# bigip_pool – Manages F5 BIG-IP LTM pools

- Synopsis
- Parameters
- Notes
- Examples
- Return Values
- Status

## Synopsis

- Manages F5 BIG-IP LTM pools via iControl REST API.

## Parameters

Parameter | Choices/Defaults | Comments
--- | --- | ---

aggregate
list
added in 2.8

List of pool definitions to be created, modified or removed.
When using `aggregates` if one of the aggregate definitions is invalid, the aggregate run will fail, indicating the error it last encountered.
The module will `NOT` rollback any changes it has made prior to encountering the error.
The module also will not indicate what changes were made prior to failure, therefore it is strongly advised to run the module in check mode to make basic validation, prior to module execution.
aliases: pools

description string |  | Specifies descriptive text that identifies the pool.

lb_method
string

Choices:
- dynamic-ratio-member
- dynamic-ratio-node
- fastest-app-response
- fastest-node
- least-connections-member
- least-connections-node
- least-sessions
- observed-member
- observed-node
- predictive-member
- predictive-node
- ratio-least-connections-member
- ratio-least-connections-node
- ratio-member
- ratio-node
- ratio-session
- round-robin
- weighted-least-connections-member
- weighted-least-connections-node

Load balancing method. When creating a new pool, if this value is not specified, the default of `round-robin` will be used.

metadata raw added in 2.5 |  | Arbitrary key/value pairs that you can attach to a pool. This is useful in situations where you might want to annotate a pool to me managed by Ansible. Key names will be stored as strings; this includes names that are numbers. Values for all of the keys will be stored as strings; this includes values that are numbers. Data will be persisted, not ephemeral.

monitor_type
string

Choices:
- and_list
- m_of_n
- single

Monitor rule type when `monitors` is specified.
When creating a new pool, if this value is not specified, the default of 'and_list' will be used.
When `single` ensures that all specified monitors are checked, but additionally includes checks to make sure you only specified a single monitor.
When `and_list` ensures that all monitors are checked.
When `m_of_n` ensures that `quorum` of `monitors` are checked. `m_of_n` requires that a `quorum` of 1 or greater be set either in the playbook, or already existing on the device.
Both `single` and `and_list` are functionally identical since BIG-IP considers all monitors as "a list".

monitors list |  | Monitor template name list. If the partition is not provided as part of the monitor name, then the `partition` option will be used instead.
name string / required |  | Pool name aliases: pool
partition string added in 2.5 | Default: "Common" | Device partition to manage resources on.

priority_group_activation
integer
added in 2.6

Specifies whether the system load balances traffic according to the priority number assigned to the pool member.
When creating a new pool, if this parameter is not specified, the default of `0` will be used.
To disable this setting, provide the value `0`.
Once you enable this setting, you can specify pool member priority when you create a new pool or on a pool member's properties screen.
The system treats same-priority pool members as a group.
To enable priority group activation, provide a number from `0` to `65535` that represents the minimum number of members that must be available in one priority group before the system directs traffic to members in a lower priority group.
When a sufficient number of members become available in the higher priority group, the system again directs traffic to the higher priority group.
aliases: minimum_active_members

provider dictionary added in 2.5 |  | 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.
| password 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`. aliases: pass, pwd
| server string / required |  | The BIG-IP host. You may omit this option by setting the environment variable `F5_SERVER`.
| server_port integer | Default: 443 | The BIG-IP server port. You may omit this option by setting the environment variable `F5_SERVER_PORT`.
| ssh_keyfile path |  | Specifies the SSH keyfile to use to authenticate the connection to the remote device. This argument is only used for cli transports. You may omit this option by setting the environment variable `ANSIBLE_NET_SSH_KEYFILE`.
| 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

Choices:
- cli
- rest ←

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

| 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

Choices:
- no
- yes ←

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`.

quorum integer |  | Monitor quorum value when `monitor_type` is `m_of_n`. Quorum must be a value of 1 or greater when `monitor_type` is `m_of_n`.

replace_all_with
boolean
added in 2.8

Choices:
- no ←
- yes

Remove pools not defined in the `aggregate` parameter.
This operation is all or none, meaning that it will stop if there are some pools that cannot be removed.
aliases: purge

reselect_tries integer |  | Sets the number of times the system tries to contact a pool member after a passive failure.

service_down_action
string

Choices:
- none
- reset
- drop
- reselect

Sets the action to take when node goes down in pool.

slow_ramp_time integer |  | Sets the ramp-up time (in seconds) to gradually ramp up the load on newly added or freshly detected up pool members.

state
string
added in 2.5

Choices:
- absent
- present ←

When `present`, guarantees that the pool exists with the provided attributes.
When `absent`, removes the pool from the system.

## Notes

Note

- To add members to a pool, use the `bigip_pool_member` module. Previously, the `bigip_pool` module allowed the management of members, but this has been removed in version 2.5 of Ansible.
- 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 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: Create pool
      bigip_pool:
        state: present
        name: my-pool
        partition: Common
        lb_method: least-connections-member
        slow_ramp_time: 120
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Modify load balancer method
      bigip_pool:
        state: present
        name: my-pool
        partition: Common
        lb_method: round-robin
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Set a single monitor (with enforcement)
      bigip_pool:
        state: present
        name: my-pool
        partition: Common
        monitor_type: single
        monitors:
          - http
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Set a single monitor (without enforcement)
      bigip_pool:
        state: present
        name: my-pool
        partition: Common
        monitors:
          - http
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Set multiple monitors (all must succeed)
      bigip_pool:
        state: present
        name: my-pool
        partition: Common
        monitor_type: and_list
        monitors:
          - http
          - tcp
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Set multiple monitors (at least 1 must succeed)
      bigip_pool:
        state: present
        name: my-pool
        partition: Common
        monitor_type: m_of_n
        quorum: 1
        monitors:
          - http
          - tcp
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Delete pool
      bigip_pool:
        state: absent
        name: my-pool
        partition: Common
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Add metadata to pool
      bigip_pool:
        state: present
        name: my-pool
        partition: Common
        metadata:
          ansible: 2.4
          updated_at: 2017-12-20T17:50:46Z
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Add pools Aggregate
      bigip_pool:
        aggregate:
          - name: my-pool
            partition: Common
            lb_method: least-connections-member
            slow_ramp_time: 120
          - name: my-pool2
            partition: Common
            lb_method: least-sessions
            slow_ramp_time: 120
          - name: my-pool3
            partition: Common
            lb_method: round-robin
            slow_ramp_time: 120
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Add pools Aggregate, purge others
      bigip_pool:
        aggregate:
          - name: my-pool
            partition: Common
            lb_method: least-connections-member
            slow_ramp_time: 120
          - name: my-pool2
            partition: Common
            lb_method: least-sessions
            slow_ramp_time: 120
          - name: my-pool3
            partition: Common
            lb_method: round-robin
            slow_ramp_time: 120
        replace_all_with: yes
        provider:
          server: lb.mydomain.com
          user: admin
          password: secret
      delegate_to: localhost

## Return Values

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

Key | Returned | Description
--- | --- | ---
description string | changed | Description set on the pool. Sample: Pool of web servers
lb_method string | changed | The LB method set for the pool. Sample: round-robin
metadata dictionary | changed | The new value of the pool. Sample: {'key1': 'foo', 'key2': 'bar'}
monitor_type string | changed | The contact that was set on the datacenter. Sample: admin@root.local
monitors list | changed | Monitors set on the pool. Sample: ['/Common/http', '/Common/gateway_icmp']
priority_group_activation integer | changed | The new minimum number of members to activate the priority group. Sample: 10
quorum integer | changed | The quorum that was set on the pool. Sample: 2
replace_all_with boolean | changed | Purges all non-aggregate pools from device Sample: True
reselect_tries integer | changed | The new value that is set for the number of tries to contact member. Sample: 10
service_down_action string | changed | Service down action that is set on the pool. Sample: reset
slow_ramp_time integer | changed | The new value that is set for the slow ramp-up time. Sample: 500

## Status

- This module is not guaranteed to have a backwards compatible interface. [preview]
- This module is maintained by an Ansible Partner. [certified]

### Authors

- Tim Rupp (@caphrim007)
- Wojciech Wypior (@wojtek0806)

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