There are two methods to activate the license on F5 Devices (Physical and Virtual appliances).

1. Automatic Activation – Require Active Internet connection.
2. Manual Activation

Activate and install a new License on a new Big IP System:

Please the below steps to activate the license on new BIG IP system.

Note: I’m taking example of Virtual appliances, steps are similar for both Physical and Virtual appliances.

Step 1:  Connect the F5 device to network and boot the F5 device.

Step 2:  access it through the CLI (Console). During the first boot it will ask to enter the default username and password, please use below username and password.

Username: root

Password: default

After entering the default password, it will ask for change the default password with complex password. Please set a new complex password as you desire.

Note: It will automatically set the GUI password with same password which you have entered for root.

Note: Until you are not activating the license it will show device has not license in prompt.

Step 3: Setup the Management IP address to access device WebUI (Default port 443) and CLI (through SSH 22).

Type config and press enter, it will enter the configuration mode.

By default, DHCP is enabled, if you have any running DHCP server it will automatically set the IP address to Management Interface.

Pop up box will appear

Select IP version

Select automatic (Yes) or manual (No) IP address configuration  

 Automatic will assign the IP from DHCP server, If you selected Manual then follow below:

Enter new IP address

Enter Subnet Mask

Please select ok of you want to set gateway IP if you want to connect management IP from different subnet.

Enter Gateway IP

It will ask for final confirmation.

After setting the Management IP please verify if the gateway IP is reachable or not.

Step 4: Access F5 Device using WebUI (Use Https protocol in any latest version browser).

https://192.168.80.103

A certificate validation prompt will appear like this

Accept the risk as this is related to current self-sign certificate of F5 device. Will let you know how to fix in later tutorial.

A Password prompt page will appear or F5 login page will appear

Enter credential as below

Username: admin

Password: same as root

It will ask for change the password for admin (WebUI).

Login to WebUI using new credentials

F5 Dashboard will open

Step 5: Activate License

Click on License tab, it will open window as below

To activate the license, you need a valid base registration key, you can get this license from your supplier, or you can directly purchase from F5.

Copy and paste base registration key

Now you need to decide you want to activate the license using Automatically or manually.

• Automatic Activation

Automatic activation requires a working Internet connection from F5 to fetch the license.

Select the Internet facing Interface to access Internet.

Click on next

It will start processing

Accept the License the term once fetches the details from F5 License server.

Device will reboot to apply new license and enable features

• Manual Activation

Select manual option and click on next

A new Window will appear, It will contain the Dossier, this Dossier need to copy and paste on F5 Licensing Server activation page

Open Activation page using below URL

https://activate.f5.com/license/dossier.jsp

Paste the Dossier which you copied from the F5 Device

It will accept the dossier and proceed with accepting the term and condition page, If dossier is not valid it will show error message.

Download or copy the license file

Upload the license file to F5 device

Click on next and it will reboot the F5 device to apply the license change.

Login to F5 Device

It will open Resource Provisioning page directly after successfully installation of License.

From here you can enable and assign resource for F5 Modules, I have configured my device to use for LTM Module only as below

Click on next and F5 device will restart services with configured resources.

Note: Enabling the Modules and assigning the resource totally depends on type of license you have purchased and how many CPU and Memory available for reach modules to run smoothly.

 Final stat after successful activation of License and Resource allocation.

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