12/4/2017 Article: K13312 - Overview of the BIG-IP DNS big3d_install, bigip_add, and gtm_add utilities (11.x - 13.

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K13312: Overview of the BIG-IP DNS big3d_install, bigip_add, and gtm_add utilities (11.x - 13.x)

Non-Diagnostic

Original Publication Date: Dec 30, 2011

Updated Date: Nov 15, 2017

Topic
This article applies to BIG-IP DNS (formerly BIG-IP GTM) 11.x - 13.x. For information about other versions, refer to the following article:

K8195: Overview of the BIG-IP GTM big3d_install, bigip_add, and gtm_add utilities (9.x - 10.x)

When deploying BIG-IP DNS, one of the steps includes configuring the different BIG-IP systems with which the BIG-IP DNS system interacts when managing DNS traffic.

Description
The BIG-IP DNS configuration scripts allow you to establish communications between the BIG-IP DNS systems and other external BIG-IP systems. Before you run any of the BIG-IP DNS configuration scripts, you should use the BIG-IP DNS Configuration utility to define
any remote BIG-IP systems (including other BIG-IP DNS systems) with which BIG-IP DNS will communicate. Once you have defined the other systems with which the BIG-IP DNS system will communicate, you may need to run one or more of the BIG-IP DNS
configuration scripts. The BIG-IP DNS configuration scripts are defined as follows:

gtm_add

Description
You can use the gtm_add script to integrate a new BIG-IP DNS system into an existing sync group that has one or more remote BIG-IP DNS Controllers. The script
replaces the current configuration files (bigip_gtm.conf, named.conf and named zone files) on BIG-IP DNS on which it runs with the configuration of the remote BIG-
IP DNS system in the specified sync group.

Protocol
The gtm_add script uses the secure shell (SSH) protocol to copy the remote BIG-IP DNS system's Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates to the local BIG-IP DNS
system and iQuery over TCP port 4353 to synchronize the configuration. The gtm_add script no longer supports SSH to synchronize the configuration as a backup if
the iQuery connection fails.

Running the gtm_add script

You can run the gtm_add script on the new BIG-IP DNS system that you are integrating within a network that you've configured with one or more existing BIG-IP DNS
systems. The new BIG-IP DNS system needs to be defined in the existing BIG-IP DNS system's configuration prior to running the gtm_add script. To run the gtm_add
script, log in to the command line of the BIG-IP DNS system and type the following command:

gtm_add <existing_GTM_IP_address>

Note: The BIG-IP DNS system on which you run the gtm_add script must be running the same version as the remote BIG-IP DNS system's sync group. If not,
the gtm_add script may fail to add the BIG-IP DNS sytem properly.

Note: The script presents a warning prompt confirming that you want to wipe out the current configuration on the local system.

big3d_install

Description
The big3d process runs on all BIG-IP systems and provides metrics collection data for BIG-IP systems. The big3d_install script is an interactive script that allows you
to install the current version of the big3d process on remote F5 systems. If a newer version of the big3d process is running on the remote BIG-IP system, the script
skips installation for that BIG-IP system. The big3d_install script also copies the trusted device certificate from the local BIG-IP DNS system to the
/config/big3d/client.crt file on the remote BIG-IP system and the trusted server certificate from the remote BIG-IP system to the /config/gtm/server.crt file on the local
BIG-IP DNS system.

Protocol
The big3d_install script attempts to use an iQuery connection over TCP port 4353 to copy the certificates and big3d process to the remote BIG-IP systems. The script
uses SSH if the iQuery connection fails.

Running the big3d_install script

To run the big3d_install utility, log in to the command line of the BIG-IP DNS system and type the following command:

big3d_install <BIG-IP_IP_address>

Note: If you do not specify an IP address, the script attempts to install the current version of the big3d process on all the BIG-IP controllers listed in the bigip_gtm.conf
file.

bigip_add

Description
The bigip_add script is an interactive script that exchanges iQuery SSL certificates with a remote BIG-IP system. The bigip_add script appends the local BIG-IP DNS
system's SSL certificate to the remote BIG-IP system's list of authorized certificates (contained in the /config/big3d/client.crt file). The script then appends the remote
BIG-IP system's iQuery SSL certificate to the BIG-IP DNS system's local list of authenticated iQuery SSL certificates (/config/gtm/server.crt).

Protocol
The bigip_add script uses the SSH protocol to exchange iQuery SSL certificates with the remote BIG-IP system.

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12/4/2017 Article: K13312 - Overview of the BIG-IP DNS big3d_install, bigip_add, and gtm_add utilities (11.x - 13.x)
Running the bigip_add script
The bigip_add script runs from the local BIG-IP DNS system when adding a BIG-IP system to the wide IP configuration. To run the bigip_add script, log in to the
command line of the BIG-IP DNS system and type the following command:

bigip_add <BIG-IP_IP_address>

Recommendations
None

Supplemental Information
K25311653: Adding BIG-IP LTM to a network with BIG-IP DNS (11.x - 12.x)
K17329: BIG-IP GTM name has changed to BIG-IP DNS
K14495: The bigip_add and gtm_add scripts now accept a user name
K13324: The gtm_add script no longer supports the SSH protocol as a fallback option to synchronize BIG-IP GTM configuration files
Setting Up a BIG-IP GTM Redundant System Configuration chapter in the BIG-IP Global Traffic Manager: Implementations guide
Adding a new BIG-IP GTM Synchronization Group chapter (BIG-IP 11.4.x) or the Ensuring Correct Synchronization When Adding GTM to a Network chapter
(BIG-IP 11.0.0 - 11.3.0) in the BIG-IP Global Traffic Manager: Implementations guide
Note: For information about how to locate F5 product manuals, refer to K12453464: Finding product documentation on AskF5.

Applies to (see versions):

BIG-IP AAM:
13.0.0, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0, 12.0.0, 11.6.2, 11.6.1, 11.6.0, 11.5.5, 11.5.4, 11.5.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.1, 11.5.0, 11.4.1, 11.4.0, 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, 11.1.0, 11.0.0

BIG-IP AFM:
13.0.0, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0, 12.0.0, 11.6.2, 11.6.1, 11.6.0, 11.5.5, 11.5.4, 11.5.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.1, 11.5.0, 11.4.1, 11.4.0, 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, 11.1.0, 11.0.0

BIG-IP APM:
13.0.0, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0, 12.0.0, 11.6.2, 11.6.1, 11.6.0, 11.5.5, 11.5.4, 11.5.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.1, 11.5.0, 11.4.1, 11.4.0, 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, 11.1.0, 11.0.0

BIG-IP ASM:
13.0.0, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0, 12.0.0, 11.6.2, 11.6.1, 11.6.0, 11.5.5, 11.5.4, 11.5.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.1, 11.5.0, 11.4.1, 11.4.0, 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, 11.1.0, 11.0.0

BIG-IP DNS:
13.0.0, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0, 12.0.0, 11.6.2, 11.6.1, 11.6.0, 11.5.5, 11.5.4, 11.5.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.1, 11.5.0, 11.4.1, 11.4.0, 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, 11.1.0, 11.0.0

BIG-IP Edge Gateway:

13.0.0, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0, 12.0.0, 11.6.2, 11.6.1, 11.6.0, 11.5.5, 11.5.4, 11.5.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.1, 11.5.0, 11.4.1, 11.4.0, 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, 11.1.0, 11.0.0

BIG-IP GTM:
13.0.0, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0, 12.0.0, 11.6.2, 11.6.1, 11.6.0, 11.5.5, 11.5.4, 11.5.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.1, 11.5.0, 11.4.1, 11.4.0, 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, 11.1.0, 11.0.0

BIG-IP LTM:
13.0.0, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0, 12.0.0, 11.6.2, 11.6.1, 11.6.0, 11.5.5, 11.5.4, 11.5.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.1, 11.5.0, 11.4.1, 11.4.0, 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, 11.1.0, 11.0.0

BIG-IP Link Controller:

13.0.0, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0, 12.0.0, 11.6.2, 11.6.1, 11.6.0, 11.5.5, 11.5.4, 11.5.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.1, 11.5.0, 11.4.1, 11.4.0, 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, 11.1.0, 11.0.0

BIG-IP PEM:
13.0.0, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0, 12.0.0, 11.6.2, 11.6.1, 11.6.0, 11.5.5, 11.5.4, 11.5.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.1, 11.5.0, 11.4.1, 11.4.0, 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, 11.1.0, 11.0.0

BIG-IP PSM:
13.0.0, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0, 12.0.0, 11.6.2, 11.6.1, 11.6.0, 11.5.5, 11.5.4, 11.5.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.1, 11.5.0, 11.4.1, 11.4.0, 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, 11.1.0, 11.0.0

BIG-IP WOM:
13.0.0, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0, 12.0.0, 11.6.2, 11.6.1, 11.6.0, 11.5.5, 11.5.4, 11.5.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.1, 11.5.0, 11.4.1, 11.4.0, 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, 11.1.0, 11.0.0

BIG-IP WebAccelerator:
13.0.0, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0, 12.0.0, 11.6.2, 11.6.1, 11.6.0, 11.5.5, 11.5.4, 11.5.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.1, 11.5.0, 11.4.1, 11.4.0, 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, 11.1.0, 11.0.0

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