f5networks.f5_modules.bigip_gtm_virtual_server module – Manages F5 BIG-IP GTM virtual servers

Note

This module is part of the f5networks.f5_modules collection (version 1.21.0).

You might already have this collection installed if you are using the ansible package. It is not included in ansible-core. To check whether it is installed, run ansible-galaxy collection list.

To install it, use: ansible-galaxy collection install f5networks.f5_modules.

To use it in a playbook, specify: f5networks.f5_modules.bigip_gtm_virtual_server.

New in f5networks.f5_modules 1.0.0

Synopsis

  • Manages F5 BIG-IP GTM (now BIG-IP DNS) virtual servers. A GTM server can have many virtual servers associated with it. They are arranged in much the same way that pool members are to pools.

Parameters

Parameter

Comments

address

string

Specifies the IP Address of the virtual server.

When creating a new GTM virtual server, this parameter is required.

availability_requirements

dictionary

If you activate more than one health monitor, specifies the number of health monitors that must receive successful responses in order for the link to be considered available.

at_least

integer

Specifies the minimum number of active health monitors that must be successful before the link is considered up.

This parameter is only relevant when a type of at_least is used.

This parameter will be ignored if a type of either all or require is used.

number_of_probers

integer

Specifies the number of probers that should be used when running probes.

When creating a new virtual server, if this parameter is specified, the number_of_probes parameter must also be specified.

The value of this parameter should always be higher than or equal to the value of number_of_probers.

This parameter is only relevant when a type of require is used.

This parameter will be ignored if a type of either all or at_least is used.

number_of_probes

integer

Specifies the minimum number of probes that must succeed for this server to be declared up.

When creating a new virtual server, if this parameter is specified, then the number_of_probers parameter must also be specified.

The value of this parameter should always be lower than or equal to the value of number_of_probers.

This parameter is only relevant when a type of require is used.

This parameter will be ignored if a type of either all or at_least is used.

type

string / required

Monitor rule type when monitors is specified.

When creating a new virtual, if this value is not specified, the default of all will be used.

Choices:

  • "all"

  • "at_least"

  • "require"

limits

dictionary

Specifies resource thresholds or limit requirements at the server level.

When you enable one or more limit settings, the system then uses that data to take servers in and out of service.

You can define limits for any or all of the limit settings. However, when a server does not meet the resource threshold limit requirement, the system marks the entire server as unavailable and directs load balancing traffic to another resource.

The limit settings available depend on the type of server.

bits_enabled

boolean

Whether the bits limit is enabled or not.

This parameter allows you to switch on or off the effect of the limit.

Choices:

  • false

  • true

bits_limit

integer

Specifies the maximum allowable data throughput rate for the virtual servers on the server, in bits per second.

If the network traffic volume exceeds this limit, the system marks the server as unavailable.

connections_enabled

boolean

Whether the current connections limit is enabled or not.

This parameter allows you to switch on or off the effect of the limit.

Choices:

  • false

  • true

connections_limit

integer

Specifies the maximum number of concurrent connections, combined, for all of the virtual servers on the server.

If the connections exceed this limit, the system marks the server as unavailable.

packets_enabled

boolean

Whether the packets limit is enabled or not.

This parameter allows you to switch on or off the effect of the limit.

Choices:

  • false

  • true

packets_limit

integer

Specifies the maximum allowable data transfer rate for the virtual servers on the server, in packets per second.

If the network traffic volume exceeds this limit, the system marks the server as unavailable.

string

Specifies a link to assign to the server or virtual server.

monitors

list / elements=string

Specifies the health monitors the system currently uses to monitor this resource.

When availability_requirements.type is require, you may only have a single monitor in the monitors list.

name

string / required

Specifies the name of the virtual server.

partition

string

Device partition to manage resources on.

Default: "Common"

port

integer

Specifies the service port number for the virtual server or pool member. For example, the HTTP service is typically port 80.

To specify all ports, use an *.

When creating a new GTM virtual server, if this parameter is not specified, a default of * will be used.

provider

dictionary

added in f5networks.f5_modules 1.0.0

A dict object containing connection details.

auth_provider

string

Configures the auth provider for to obtain authentication tokens from the remote device.

This option is really used when working with BIG-IQ devices.

no_f5_teem

boolean

If yes, TEEM telemetry data is not sent to F5.

You may omit this option by setting the environment variable F5_TELEMETRY_OFF.

Previously used variable F5_TEEM is deprecated as its name was confusing.

Choices:

  • false ← (default)

  • true

password

aliases: pass, pwd

string / required

The password for the user account used to connect to the BIG-IP.

You may omit this option by setting the environment variable F5_PASSWORD.

server

string / required

The BIG-IP host.

You may omit this option by setting the environment variable F5_SERVER.

server_port

integer

The BIG-IP server port.

You may omit this option by setting the environment variable F5_SERVER_PORT.

Default: 443

timeout

integer

Specifies the timeout in seconds for communicating with the network device for either connecting or sending commands. If the timeout is exceeded before the operation is completed, the module will error.

transport

string

Configures the transport connection to use when connecting to the remote device.

Choices:

  • "rest" ← (default)

user

string / required

The username to connect to the BIG-IP with. This user must have administrative privileges on the device.

You may omit this option by setting the environment variable F5_USER.

validate_certs

boolean

If no, SSL certificates are not validated. Use this only on personally controlled sites using self-signed certificates.

You may omit this option by setting the environment variable F5_VALIDATE_CERTS.

Choices:

  • false

  • true ← (default)

server_name

string / required

Specifies the name of the server the virtual server is associated with.

state

string

When present, ensures the resource exists.

When absent, ensures the resource is removed.

Choices:

  • "present" ← (default)

  • "absent"

  • "enabled"

  • "disabled"

translation_address

string

Specifies the translation IP address for the virtual server.

To unset this parameter, use an empty string ("") as a value.

When creating a new GTM virtual server, if this parameter is not specified, a default of :: will be used.

translation_port

string

Specifies the translation port number or service name for the virtual server.

To specify all ports, use an *.

When creating a new GTM virtual server, if this parameter is not specified, a default of * will be used.

virtual_server_dependencies

list / elements=dictionary

Specifies the virtual servers on which the current virtual server depends.

If any of the specified servers are unavailable, the current virtual server is also listed as unavailable.

server

string / required

Server which the dependant virtual server is part of.

virtual_server

string / required

Virtual server to depend on.

Notes

Note

  • For more information on using Ansible to manage F5 Networks devices see https://www.ansible.com/integrations/networks/f5.

  • Requires BIG-IP software version >= 12.

  • The F5 modules only manipulate the running configuration of the F5 product. To ensure that BIG-IP specific configuration persists to disk, be sure to include at least one task that uses the f5networks.f5_modules.bigip_config module to save the running configuration. Refer to the module’s documentation for the correct usage of the module to save your running configuration.

Examples

- name: Enable virtual server
  bigip_gtm_virtual_server:
    server_name: server1
    name: my-virtual-server
    state: enabled
    provider:
      user: admin
      password: secret
      server: lb.mydomain.com
  delegate_to: localhost

Return Values

Common return values are documented here, the following are the fields unique to this module:

Key

Description

address

string

The new address of the resource.

Returned: changed

Sample: "1.2.3.4"

availability_requirements

dictionary

The new availability requirement configurations for the resource.

Returned: changed

Sample: {"type": "all"}

limits

dictionary

The new limit configurations for the resource.

Returned: changed

Sample: {"bits_enabled": true, "bits_limit": 100}

string

The new link value for the resource.

Returned: changed

Sample: "/Common/my-link"

monitors

list / elements=string

The new list of monitors for the resource.

Returned: changed

Sample: ["/Common/monitor1", "/Common/monitor2"]

port

integer

The new port of the resource.

Returned: changed

Sample: 500

server_name

string

The server name associated with the virtual server.

Returned: changed

Sample: "/Common/my-gtm-server"

translation_address

integer

The new translation address of the resource.

Returned: changed

Sample: 500

translation_port

integer

The new translation port of the resource.

Returned: changed

Sample: 500

virtual_server_dependencies

list / elements=string

The new list of virtual server dependencies for the resource.

Returned: changed

Sample: ["/Common/vs1", "/Common/vs2"]

Authors

  • Tim Rupp (@caphrim007)

  • Wojciech Wypior (@wojtek0806)