F5 BIG-IP 4000 SERIES

  1. Start the console session.

    Plug in serial cable to console port of device from PC COM1 port.
    Open PuTTY and select "Serial" connection type, leave baud rate (Speed) and other settings as default.
    Plug power into device and if a power button exists, turn it on.
  2. Change the password of the root account.

    When the GRUB menu appears type e twice to edit the boot command for the default OS image, navigate to the end of the line and append the word single to it:
    Command line: rw root=UUID=f5f7de6f-9a40-4a01-aaa5-461fda03aec8 console=ttyS0 panic=1 platform=C113 single
    Press Enter when done, then type b to boot with that command selected.
    At the [@!:!:!] / #  prompt type the mount -o rw,remount / command:
    [@!:!:!] / # mount -o rw,remount /
    Type the passwd root command and enter default twice:
    [@!:!:!] / # passwd root Changing password for user root. New BIG-IP password: default Retype new BIG-IP password: default Changing password for user root. passwd.bin: all authentication tokens updated successfully.
    Type the reboot command and allow the system to fully boot up:
    [@!:!:!] # reboot [@!:!:!] # Stopping increase_entropy: [ OK ] Sending all processes the TERM signal... [ OK ] Sending all processes the KILL signal... init: rcS-sulogi[ OK ] Saving random seed: [ OK ] Syncing hardware clock to system time [ OK ] Turning off swap: [ OK ] Unmounting file systems: [ OK ] init: Re-executing /sbin/init Please stand by while rebooting the system... Restarting system.
  3. Log in and erase configuration.

    When prompted type root for the login and default as you previously set for the password:
    BIG-IP 12.1.5.3 Build 0.16.5 Kernel 2.6.32-431.56.1.el6.f5.x86_64 on an x86_64 xxxx.xxx.xxx.xxx.xx login: root Password: default Last login: Sun Jun 26 21:12:49 from 137.172.153.138
    Check for a license key by typing the tmsh show sys license command:
    [root@localhost:Active:Standalone] config # tmsh show sys license Sys::License Licensed Version 11.5.3 Registration key UHNNT-TLKCB-MVENG-FTJSC-CQFUGUP Licensed On 2016/03/20 Service Check Date 2018/08/30 Platform ID C113 Appliance Serial Number f5-vssg-ejyf Active Modules LTM, Base, 4000S (UBNUTTJ-JMQSBNV) Application Acceleration Manager, Core APM, Limited IPV6 Gateway Rate Shaping Anti-Virus Checks Base Endpoint Security Checks Firewall Checks Network Access Secure Virtual Keyboard APM, Web Application Machine Certificate Checks Protected Workspace Remote Desktop App Tunnel SSL, 4000S Ram Cache
    Type tmsh to enter the tmos command shell:
    [root@rmsnidccs05:INOPERATIVE:] config # tmsh
    Type the load /sys config default command confirming with y:
    root@(rmsnidccs05)(cfg-sync )(INOPERATIVE)(/Common)(tmos)# load /sys config default Reset the system configuration to factory defaults? (y/n) y Loading system configuration... /defaults/asm_base.conf /defaults/config_base.conf /defaults/ipfix_ie_base.conf /defaults/ipfix_ie_f5base.conf /defaults/low_profile_base.conf /defaults/low_security_base.conf /defaults/policy_base.conf /defaults/wam_base.conf /defaults/analytics_base.conf /defaults/apm_base.conf /defaults/apm_saml_base.conf /defaults/app_template_base.conf /defaults/classification_base.conf /var/libdata/dpi/conf/classification_update.conf /defaults/urlcat_base.conf /defaults/daemon.conf /defaults/pem_base.conf /defaults/profile_base.conf /defaults/sandbox_base.conf /defaults/security_base.conf /defaults/urldb_base.conf /usr/share/monitors/base_monitors.conf /usr/local/gtm/include/gtm_base_region_isp.conf /usr/share/monitors/gtm_base_monitors.conf Loading configuration... /defaults/defaults.scf Resetting trust domain... Setting flag to reset ASM data...
    Type the reboot command:
    root@(localhost)(cfg-sync Standalone)(Active)(/Common)(tmos)# reboot The system will be rebooted momentarily Broadcast message from root@localhost.localdomain (/dev/ttyS0) at 16:22 ... The system is going down for reboot NOW! root@(localhost)(cfg-sync Standalone)(Active)(/Common)(tmos)# Shutting down smartd: [ OK ] Using bigstart to shutdown Big-IP: Stopping lopd: [ OK ] Stopping httpd: [ OK ] Stopping sshd:[ OK ] Stopping increase_entropy: [ OK ] Stopping crond: [ OK ] Shutting down ntpd: [ OK ] Stopping block device availability: Deactivating block devices: UMOUNT: unmounting vg--db--sda-dat.log.1 (dm-2) mounted on /var/log umount: /var/log: device is busy. (In some cases useful info about processes that use the device is found by lsof(8) or fuser(1)) UMOUNT: unmounting vg--db--sda-set.2._var (dm-11) mounted on /var umount: /var: device is busy. (In some cases useful info about processes that use the device is found by lsof(8) or fuser(1)) [SKIP]: unmount of vg--db--sda-set.2._usr (dm-9) mounted on /usr [SKIP]: unmount of vg--db--sda-dat.swapvol.1 (dm-3) mounted on [SWAP] UMOUNT: unmounting vg--db--sda-dat.share.1 (dm-1) mounted on /shared umount: /shared: device is busy. (In some cases useful info about processes that use the device is found by lsof(8) or fuser(1)) UMOUNT: unmounting vg--db--sda-set.2._config (dm-10) mounted on /config [SKIP]: unmount of vg--db--sda-set.2.root (dm-8) mounted on / [ OK ] Shutting down syslog-ng: [ OK ] Killing mdmonitor: [ OK ] Stopping system message bus: [ OK ] Stopping auditd: init: Disconnected from system bus [ OK ] Shutting down interface mgmt: [ OK ] Shutting down interface eth0: [ OK ] Shutting down loopback interface: [ OK ] iptables: Setting chains to policy ACCEPT: mangle filter raw [ OK ] iptables: Flushing firewall rules: [ OK ] iptables: Unloading modules: [ OK ] Stopping monitoring for VG vg-db-sda: 16 logical volume(s) in volume group "vg-db-sda" unmonitored [ OK ] Sending all processes the TERM signal... [ OK ] Sending all processes the KILL signal... [ OK ] Saving random seed: [ OK ] Syncing hardware clock to system time [ OK ] Turning off swap: [ OK ] Unmounting file systems: [ OK ] init: Re-executing /sbin/init Please stand by while rebooting the system... Restarting system.
  4. Copy all the output from the session into your records.

    Right-click PuTTY's titlebar, from that dropdown menu click on "Copy All to Clipboard"
    Open the file of record certifying the deconfiguration of this device and use CTRL V to paste all the output from PuTTY into that file. Formatting the text with a fixed-width font helps it look more readable.
  5. End the session.

    Close PuTTy.