BIG-IP v4 - Common bigstart commands

The bigstart is the command used for controlling the F5 BIGIP daemons/services. For Windows users, this is synonymous to Control Panel -> Admin Tools -> Services. Here is BIG-IP v4.x bigstart command syntax dissected:


SYNTAX

bigstart [-d] action [id]

• -d
  Lists the execution order of the services for the specified action command.


• action
  Performs whatever action is specified. Values are startup, shutdown, active, standby, status, reinit and restart.


• id
  The specific service on which the specified action would be acted upon. That is, for example, bigstart shutdown named will shutdown the service named.

ACTIONS

• startup
  The target program commences. Bigstart startup is called from /etc/rc before rc.local is executed.


• shutdown
  The target program should shut down gracefully.


• active
  The target program takes any action necessary whenits host BIG-IP becomes the active unit. Bigstart active is called when the BIG-IP becomes the active
  BIG-IP.


• standby
  The target program takes any action necessary when its host BIG-IP becomes the standby unit.


• reinit
  The target program initializes itself from its configuration data.


• restart
  The target program is to be restarted. Typically this means the program will be stopped then started.


• status
  The target program responds by providing some status information.

SCRIPT AND ACTION DIRECTORIES

The scripts for each of the services are in the /etc/bigstart/scripts directory.

Each of the actions have their own individual action directories in /etc/bigstart/action. Files in the action directories are actually symbolic links pointing to the actual scripts in the /etc/bigstart/scripts directory.


SYMBOLIC LINK FORMAT

Each symbolic link in the action directories follow this naming convention:

SNNString

NN - two digit number that determines the execution order of the services.

String - name of the service

The contents of, say, /etc/bigstart/startup will correspond to the output of the command bigstart -d startup.


CASE STUDY: PREVENT A SERVICE FROM RUNNING ON STARTUP

Scenario: In our setup, the name service named of the BIG-IP is not being used. Hence, it was decided to be not started during device startup.

Procedure:

1. Verify the status of the named service:
   
   bigip:# bigstart status named
   bigstart: status named
   status named: (pid=1130) is running
   bigip:#



2. Shutdown the service:
   
   bigip:# bigstart shutdown named
   bigip:#



3. Remove the named symbolic link in the startup action directory:
   
   bigip:# cd /etc/bigstart/startup
   bigip:/etc/bigstart/startup# ls *named*
   S10named
   bigip:/etc/bigstart/startup# rm S10named
   remove S10named? y
   bigip:/etc/bigstart/startup#

Verification

• Verify that the service is not in the execution order for the startup action.
  
  bigip:# bigstart -d startup
  ...
  <output omitted>
  ...



• Verify status of the current running status of the service:
  
  bigip:# bigstart status named
  bigstart: status named
  status named: is not running
  bigip:#