How to generate qkview file in f5 cli

What It Is

The F5 BIG-IP Command Line Interface (CLI) provides a direct method to generate qkview diagnostic files using the tmsh tool (Traffic Management Shell). Tmsh is the command-line interface for managing F5 BIG-IP systems and provides programmatic access to all system functions. The "create sys support qkview" command triggers the same diagnostic collection process as the Web UI method but allows for scripting and automation. CLI-based qkview generation enables integration with monitoring systems, automated support workflows, and scheduled diagnostic collection routines.

The CLI method for qkview generation was introduced as part of the tmsh command structure in BIG-IP version 11.5 released in 2014. Prior to tmsh, administrators used the older tclsh command-line interface which required different syntax and offered limited functionality. The transition to tmsh modernized the CLI experience and provided a unified interface for all system management tasks. Today, tmsh remains the standard CLI tool for F5 BIG-IP systems across all current software versions and hardware platforms.

CLI-based qkview generation offers several variations and options for customizing the diagnostic collection process. The standard command creates a default qkview bundle, while additional parameters allow specifying output filename, location, and compression options. Extended qkview generation via CLI can include packet captures, detailed performance metrics, and specific data filters. Advanced users can combine qkview generation with other tmsh commands to create complex diagnostic workflows and automated troubleshooting routines.

How It Works

The CLI qkview generation process starts by accessing the tmsh prompt either through SSH, console access, or serial connection to the F5 BIG-IP system. Once connected, the administrator issues the "tmsh" command to enter the Traffic Management Shell interactive mode. From within tmsh, the "create sys support qkview" command initiates the diagnostic collection process that gathers logs, configuration files, and performance data from all system subsystems. The command returns immediately with a status message, though the actual file generation continues in the background for 2-5 minutes.

For example, an F5 administrator troubleshooting an SSL certificate expiration issue would access the BIG-IP system via SSH, enter tmsh mode, and execute: "create sys support qkview filename /var/tmp/ssl-issue-qkview.tar.gz". The system would begin collecting logs from the SSL certificate manager, configuration data from /config/filestore, and runtime metrics from the ssl module. The qkview file would contain detailed SSL handshake logs, certificate validity dates, and any error messages related to certificate validation. Once complete, the administrator could download the file via SFTP for analysis by F5 support engineers.

The practical step-by-step implementation requires first establishing SSH or console access to the BIG-IP management interface using appropriate credentials. Execute "tmsh" to enter the Traffic Management Shell prompt. Type the command: "create sys support qkview filename /var/tmp/customname.tar.gz" and press Enter. The system will display a message indicating qkview generation has started. To verify completion, use "list sys support qkview" command which shows when the file was last generated. Files are stored in /var/tmp/ and can be downloaded via SCP using "scp [email protected]:/var/tmp/customname.tar.gz ~/qkview-downloads/" from a remote system.

Why It Matters

CLI-based qkview generation is critical for DevOps and infrastructure automation scenarios where manual Web UI access is impractical or unavailable. Organizations managing dozens or hundreds of F5 BIG-IP systems need automated diagnostic collection that integrates with orchestration platforms like Ansible, Terraform, and custom Python scripts. Statistics show that organizations using automated qkview generation experience 40% faster issue resolution because diagnostic data is available immediately when problems occur. CLI-based automation eliminates manual steps and reduces human error in diagnostic data collection processes.

Enterprises across telecommunications, finance, and cloud service provider industries rely on CLI-based qkview automation for compliance and audit requirements. Telecommunications companies generating thousands of diagnostic files daily use CLI scripts to ensure comprehensive system monitoring and archival. Financial institutions use automated qkview generation to meet regulatory requirements for system change documentation and incident response procedures. Cloud service providers leverage CLI-based qkview automation to correlate customer service issues with infrastructure diagnostics. Healthcare organizations use scheduled CLI qkview generation to maintain compliance with HIPAA audit logging requirements.

Future developments are moving toward integrating qkview generation into modern container orchestration platforms and Kubernetes-based environments. F5 is developing REST API methods for qkview generation that will further simplify automation and integration with CI/CD pipelines. Machine learning tools will analyze CLI-generated qkview data to identify patterns and predict potential system failures before they occur. Integration with centralized logging platforms will enable real-time qkview analysis without downloading files to local systems.

Common Misconceptions

Many administrators mistakenly believe that CLI-generated qkview files differ from Web UI-generated files in content or accuracy. In reality, both methods trigger identical diagnostic collection processes and produce functionally equivalent qkview bundles. The only difference is the interface used to initiate generation and the ability to script or automate CLI-based methods. This misconception sometimes leads organizations to unnecessarily use the Web UI when CLI automation would be more efficient.

Another misconception is that CLI qkview generation requires administrator-level privileges on the system. While full admin access is useful, users with "Support" role in the F5 RBAC system can also generate qkview files via CLI. This allows support engineers and field technicians to collect diagnostics without granting full administrator access. The misconception often leads to overly restrictive access policies that prevent appropriate personnel from performing necessary diagnostic tasks.

Some administrators incorrectly assume that qkview generation via CLI happens synchronously and blocks other system operations during collection. In reality, qkview generation runs entirely in the background as a non-blocking process. The "create" command returns immediately and the collection process continues asynchronously, allowing administrators to issue other commands or close their session while generation proceeds. This asynchronous behavior enables efficient batch operations and does not interrupt normal system administration tasks.

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