displays the configured FEP instances for the site.
The FEP IP address is the destination network address of incoming messages.
For detailed information, see Defining FEP instances.
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5.2.5 Step 5: Summary
Figure 6: Topology File Name screen
In this screen, the SDC Topology wizard displays the SDC components that are configured for
each of the nodes in your site, and defines the allocation between active and standby
components. This configuration is based on the default components that are configured for the
specific site type (SDC or EMS). Using this screen you can also configure SS7 for the SDC
site, if applicable.
For detailed information, see Summary and Defining SS7.
Creating an SDC site configuration file
Follow the steps in the Site Topology wizard to create an .xml site configuration file for an
SDC site. The created file will then be saved for later use, to be uploaded to the installer server
and installed using the Installation Utility. For more information about uploading the created
.xml site configuration file, see Upload site configuration file.
For information about creating an .xml site configuration file for an EMS site, see Creating an
EMS site configuration file.
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5.3.1 Defining File Properties and Site Type
Figure 7: Topology File Name screen
In this screen, the SDC Topology Wizard begins the site configuration file creation process and
asks you to define a name for the new XML file that will be created, and the location to which
you want to save the created file. You are also asked to define what type of site you are
configuring – an SDC site or an EMS site. The SDC Topology Wizard screens that follow will
prompt you for information related to the selected site type.
To define the name of the topology XML file and the location to which it will be saved:
1. In the Site Configuration file name field, enter the desired name for the SDC site.
2. In the File location field, enter the path to the location to which you want the
created file to be saved, or click the browse icon and browse to the desired file path.
Note: If you want to work on an already existing file, click the browse button,
navigate to and select the desired file, and click Open. The file name will appear in
the Site Configuration file name field.
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To define the type of site you are configuring:
1. In the Site Type area, mark one of the following options:
a. SDC – mark this option if the site you are creating is an SDC site (either
standalone or connected to other SDC sites in a multisite deployment).
b. EMS – mark this option if the site you are creating is the management site in a
multisite deployment.
5.3.2 Defining Basic Site Configuration
At this point, the SDC Topology wizard knows where the site configuration file is going to be
saved and what it will be called. It also knows if the site is going to be an SDC site or an EMS
site. The SDC Topology wizard now helps you to define the HW, OS, SW version, and NTP
configuration for the site.
Figure 8: SDC Site Basic Configuration screen
To define the basic SDC site configuration:
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1. In the SDC Site Name field, enter the desired name for the site nodes. In the XML file
that is created, each site name will appear in the following format:
<entered site name>-<number node>.
For example, if I enter the site name value as “SampleSite”, and define that the site
contains four nodes, four nodes will be created with the following names: SampleSite-
1, SampleSite-2, SampleSite-3, and SampleSite-4.
2. In the Nodes field, indicate the number of nodes included in the site.
To define the hardware and software details:
1. In the Hardware field, click on the arrow to display the hardware options, and select
the hardware that the site is going to run on.
The options displayed include:
o VM
o HP Blade Center
o IBM Blade Center
o Pizza
o Sparc
2. In the # of interfaces field, click on the arrow and select the number of ports that each
node is going to use.
Note: The number of available interfaces changes based on the hardware option
selected. Some hardware options have a set number of interfaces and therefore this
field may be disabled.
3. In the Operating System field, click on the arrow to display the Operating System
option, and select the OS that is going to run on the selected hardware.
The options displayed include:
o CentOS
o RH 6.3 for IBM
o RH 6.3 for HP
o RH 6.3 for Others
4. In the SDC Version field, click on the arrow to display the version options, and select
the SDC version that the site is going to be run with.
5. In the Time zone field, click on the arrow to displays the timezone options, and select
the time zone that the site is going to run in.
6. In the NTP Server IP Addresses field, verify the NTP server IP address. This is the
NTP server address. The NTP server synchronizes time zones between the nodes.
You can add, delete, or edit the NTP IP addresses, as follows:
a. To add an NTP server IP address:
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i. Enter an IP address in the field below the NTP field
ii. Click Add. The IP address appears in the NTP field.
b. To delete an NTP server IP address:
i. In the NTP field, select the IP address to delete.
ii. Click Del. The IP address is removed from the NTP field.
c. To edit the NTP Server IP address list order:
i. In the NTP field, select the IP address to move.
ii. Using the arrows at the right of the NTP, move the IP address to the desired list
position.
To define the additional SDC components (for SDC sites):
1. In the Advanced Configuration area, you define the add-on site configurations:
a. Mark the Managed by EMS checkbox if the site is part of a multisite
environment.
The SDC Topology wizard now asks you for the IP addresses of the
Configuration Manager installed on each of the EMS site nodes (the Reporting
IP Addresses), as well as the VIP address of the NMS Manager installed on the
EMS site (the Monitoring IP Address).
b. In the # of maximum concurrent sessions field, enter the maximum number of
sessions that can be saved in the Tripo database.
5.3.3 Defining the site networks
At this point, the SDC Topology wizard knows what SDC components need to be configured
in the site configuration file. The SDC Topology wizard also knows how many interfaces it has
through which to configure effective communication between these components, between the
site nodes, and (in cases of multi-site deployments) between sites themselves. The SDC
Topology wizard now needs to configure the networks running between these different
components.
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Figure 9: Networks Definition screen
In this screen, the SDC Topology wizard displays the IC and Management networks that are
automatically configured.
The networks are displayed in the network definition table with the following information:
a. Name
b. Interface
c. VLAN
d. IP version
e. Network Address
f. Mask
g. R/Offset
h. Type
To add a network:
1. Click Add. The Add/Edit Network screen appears.
2. Follow the instructions in The Add/Edit Network screen.
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To edit a network:
1. Select a row in the network definition table.
2. Click Edit. The Add/Edit Network screen appears.
3. Follow the instructions in The Add/Edit Network screen.
To edit the Gateway IP:
1. In the Gateway IP area, mark the Manual checkbox, click in the IP field and enter
the IP address.
Note: This Gateway IP address is the default gateway IP address for the selected
network.
The Add/Edit Network screen
The Network Config Diagram in the Edit Network screen displays the defined ports for the site
nodes, and the network that runs on them (when configured). Click on a port to display the
associated information. The Edit Network screen displays (and asks for) the following details:
Network name
Interfaces that the network runs on
Network VLAN tag
Network IP version
Network IP Address Range
Network IP address
Network mask
Network gateway
To add or edit a network:
1. In the network area:
a. In the Interface field, select the interface or bond that the network is going to
run on.
b. In the VLAN field, enter the VLAN tag that the network is going to run on, if
applicable.
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c. Select the option – V4 or V6 – that corresponds to the IP version that the
network uses.
Note: IPV6 is not yet supported and cannot be edited.
d. In the Address Range field, enter the range for the IP addresses that the
network can use.
e. In the Network field, enter the IP address that the network is going to run on.
f. In the Mask field, enter the network mask.
g. In the Gateway field, enter the IP address that the network is going to use.
h. To add routes to the network, click Routes. The Static Network for Network
screen appears.
Static routing is the term used to describe routing that is per server, without
differentiating between the different FEPs installed on the site. When only static
routing is configured, all messages from the server are routed to the same
(external) destination network
i. In the Static Network routes for Network screen, click Add.
ii. Enter the Destination Network’s IP address and mask.
iii. Click Insert.
2. Click Save Network. The network now appears in the networks table.
To add a bond:
Creating a bond between two interfaces, defining them as one new interface, can achieve
one of two possible performance enhancements:
Increased capacity – when two interfaces are defined in an active/active bond, the
individual port’s capacity is doubled, creating a new interface with double the capacity.
Redundancy – when two interfaces are defined in an active/standby bond – the
standby bond is available to take over in case the active bond experiences failure,
ensuring continuous performance.
1. Mark the Interface checkbox. The Add Bond section appears.
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i. In the Bond Name field, use the arrows or click inside the field and
enter the desired value.
Note: Bond0 and Bond1 cannot be edited.
ii. Use the arrow to select and move ports between the Free Interfaces and
Bond Interfaces lists.
iii. Click Save Bond.
At this point, the SDC Topology wizard knows the networks that the site will use. The SDC
Topology wizard will allocate IP addresses from these networks to the SDC cluster
components on the site nodes.
5.3.4 Defining FEP instances
Figure 10: Site FEPs Definition screen
In this screen, the SDC Topology wizard displays the configured FEP instances for the site.
The FEP IP address is the network address that will appear in each message sent.
To add a FEP instance:
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1. Click Add. The Front End Proxy (FEP) screen appears.
2. Follow the instructions in the Add/Edit Front End Proxy (FEP) screen.
To edit a FEP instance:
1. Select a row in the definition table.
2. Click Edit. The Front End Proxy (FEP) screen appears.
Follow the instructions in the Add/Edit Front End Proxy (FEP) screen.
Add/Edit Front End Proxy (FEP) screen
The Add/Edit Front End Proxy (FEP) screen asks you to define a protocol based FEP instance.
To add or edit a FEP instance:
1. In the FEP Name field, enter the name that the FEP instance will appear as in the
summary table in step 5.
2. In the Type field, select the protocol that the FEP instance supports.
3. In the IP Protocol area, select the transport protocol that the FEP instance uses.
4. In the Homing field (applicable for SCTP only), select multi-homing if the FEP
instance connects to more than one IP address.
5. In the Port field, enter the port used to access the protocol.
6. To define the FEP instance as an out-only instance, mark the Out only FEP checkbox.
Note: A FEP instance can only be defined as an out-only instance if a FEP-in instance
is already configured.
7. In the Network Name field, select the previously configured network that the FEP
instance is going to run on.
8. Mark the VIP checkbox if you wish to define a loopback IP address for the FEP
instance. In the field that appears, enter the desired IP address. This is the IP address
that will appear for messages that are sent through the FEP instance, instead of the FEP
IP address.
9. To add routes to the FEP, click Routes. The Fep routes for FEP screen appears.
Fep-specific routing is routing that is configured individually for each FEP
installed on the site. Each FEP is configured to communicate with a specific
(external) destination network.
a. In the Fep routes for FEP screen, click Add.
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b. Enter the Destination Network’s IP address and mask.
c. Click Insert.
10. Click Save FEP. The FEP instance now appears in the FEP instances table.
5.3.5 Summary and Defining SS7
In this screen, the SDC Topology wizard displays the SDC components that are configured for
each of the nodes in your site, and defines the allocation between active and standby
components. This configuration is based on the default components that are configured for the
specific site type (SDC or EMS), and the additional roles you defined for the site. Using this
screen you can also configure the SS7 and File Server components for the SDC site, if
applicable.
Figure 11: Site FEPs Definition screen
The components displayed in the screen are as follows:
Column Name SDC Component
FEP1 A defined FEP instance
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CPF CPF
CM Config Manager
WUI WebUI
Idx Splunk Indexer
Fwd Splunk Forwarder
Mst SplunkMaster
Srh Splunk Searchhead
Agt NMS Agent
Ss7 SS7
Tpo Tripo
Cls Splunk Cluster
FS File Server
For more information about the SDC components and common cluster configurations, see
Appendix A: Common Cluster Configurations.
To configure S77:
1. In the Configure SS7 nodes area, mark the Includes SS7 checkbox. The Configure
SS7 button is enabled.
2. Click Configure SS7. The SS7 Configuration screen appears.
Each of the 2 CPFs in the SDC that are connected to the Signaling System 7 network
(ss7) is a separated Node.
All nodes in ss7 have a Point Code. All nodes should connect to 2 remote nodes.
The ss7 is connected by SCTP/IP network. In SCTP multi homing, one port is
connected via two physical network interface cards (NIC) to two different networks.
Each NIC has connection (socket) to the 2 remote node through his network (Red or
Blue).
To see the sockets line, click on the diagram.
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(The sockets are the lines from the CPF NICs going through the corresponding network
to the remote nodes)
We call the two networks Red & Blue. The CPFs will have default NIC cards with IPs
connected to the Red & Blue network that you will assign in the ComboBox.
For each remote node you configure an IP both for the Red & Blue networks. Each
remote node needs a port and a Point Code.
To create the site configuration file:
1. Click Finish. The Wizard Report screen will appears, displaying a summary of all
defined values in the wizard.
a. Click Print to print a hard copy of the report.
b. Click Save as to save the report.
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Creating an EMS site configuration file – an overview
The flow below provides a high level view of the configuration file creation process for an
EMS site, using the SDC Site Topology Wizard.
For a high level view of the configuration file creation process for an SDC site, see Creating
an SDC site configuration file – an overview.
5.4.1 Step 1: Defining file properties
Figure 12: Topology File Name screen
In this screen, the SDC Topology Wizard begins the site configuration file creation process and
asks you to define a name for the new XML file that will be created, and the location to which
you want to save the created file. You are also asked to define what type of site you are
configuring – an SDC site or an EMS site. The SDC Topology Wizard screens that follow will
prompt you for information related to the selected site type.
For detailed information, see Defining File Properties and Site Type.
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5.4.2 Step 2: Defining basic configuration
Figure 13: EMS Basic Configuration screen
At this point, the SDC Topology wizard knows where the site configuration file is going to be
saved and what it will be called. It also knows if the site is going to be an SDC site or an EMS
site. The SDC Topology wizard now helps you to define the HW, OS, SW version, and NTP
configuration for the site.
For detailed information, see Defining Basic Site Configuration.
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5.4.3 Step 3: Defining networks
Figure 14: Network Configuration screen
At this point, the SDC Topology wizard knows what SDC components need to be configured
in the site configuration file. The SDC Topology wizard also knows how many interfaces it has
through which to configure effective communication between these components, between the
site nodes, and (in cases of multi-site deployments) between sites themselves. The SDC
Topology wizard now needs to configure the networks running between these different
components.
For detailed information, see Defining the site networks.
5.4.4 Step 4: Defining FEP instances
This step is not relevant for EMS sites and is therefore disabled in the SDC Site Topology
Wizard.
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5.4.5 Step 5: Summary
Figure 15: Summary screen
In this screen, the SDC Topology wizard displays the SDC components that are configured for
each of the nodes in your site, and defines the allocation between active and standby
components. This configuration is based on the default components that are configured for the
specific site type (SDC or EMS).
Creating an EMS site configuration file
Follow the steps in the Site Topology wizard to create the .xml site configuration file. The
created file will then be saved for later use, to be uploaded to the installer server and installed
using the Installation Utility. For more information about uploading the created .xml site
configuration file, see Upload site configuration file.
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5.5.1 Defining File Properties and Site Type
Figure 16: Topology File Name screen
In this screen, the SDC Topology Wizard begins the site configuration file creation process and
asks you to define a name for the new XML file that will be created, and the location to which
you want to save the created file. You are also asked to define what type of site you are
configuring – an SDC site or an EMS site. The SDC Topology Wizard screens that follow will
prompt you for information related to the selected site type.
To define the name of the topology XML file and the location to which it will be saved:
1. In the Site Configuration file name field, enter the desired name for the SDC site.
2. In the File location field, enter the path to the location to which you want the
created file to be saved, or click the browse icon and browse to the desired file path.
Note: If you want to work on an already existing file, click the browse button, navigate to
and select the desired file, and click Open. The file name will appear in the Site
Configuration file name field.
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To define the type of site you are configuring:
1. In the Site Type area, mark one of the following options:
a. SDC – mark this option if the site you are creating is an SDC site (either
standalone or connected to other SDC sites in a multisite deployment).
b. EMS – mark this option if the site you are creating is the management site
in a multisite deployment.
5.5.2 Defining Basic Site Configuration
At this point, the SDC Topology wizard knows where the site configuration file is going to be
saved and what it will be called. It also knows if the site is going to be an SDC site or an EMS
site. The SDC Topology wizard now helps you to define the HW, OS, SW version, and NTP
configuration for the site.
Figure 17: EMS Site Basic Configuration screen
To define the basic SDC site configuration:
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1. In the EMS Site Name field, enter the desired name for the site nodes. In the XML file
that is created, each site name will appear in the following format:
<entered site name>-<number node>.
For example, if I enter the site name value as “SampleSite”, and define that the site
contains four nodes, four nodes will be created with the following names: SampleSite-
1, SampleSite-2, SampleSite-3, and SampleSite-4.
2. In the Nodes field, indicate the number of nodes included in the site by using the
arrows or clicking on the displayed number and manually entering the desired value.
To define the hardware and software details:
1. In the HardWare field, click on the arrow to display the hardware options, and select
the hardware that the site is going to run on.
The options displayed include:
o VM
o HP Blade Center
o IBM Blade Center
o Pizza
o Sparc
2. In the # of interfaces field, click on the arrow and select the number of ports that each
node is going to use.
Note: The number of available interfaces changes based on the hardware option
selected. Some hardware options have a set number of interfaces and therefore this
field may be disabled.
3. In the Operating System field, click on the arrow to display the Operating System
option, and select the OS that is going to run on the selected hardware.
The options displayed include:
o CentOS
o RH 6.3 for IBM
o RH 6.3 for HP
o RH 6.3 for Others
4. In the SDC Version field, click on the arrow to display the version options, and select
the SDC version that the site is going to be run with.
5. In the Time zone field, click on the arrow to displays the timezone options, and select
the time zone that the site is going to run in.
6. In the NTP Server IP Addresses field, verify the NTP server IP address. This is the
NTP server address. The NTP server synchronizes time zones between the nodes.
You can add, delete, or edit the NTP IP addresses, as follows:
a. To add an NTP server IP address:
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iii. Enter an IP address in the field below the NTP field
iv. Click Add. The IP address appears in the NTP field.
b. To delete an NTP server IP address:
iii. In the NTP field, select the IP address to delete.
iv. Click Del. The IP address is removed from the NTP field.
c. To edit the NTP Server IP address list order:
iii. In the NTP field, select the IP address to move.
iv. Using the arrows at the right of the NTP, move the IP address to the desired list
position.
To define the additional EMS components (for EMS sites):
1. In the EMS Group Configure area:
a. In the Group Name field, select the name for the group of sites managed by the
EMS site.
b. The list of sites in the EMS group appears below the group name. To add a site
to the group list, enter the site name in the field below and click Add. The site
name now appears in the group list of SDC sites managed by the EMS site.
5.5.3 Defining the site networks
At this point, the SDC Topology wizard knows what SDC components need to be configured
in the site configuration file. The SDC Topology wizard also knows how many interfaces it has
through which to configure effective communication between these components, between the
site nodes, and (in cases of multi-site deployments) between sites themselves. The SDC
Topology wizard now needs to configure the networks running between these different
components.
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Figure 18: Networks Definition screen
In this screen, the SDC Topology wizard displays the IC and Management networks that are
automatically configured.
The networks are displayed in the network definition table with the following information:
Name
Interface
VLAN
IP version
Network Address
Mask
R/Offset
Type
To edit a network:
1. Select a row in the network definition table.
2. Click Edit. The Add/Edit Network screen appears.
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3. Follow the instructions in The Add/Edit Network screen.
To edit the Gateway IP:
1. In the Gateway IP area, mark the Manual checkbox, click in the IP field and enter
the IP address.
Note: This Gateway IP address is the default gateway IP address for the selected
network.
The Add/Edit Network screen
The Network Config Diagram in the Edit Network screen displays the defined ports for the site
nodes, and the network that runs on them (when configured). Click on a port to display the
associated information. The Edit Network screen displays (and asks for) the following details:
Network name
Interfaces that the network runs on
Network VLAN tag
Network IP version
Network IP Address Range
Network IP address
Network mask
Network gateway
To edit a network:
1. In the network area:
a. In the Interface field, select the interface or bond that the network is going to
run on.
b. In the VLAN field, enter the VLAN tag that the network is going to run on, if
applicable.
c. Select the option – V4 or V6 – that corresponds to the IP version that the
network uses.
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Note: IPV6 is not yet supported and cannot be edited.
d. In the Address Range field, enter the range for the IP addresses that the
network can use.
e. In the Network field, enter the IP address that the network is going to run on.
f. In the Mask field, enter the network mask.
g. In the Gateway field, enter the IP address that the network is going to use.
h. To add routes to the network, click Routes. The Static Network for Network
screen appears.
Static routing is the term used to describe routing that is per server, without
differentiating between the different FEPs installed on the site. When only static
routing is configured, all messages from the server are routed to the same
(external) destination network
i. In the Static Network routes for Network screen, click Add.
ii. Enter the Destination Network’s IP address and mask.
iii. Click Insert.
2. Click Save Network. The network now appears in the networks table.
To add a bond:
1. Mark the Interface checkbox. The Add Bond section appears.
i. In the Bond Name field, use the arrows or click inside the field and
enter the desired value.
Note: Bond0 and Bond1 cannot be edited.
ii. Use the arrow to select and move ports between the Free Interfaces and
Bond Interfaces lists.
iii. Click Save Bond.
At this point, the SDC Topology wizard knows the networks that the site will use. The SDC
Topology wizard will allocate IP addresses from these networks to the SDC cluster
components on the site nodes.
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5.5.4 Summary
In this screen, the SDC Topology wizard displays the SDC components that are configured for
each of the nodes in your site, and defines the allocation between active and standby
components. This configuration is based on the default components that are configured for the
specific site type (SDC or EMS), and the additional roles you defined for the site.
Figure 19: Summary screen
The components displayed in the screen are as follows:
Column Name SDC Component
FEP1 A defined FEP instance
CPF CPF
CM Config Manager
WUI WebUI
Idx Splunk Indexer
Fwd Splunk Forwarder
Mst SplunkMaster
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Srh Splunk Searchhead
Agt NMS Agent
Ss7 SS7
Tpo Tripo
Cls Splunk Cluster
FS File Server
For more information about the SDC components and common cluster configurations, see
Appendix A: Common Cluster Configurations.
To create the site configuration file:
1. Click Finish. The Wizard Report screen will appears, displaying a summary of all
defined values in the wizard.
a. Click Print to print a hard copy of the report.
b. Click Save as to save the report.
Viewing the Site Configuration File Report
The SDC Site Topology Wizard produces a report that details the site configuration. This
report includes the SDC components that have been defined for the site, as well and the
networks and IP addresses that are allocated to each site and each site component.
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6 Performing the Installation
This section includes the following topics:
Prerequisites
Performing an Installation
Prerequisites
Before creating or editing a site configuration file, verify that:
The hardware requirements are understood and fulfilled.
The site configuration file is updated and validated.
Performing an Installation
6.2.1 Accessing the wizard
To access the “Perform Installation” wizard:
1. In the Installation Utility home page, click Perform Installation.
The Select Site Configuration File screen appears.
6.2.2 Selecting a site configuration file
Figure 20: Select Configuration screen
This screen contains two options to retrieve the site configuration file. Select the site
configuration file by choosing the one of the following options:
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Load site configuration file from the installation server
Choose this option if the file you want to work with is included in the default files included
with the Installation Utility, or if the file has previously been uploaded to the Installer server.
To load a file from the installation server:
1. Select the desired file from the drop-down list.
Upload site configuration file
Choose this option if the file you want to work with is located locally (for example, on a USB
or on the desktop) and has not yet been uploaded to the installation server.
To upload a file to the installation server:
1. Click Browse and navigate to the desired file.
2. Click Open.
Note: The selected configuration file is now on the installation server, and will appear in the
drop-down list of available configuration files.
6.2.3 Select the installation type
Figure 21: Select Installation screen
In this screen, we select the servers that are going to be installed as part of the installation
procedure. There are two types of installations. Site Installations install all servers that are
defined as part of the installation process in the site configuration file. Installations Per
Servers installs only those servers that are selected from the list of available servers that
appears when this option is selected.
Select the installation type by choosing one of the following options:
Site installation
Installation per server
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Site installation
Select this option if you want to apply the configuration file to all site servers.
Installation per server
Select this option if you want to apply the configuration file to specific site servers only, and
select the checkbox next to those servers.
6.2.4 Select the installation steps
Figure 22: Select Steps screen
In this screen, we define which installation steps are going to be performed as part of the
installation. Recommended Installation does not perform any installation step related to
testing or simulating performance, whereas Custom Installation performs all steps that are
selected from the list of available steps that appears when this option is selected.
Note: By default, all installation steps aside for those related to testing or simulating
performance are selected in the Custom Installation option.
Select the installation type by choosing one of the following options:
Recommended installation
Custom installation
Recommended installation
Select this option if you want to perform all installation steps aside for steps related to
performance testing and product simulation.
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Custom installation
Select this option if you want to define specific installation steps to be performed, and select
the checkbox next to those steps. Table 3 details the available installation steps.
Table 3: Installation Steps
Installation Step Description Guidelines
Check System
Checks the hardware to verify that
there is enough memory and interface
availability for a successful
installation
Shutdown All
Applications
Shuts down all F5 applications
Update SDC Installation
Repository
Edits the /etc/yum.repo.d/traffix.repo
file and updates the Installer IP in the
file
Perform Java
Installation
Installs Java Only applicable if Java is not already
installed.
Copy Installation Files
Copies the installer scripts and the
SDC.tar.gz file
Only applicable if something in the
installer has changed or if you want to
update the SDC version.
Update Topology File Updates the site configuration file Always applicable.
Prepare Operating
System
Updates the snmp, rsyslog, logrotate
definitions; turns off the SNMP
service; builds the /etc/host file;
configures the kernel, the core file, the
time zone, and the NTP; starts the
coredumps, snmp, and logrotate
services; tells the system to remount
the /dev/shm/ on boot; configures
nsswitch.
Only needs to be performed once.
Configure Network
Configures the interfaces, bonds,
hostname, and static routing.
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Installation Step Description Guidelines
Reboot
Reboots the machine. Only needs to be performed if the
previous two steps are selected.
Install installer
Installs the installation utility on the
selected servers.
Open SDC Installation
Kit
Opens the tar.gz file, builds the
/opt/traffix/sdc, and creates a backup
of the old one.
Install Tripo
Component
Installs and configures Tripo.
File Server installation Installs and configures the File Server.
Install SS7 Component Installs and configures SS7
Configure SDC
Builds the configuration file for each
component in the
/opt/traffix/sdc/config/sysconfig file.
Install NMS Agent
Component
Installs and configures the NMS agent Only needs to be performed once.
Install Splunk
Component
Installs and configures Splunk
Run SDC
Runs the SDC to check the effect the
changes had.
Stop SDC Stops the check.
Configure SDC Cluster
Configures the activeMQ and the
config manager group; the servers
begin communicating with eachother;
the cluster between sites is created –
before each site was standalone.
Configure Corosync
Cluster
Builds the configuration for Corosync
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Installation Step Description Guidelines
Hardening system
(Security)
Performs system hardening according
to the product requirements. This step
verifies that only the necessary SDC
ports are open and ready to accept
inbound connections.
Configure SDC for
JMeter Tests
Only applicable for test environments
Update Installation
Repository for JMeter
Server
Only applicable for test environments
Install Java for JMeter
Server
Only applicable for test environments
Install JMeter Server Only applicable for test environments
Configure JMeter for
Server Tests
Only applicable for test environments
Update Installation
Repository for JMeter
Client
Only applicable for test environments
Install Java for JMeter
Client
Only applicable for test environments
Install JMeter Client Only applicable for test environmentss
Configure Client for
JMeter Tests
Only applicable for test environments
6.2.5 Defining the Operating System
Figure 23: Define OS screen
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In this screen, we define if an operating system should be installed as part of the installation.
Select the checkbox indicating if the OS should be installed during installation.
6.2.6 Confirming the installation setup
Figure 24: Summary screen
In this screen, we verify the definitions we made in the previous screens.
Click Next to start the installation process or Cancel to exit.
6.2.7 Monitoring the installation progression
Figure 25: Installation Progress screen
In the Installation OS and Installation Progress screens, we see the installation progression for
each installation step for each server. This way, if the installation fails on specific steps for a
specific server, we can effectively troubleshoot the cause of the failure.
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7 Post Installation Procedures
The following procedures are performed after the installation process is successfully
completed:
Changing the Root Password
Changing the SNMP Community String
Connecting between SDC and EMS Sites
Installing the Splunk License
Changing the Root Password
During installation the Root password is assigned a default value. For increased security, change
this value.
To change the root password:
1. Run the Unix “passwd” command.
Changing the SNMP Community String
To prevent access to the system’s SNMP data, change the community “public” string. The change
should be performed in two levels: in every SDC and EMS site’s OS and in the XML configuration
file. For more information, see the Changing the SNMP Community String document.
Connecting between SDC and EMS Sites
This section includes the following topics:
Prerequisites
Connecting between an SDC site and an EMS site
Hardening the Connection between an SDC site and an EMS site
7.3.1 Prerequisites
Before connecting between SDC sites:
Verify that the site configuration file is complete.
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7.3.2 Connecting between an SDC site and an EMS site
Note: Shut down the sites before configuring the connection, if they are running.
To create connections between both SDC site and an EMS site:
1. On all servers (on both the SDC and EMS sites), verify and update the /etc/hosts file
with the following:
a. nmsmanager.traffix.com - set to the VIP of the NMS Manager component, as
defined in the EMS site cluster.
b. splunkfwic.traffix.com – set to the VIP of the splunk forwarder component, as
defined in the site cluster.
c. splunkic1.traffix.com AND splunkic2.traffix.com - set to the IP of the Splunk
indexer component.
Note: If there is only one Splunk indexer, both should be set with the same IP.
d. splunkmaster.traffix.com – set to the VIP of the splunk cluster component, as
defined in the EMS site cluster.
Note: This is only defined on the EMS site servers.
2. On the EMS site servers:
a. Add the following section to the traffix_config_mgr file in
/opt/traffix/sdc/config/sysconfig:
CONFIG_MGR_REMOTE_NETWORK_URI="static:(failover:(tcp:
//
SITE_A_1_IP:61617?wireFormat.maxInactivityDuration=0&
keepAlive=true,tcp://
SITE_A_2_IP:61617?wireFormat.maxInactivityDuration=0&
keepAlive=true)?randomize=false&maxReconnectAttempts=
0,failover:(tcp://
SITE_B_1_IP:61617?wireFormat.maxInactivityDuration=0&
keepAlive=true,tcp://
SITE_B_2_IP:61617?wireFormat.maxInactivityDuration=0&
keepAlive=true)?randomize=false&maxReconnectAttempts=
0)"
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b. Update the following parameters:
i. SITE_A_1_IP – set as the IP address of the config manager component
on the first server in the first SDC site.
ii. SITE_A_2_IP – set as the IP address of the config manager component
on the second server in the first SDC site.
iii. SITE_B_1_IP – set as the IP address of the config manager component
on the first server in the second SDC site (applicable only if you are
connecting two SDC sites to an EMS site).
iv. SITE_B_2_IP – set as the IP address of the config manager component
on the second server in the second SDC site (applicable only if you are
connecting two SDC sites to an EMS site).
7.3.3 Hardening the Connection between an SDC site and an EMS site
When configuring a multi-site network that includes EMS we need to configure a connection
between the EMS and the SDC. The connection can be secure or unsecure. To secure the
connection we use an SSL configuration based on trusted key authentication. The connection is
initiated by the EMS site while the SDC site checks that the key in is trusted list. For more
information about securing the connection, see F5 SDC Configuring ActiveMQ with SSL.
Installing the Splunk License
To correctly install the Splunk license on your system, each Splunk component – the Splunk
Master, Splunk Indexer, and Splunk Search – must be individually configured to work with the
given license.
To configure the license on the Splunk Master:
1. Access the Splunk WebUI using the following URL:
http://<EMS_IP_Address>:8100
2. Go to Manager>Licensing.
3. Click Add License and then select Copy & paste the license XML directly....
4. Enter the license string provided to you by F5.
5. Click Install.
6. Log out.
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To configure the license on the Splunk Indexer:
1. Access the Splunk WebUI using the following URL:
http://<EMS_IP_Address>:8200
2. Go to Manager>Licensing.
3. Click Change to Slave.
4. Select Designate a Different Splunk instance as the master license server.
5. In the Master license server URI edit box, enter the following string:
https://splunkmaster.traffix.com:8189
6. Log out.
7. Repeat step 1-6 on the second server running the Splunk Indexer.
To configure the license on the Splunk Search:
1. Access the Splunk WebUI using the following URL:
http://<EMS_IP_ADDRESS>:8000
2. Go to Manager>Licensing.
3. Click Change to Slave.
4. Select Designate a different Splunk instance as the master license server.
5. In the Master license server URI edit box, add the following string:
https://splunkmaster.traffix.com:8189
6. Log out.
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8 Appendix A: Common Cluster
Configurations
This section provides an overview of the cluster configuration of two common SDC site
setups:
Cluster configuration for an SDC site
Cluster configuration for an EMS site
Cluster configuration for an SDC site
The Illustration of an SDC site cluster configuration shows an SDC site with two servers,
where one server is running the process. The following components are installed on this site:
WebUI – running on the management network, the WebUI is run on the active server
Configuration Manager – running directly on both servers concurrently
CPF – running directly on both servers concurrently
Tripo - running directly on both servers concurrently
NMS Agent - running on the management network, the NMS agent is run on the active
server
Splunk Forwarder - running on the interconnect network, the Splunk Forwarder is run
on the active server
FEP instances – running on a signaling network, the FEP instances are run on the active
server
SS7 – running directly on both servers concurrently
File Server – running directly on both servers concurrently
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Figure 26: Illustration of an SDC site cluster configuration
Cluster configuration for an EMS site
The Illustration of an EMS site cluster configuration shows an EMS site with two servers,
where one server is running the process. The following components are installed on this site:
WebUI – running on the management network, the WebUI is run on the active server
Configuration Manager – running directly on both servers concurrently
NMS Manager - running on the management network, the WebUI is run on the active
server
Splunk Forwarder - running on the interconnect network, the WebUI is run on the
active server
Splunk Indexer – running directly on both servers concurrently
Splunk Cluster – containing the Splunk Master and Splunk Search Head, running on the
management network, the Splunk Cluster is run on the active server
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Figure 27: Illustration of an EMS site cluster configuration
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About F5 Networks F5 Networks (NASDAQ: FFIV) makes the connected world run better. F5 helps organizations
meet the demands and embrace the opportunities that come with the relentless growth of voice,
data, and video traffic, mobile workers, and applications—in the data center, the network, and
the cloud. The world’s largest businesses, service providers, government entities, and
consumer brands rely on F5’s intelligent services framework to deliver and protect their
applications and services while ensuring people stay connected. For more information, visit
www.F5.com, or contact us at [email protected].