tmsh

tmsh, short for Traffic Management Shell, is the command-line management interface used on F5 BIG-IP devices to configure and monitor system settings and application delivery features. It provides an interactive shell with a hierarchical command structure that maps to BIG-IP configuration objects, covering modules such as Local Traffic Manager (ltm), networking (net), system (sys), and more. tmsh is designed for administrators to perform day-to-day configuration tasks, maintenance, and scripted automation, complementing the web-based Configuration utility and the REST API.

Usage and structure: Administrators start tmsh from a shell prompt and issue commands that follow a namespace-object pattern. Common activities include showing system information, listing configuration objects, and creating, modifying, or deleting items. Examples include commands like show sys version, list ltm virtual, create ltm virtual my_vs, and modify ltm virtual my_vs. The namespace hierarchy allows access to major modules such as ltm for traffic objects, net for networking constructs, and sys for system settings. tmsh supports filtering, grouping, and scripting to automate repetitive tasks, and it provides a means to inspect current configuration state and its components.

Configuration management and automation: tmsh interacts with the running configuration and the non-volatile configuration store, enabling administrators to save changes to persistent storage and to load configurations from files. It supports batch operations and can be incorporated into scripts and automation workflows, including integration with broader management tools and APIs. While tmsh is a core tool on BIG-IP devices, it is often used alongside iControl REST and the web-based interface for broader automation and governance.

Notes and scope: tmsh is specific to BIG-IP platforms and may vary in available objects and syntax across versions. It is commonly used to manage virtual servers, pools, profiles, and security-related settings, under the control of the device’s role-based access policies.