F5 BIG-IP Configuration Management

Golden Rule

NEVER apply configuration without first capturing a baseline. If the change goes wrong, you need to know what to restore.

How to Call the Tools

The F5 MCP server provides 6 tools. Call them via mcp-call with the required environment variables:

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" <tool_name> '{"param":"value"}'

Available Tools

| Tool | Purpose | HTTP Method | Key Arguments | |------|---------|-------------|---------------| | list_tool | List F5 objects | GET | object_name, object_type | | show_stats_tool | Show object statistics | GET | object_name, object_type | | show_logs_tool | Show system logs | GET | lines_number | | create_tool | Create objects | POST | url_body, object_type | | update_tool | Update objects | PATCH | url_body, object_type, object_name | | delete_tool | Delete objects | DELETE | object_type, object_name |

Object types: virtual, pool, irule, profile

Change Workflow

Phase 1: Pre-Change Baseline

Capture the current state of everything the change might affect. This is the rollback reference.

1A: Capture Virtual Server State

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" list_tool '{"object_name":"","object_type":"virtual"}'

Store the full list of virtual servers, their configurations, pool assignments, and profiles.

1B: Capture Pool State

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" list_tool '{"object_name":"","object_type":"pool"}'

Store pool configurations, member lists, monitor assignments, and load balancing methods.

1C: Capture Statistics Baseline

For each affected object, capture current stats to compare post-change:

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" show_stats_tool '{"object_name":"my_virtual_server","object_type":"virtual"}'

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" show_stats_tool '{"object_name":"my_pool","object_type":"pool"}'

1D: Capture Log Baseline

Record the last 50 lines of logs to establish a timestamp reference:

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" show_logs_tool '{"lines_number":"50"}'

Note the most recent log timestamp -- any errors after this timestamp are change-related.

1E: Capture iRule and Profile State (if affected)

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" list_tool '{"object_name":"","object_type":"irule"}'

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" list_tool '{"object_name":"","object_type":"profile"}'

Phase 2: Plan the Change

Before applying any configuration, explicitly state:

1. What objects will be created, updated, or deleted
2. Why the change is needed (business justification)
3. Expected effect on traffic flow and application delivery
4. Risk assessment -- what could go wrong
5. Verification criteria -- how to confirm success
6. Rollback plan -- exact steps to undo the change

Phase 3: Apply Configuration

Creating Objects

Use create_tool to create new objects via POST. The url_body dict contains the iControl REST API body.

Example: Create a Pool with Members

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" create_tool '{"url_body":{"name":"pool_webapp","monitor":"http","loadBalancingMode":"round-robin","members":["10.1.1.10:80","10.1.1.11:80","10.1.1.12:80"]},"object_type":"pool"}'

Pool creation best practices:

• Always assign a health monitor (http, https, tcp, icmp, or a custom monitor)
• Choose the appropriate load balancing method:
• round-robin -- default, equal distribution
• least-connections-member -- best for unequal server capacity or variable request duration
• ratio-member -- weighted distribution for heterogeneous backends
• fastest-node -- route to fastest responding server
• Specify the serviceDownAction for graceful failure handling:
• none -- connections persist on down member until timeout
• reset -- RST sent to clients
• reselect -- reselect a new member (recommended for HTTP)
• drop -- silently drop connections
• Set minActiveMembers to trigger action when too many members fail
• Include description for documentation

Example: Create a Pool with Advanced Options

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" create_tool '{"url_body":{"name":"pool_api_backend","monitor":"https_443","loadBalancingMode":"least-connections-member","minActiveMembers":2,"serviceDownAction":"reselect","slowRampTime":300,"description":"API backend pool - managed by NetClaw","members":["10.2.1.20:443","10.2.1.21:443","10.2.1.22:443","10.2.1.23:443"]},"object_type":"pool"}'

Example: Create a Virtual Server

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" create_tool '{"url_body":{"name":"vs_webapp_https","destination":"10.100.1.50:443","ipProtocol":"tcp","pool":"pool_webapp","sourceAddressTranslation":{"type":"automap"},"profiles":[{"name":"clientssl"},{"name":"http"},{"name":"tcp-wan-optimized","context":"clientside"},{"name":"tcp-lan-optimized","context":"serverside"}],"description":"HTTPS virtual server for webapp - managed by NetClaw"},"object_type":"virtual"}'

Virtual server creation best practices:

• Always specify destination as VIP_IP:port
• Always assign sourceAddressTranslation (automap or SNAT pool) unless servers have BIG-IP as default gateway
• Assign appropriate profiles:
• Client SSL profile for HTTPS termination
• HTTP profile for HTTP inspection, compression, X-Forwarded-For
• TCP profiles: tcp-wan-optimized on clientside, tcp-lan-optimized on serverside
• Persistence profile if session affinity is required
• Set pool to the backend pool name
• Include description for documentation
• Consider connectionLimit to protect backend servers

Example: Create an HTTP Virtual Server (Non-SSL)

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" create_tool '{"url_body":{"name":"vs_webapp_http","destination":"10.100.1.50:80","ipProtocol":"tcp","pool":"pool_webapp","sourceAddressTranslation":{"type":"automap"},"profiles":[{"name":"http"},{"name":"tcp-wan-optimized","context":"clientside"},{"name":"tcp-lan-optimized","context":"serverside"}],"description":"HTTP virtual server for webapp - managed by NetClaw"},"object_type":"virtual"}'

Example: Create an HTTP-to-HTTPS Redirect Virtual Server

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" create_tool '{"url_body":{"name":"vs_webapp_redirect","destination":"10.100.1.50:80","ipProtocol":"tcp","profiles":[{"name":"http"}],"rules":["/Common/redirect_to_https"],"description":"HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect - managed by NetClaw"},"object_type":"virtual"}'

Example: Create an iRule

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" create_tool '{"url_body":{"name":"redirect_to_https","apiAnonymous":"when HTTP_REQUEST {\n  HTTP::redirect https://[HTTP::host][HTTP::uri]\n}"},"object_type":"irule"}'

iRule creation best practices:

• Keep iRules as simple as possible -- complexity degrades performance
• Avoid log statements in production iRules on high-traffic virtual servers
• Always pair HTTP::collect with HTTP::release to prevent memory leaks
• Use catch blocks for error handling in complex iRules
• Test iRule syntax before deploying (syntax errors can prevent virtual server from starting)

Example: HTTP Header Insertion iRule

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" create_tool '{"url_body":{"name":"insert_headers","apiAnonymous":"when HTTP_REQUEST {\n  HTTP::header insert X-Forwarded-Proto https\n  HTTP::header insert X-Real-IP [IP::client_addr]\n}\nwhen HTTP_RESPONSE {\n  HTTP::header insert Strict-Transport-Security \"max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains\"\n}"},"object_type":"irule"}'

Example: Maintenance Page iRule

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" create_tool '{"url_body":{"name":"maintenance_page","apiAnonymous":"when HTTP_REQUEST {\n  HTTP::respond 503 content \"<html><body><h1>Service Temporarily Unavailable</h1><p>We are performing scheduled maintenance. Please try again later.</p></body></html>\" Content-Type \"text/html\"\n}"},"object_type":"irule"}'

Example: URI-Based Pool Selection iRule

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" create_tool '{"url_body":{"name":"uri_routing","apiAnonymous":"when HTTP_REQUEST {\n  switch -glob [string tolower [HTTP::uri]] {\n    \"/api/*\" { pool pool_api_backend }\n    \"/static/*\" { pool pool_static_content }\n    default { pool pool_webapp }\n  }\n}"},"object_type":"irule"}'

Updating Objects

Use update_tool to modify existing objects via PATCH. Only include the fields you want to change.

Example: Update Pool Members (Add a Member)

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" update_tool '{"url_body":{"members":["10.1.1.10:80","10.1.1.11:80","10.1.1.12:80","10.1.1.13:80"]},"object_type":"pool","object_name":"pool_webapp"}'

WARNING: The members list in an update is a full replacement, not an append. Always include ALL desired members (existing + new) in the list. Omitting existing members will remove them.

Example: Update Pool Load Balancing Method

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" update_tool '{"url_body":{"loadBalancingMode":"least-connections-member"},"object_type":"pool","object_name":"pool_webapp"}'

Example: Update Pool Monitor

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" update_tool '{"url_body":{"monitor":"https_443"},"object_type":"pool","object_name":"pool_api_backend"}'

Example: Update Virtual Server Pool Assignment

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" update_tool '{"url_body":{"pool":"pool_webapp_v2"},"object_type":"virtual","object_name":"vs_webapp_https"}'

Example: Add iRule to Virtual Server

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" update_tool '{"url_body":{"rules":["/Common/redirect_to_https","/Common/insert_headers"]},"object_type":"virtual","object_name":"vs_webapp_https"}'

WARNING: The rules list in an update is a full replacement. Include ALL desired iRules in the list.

Example: Disable a Virtual Server (Maintenance)

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" update_tool '{"url_body":{"enabled":false},"object_type":"virtual","object_name":"vs_webapp_https"}'

Example: Re-enable a Virtual Server

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" update_tool '{"url_body":{"enabled":true},"object_type":"virtual","object_name":"vs_webapp_https"}'

Deleting Objects

Use delete_tool to remove objects. Always verify no dependencies exist before deletion.

Example: Delete a Pool

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" delete_tool '{"object_type":"pool","object_name":"pool_old_webapp"}'

CRITICAL: You cannot delete a pool that is still assigned to a virtual server. Remove the pool reference from the virtual server first, or reassign to a different pool.

Example: Delete a Virtual Server

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" delete_tool '{"object_type":"virtual","object_name":"vs_old_webapp"}'

Example: Delete an iRule

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" delete_tool '{"object_type":"irule","object_name":"old_redirect_rule"}'

CRITICAL: You cannot delete an iRule that is still assigned to a virtual server. Remove the iRule reference from the virtual server first.

Deletion Order (Dependencies)

When decommissioning a full application stack, delete in this order:

1. Remove iRule references from virtual servers (update)
2. Delete virtual servers
3. Delete pools
4. Delete orphaned iRules
5. Delete orphaned profiles

Reversing this order will cause dependency errors.

Traffic Shifting / Blue-Green Deployment

A common F5 change pattern is shifting traffic between pool versions for deployments.

Step 1: Create the New Pool (Green)

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" create_tool '{"url_body":{"name":"pool_webapp_v2","monitor":"http","loadBalancingMode":"round-robin","members":["10.1.2.10:80","10.1.2.11:80","10.1.2.12:80"],"description":"Webapp v2.0 pool - blue/green deployment"},"object_type":"pool"}'

Step 2: Verify New Pool Health

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" show_stats_tool '{"object_name":"pool_webapp_v2","object_type":"pool"}'

Confirm all members are available and passing health checks before shifting traffic.

Step 3: Shift Virtual Server to New Pool

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" update_tool '{"url_body":{"pool":"pool_webapp_v2"},"object_type":"virtual","object_name":"vs_webapp_https"}'

Step 4: Monitor Post-Shift

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" show_stats_tool '{"object_name":"vs_webapp_https","object_type":"virtual"}'

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" show_stats_tool '{"object_name":"pool_webapp_v2","object_type":"pool"}'

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" show_logs_tool '{"lines_number":"100"}'

Verify traffic is flowing to the new pool, no errors in logs, and response times are acceptable.

Step 5: Rollback (If Needed)

If the new pool is unhealthy, immediately revert to the old pool:

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" update_tool '{"url_body":{"pool":"pool_webapp"},"object_type":"virtual","object_name":"vs_webapp_https"}'

Step 6: Cleanup Old Pool (After Burn-In)

Once the new pool is verified stable (after appropriate burn-in period), remove the old pool:

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" delete_tool '{"object_type":"pool","object_name":"pool_webapp"}'

Phase 4: Post-Change Verification

Immediately after applying configuration, verify the change.

4A: Verify Object Was Created/Updated

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" list_tool '{"object_name":"pool_webapp","object_type":"pool"}'

Compare with the pre-change baseline to confirm only intended changes were made.

4B: Verify Object Health

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" show_stats_tool '{"object_name":"pool_webapp","object_type":"pool"}'

Confirm:

• Pool members are marked available (passing health checks)
• Virtual server is available and accepting connections
• Statistics are incrementing (traffic is flowing)

4C: Check for Errors in Logs

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" show_logs_tool '{"lines_number":"100"}'

Look for new error messages that appeared after the Phase 1D baseline timestamp.

4D: Verify Dependent Objects

If you changed a pool, verify the virtual servers that reference it are still healthy:

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" show_stats_tool '{"object_name":"vs_webapp_https","object_type":"virtual"}'

Phase 5: Rollback (If Verification Fails)

If verification fails, roll back by restoring the baseline state.

For created objects: Delete the newly created object.

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" delete_tool '{"object_type":"pool","object_name":"pool_webapp_v2"}'

For updated objects: Patch the object with the original values from the baseline.

bash
IP_ADDRESS=$F5_IP_ADDRESS Authorization_string=$F5_AUTH_STRING python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $F5_MCP_SCRIPT" update_tool '{"url_body":{"pool":"pool_webapp"},"object_type":"virtual","object_name":"vs_webapp_https"}'

For deleted objects: Recreate the object using the baseline configuration.

After rollback, re-verify that the BIG-IP returned to its baseline state.

Change Documentation

After every change, produce a change report:

F5 Change Report -- YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM UTC
Device: $F5_IP_ADDRESS
Requestor: [who requested the change]

Change Description:
  Created pool_webapp with 3 members for new web application

Objects Modified:
  [CREATED] pool_webapp (pool) -- 3 members, round-robin, HTTP monitor
  [CREATED] vs_webapp_https (virtual) -- 10.100.1.50:443, SSL offload, automap

Pre-Change State:
  - Virtual servers: 4 active
  - Pools: 3 active
  - No errors in logs

Post-Change State:
  - Virtual servers: 5 active (+1 vs_webapp_https)
  - Pools: 4 active (+1 pool_webapp)
  - pool_webapp: 3/3 members available
  - vs_webapp_https: available, accepting connections
  - New log entries: pool_webapp member 10.1.1.10:80 monitor status up (expected)

Verification: PASSED
Rollback Required: No

ServiceNow Change Request Integration

When ServiceNow is available ($SERVICENOW_MCP_SCRIPT is set), every F5 configuration change MUST be gated by an approved Change Request.

Pre-Change: Create CR

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $SERVICENOW_MCP_SCRIPT" create_change_request '{"short_description":"Create pool_webapp and vs_webapp_https on F5 BIG-IP","description":"Create new pool with 3 web server members (10.1.1.10-12:80) and HTTPS virtual server (10.100.1.50:443) with SSL offload. Health monitor: HTTP. Load balancing: round-robin. Rollback: delete vs_webapp_https then pool_webapp.","category":"Network","priority":"3","risk":"moderate","impact":"3"}'

Approval Gate

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $SERVICENOW_MCP_SCRIPT" get_change_request_details '{"change_id":"CHG0012345"}'

STOP if state is not approved. Inform the human and wait.

Post-Change: Close CR

If verification passes:

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $SERVICENOW_MCP_SCRIPT" update_change_request '{"change_id":"CHG0012345","work_notes":"Change applied and verified. pool_webapp 3/3 members available, vs_webapp_https accepting connections, no errors in logs.","state":"closed"}'

If verification fails:

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $SERVICENOW_MCP_SCRIPT" update_change_request '{"change_id":"CHG0012345","work_notes":"Post-change verification FAILED. Rollback initiated. Objects removed. Human review required.","state":"review"}'

Integration with Other Skills

| Skill | Integration Point | |-------|------------------| | f5-health-check | Pre-change health validation and post-change verification | | f5-troubleshoot | Investigate failures during verification phase | | servicenow-change-workflow | CR creation, approval gate, closure | | drawio-diagram | Generate before/after topology diagrams | | markmap-viz | Visualize change plan as a mind map | | gait-session-tracking | Audit trail for every phase |

GAIT Audit Trail

Record every phase of the change in GAIT:

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_record_turn '{"prompt":"F5 config change: Create pool_webapp and vs_webapp_https","response":"Phase 1 baseline captured (4 virtuals, 3 pools, no errors). Phase 2 plan approved. Phase 3 applied: created pool_webapp (3 members, HTTP monitor, round-robin) and vs_webapp_https (10.100.1.50:443, SSL offload, automap). Phase 4 verification PASSED: all members available, VIP accepting connections, no log errors. ServiceNow CR CHG0012345 closed successful.","artifacts":["f5-change-report.txt"]}'

The 5-phase workflow with GAIT creates an immutable record:

1. Baseline -- GAIT commit with pre-change object state
2. Plan -- GAIT commit with change plan and CR number
3. Apply -- GAIT commit with exact API calls made
4. Verify -- GAIT commit with post-change state and diff
5. Document -- GAIT commit with final summary and CR closure