Exercise 6: Using a combination of modules to delete configuration on the BIG-IP

Objective
Guide
Playbook Output
Solution

Objective

Demonstrate use of the different modules to delete the configuration (Nodes/Pool/Virtual Server) on the BIG-IP.

Guide

Step 1:

Using your text editor of choice create a new file called bigip-delete-configuration.yml.

[student1@ansible ~]$ nano bigip-delete-configuration.yml

vim and nano are available on the control node, as well as Visual Studio and Atom via RDP

Step 2:

Enter the following play definition into bigip-delete-configuration.yml:

---
- name: BIG-IP SETUP
  hosts: lb
  connection: local
  gather_facts: false

The --- at the top of the file indicates that this is a YAML file.
The hosts: f5, indicates the play is run only on the F5 BIG-IP device
connection: local tells the Playbook to run locally (rather than SSHing to itself)
gather_facts: no disables facts gathering. We are not using any fact variables for this playbook.

Step 3

Next, add the first task using the bigip_virtual_server. This task will be identical to Exercise 1.5 - Adding a virtual server with an additional state parameter. The state: absent will remove the configuration from the F5 BIG-IP load balancer.

---
- name: BIG-IP SETUP
  hosts: lb
  connection: local
  gather_facts: false

  - name: DELETE VIRTUAL SERVER
    bigip_virtual_server:
      server: "{{private_ip}}"
      user: "{{ansible_user}}"
      password: "{{ansible_ssh_pass}}"
      server_port: "8443"
      name: "vip"
      state: absent
      validate_certs: "no"

state: absent is a parameter that tells the module to delete the configuration

Step 4

Next, add the second task using the bigip_pool. This task will be identical to Exercise 1.3 - Adding a load balancing pool with an additional state parameter set to absent.

---
- name: BIG-IP SETUP
  hosts: lb
  connection: local
  gather_facts: false

  tasks:

  - name: DELETE VIRTUAL SERVER
    bigip_virtual_server:
      server: "{{private_ip}}"
      user: "{{ansible_user}}"
      password: "{{ansible_ssh_pass}}"
      server_port: "8443"
      name: "vip"
      state: absent
      validate_certs: "no"

  - name: DELETE POOL
    bigip_pool:
      server: "{{private_ip}}"
      user: "{{ansible_user}}"
      password: "{{ansible_ssh_pass}}"
      server_port: "8443"
      name: "http_pool"
      state: absent
      validate_certs: "no"

Step 5

Finally, add the last task using the bigip_node. This task will be identical to Exercise 1.2 - Adding nodes to F5 BIG-IP with an additional state parameter set to absent.

---
- name: BIG-IP SETUP
  hosts: lb
  connection: local
  gather_facts: false

  tasks:

  - name: DELETE VIRTUAL SERVER
    bigip_virtual_server:
      server: "{{private_ip}}"
      user: "{{ansible_user}}"
      password: "{{ansible_ssh_pass}}"
      server_port: "8443"
      name: "vip"
      state: absent
      validate_certs: "no"

  - name: DELETE POOL
    bigip_pool:
      server: "{{private_ip}}"
      user: "{{ansible_user}}"
      password: "{{ansible_ssh_pass}}"
      server_port: "8443"
      name: "http_pool"
      state: absent
      validate_certs: "no"

  - name: DELETE NODES
    bigip_node:
      server: "{{private_ip}}"
      user: "{{ansible_user}}"
      password: "{{ansible_ssh_pass}}"
      server_port: "8443"
      name: "{{hostvars[item].inventory_hostname}}"
      state: absent
      validate_certs: "no"
    loop: "{{ groups['webservers'] }}"

The above playbook will delete the virtual server, then the pool and then the nodes configured in previous exercises.

Step 6

Run the playbook - exit back into the command line of the control host and execute the following:

[student1@ansible ~]$ ansible-playbook bigip-delete-configuration.yml

Playbook Output

[student1@ansible]$ ansible-playbook bigip-delete-configuration.yml

PLAY [BIG-IP TEARDOWN] *********************************************************

TASK [DELETE VIRTUAL SERVER] ***************************************************
changed: [f5]

TASK [DELETE POOL] ********************************************************************************
changed: [f5]

TASK [DELETE NODES] ************************************************************
ok: [f5] => (item=107.23.182.171)
ok: [f5] => (item=34.224.38.246)

PLAY RECAP ********************************************************************************
f5                         : ok=3    changed=2    unreachable=0    failed=0

Solution

The finished Ansible Playbook is provided here for an Answer key. Click here: bigip-delete-configuration.yml.

Verifying the Solution

Login to the F5 with your web browser to see what was configured. Grab the IP information for the F5 load balancer from the lab_inventory/hosts file, and type it in like so: https://X.X.X.X:8443/

Navigate the menu on the left and view that the configuration has been deleted

Local Traffic Manager -> Virtual Server
Local Traffic Manager -> Pool
Local Traffic Manager -> Node

You have finished this exercise.

Click here to return to the lab guide

ANSIBLE