Bug ID 2189993: Upgrade from 17.5.1.3 to 21.0.0 and the config failed to load with error:01071197:3: Metacharacter '*' must be at end of the session variable name

Last Modified: Jan 16, 2026

Affected Product(s):
BIG-IP Install/Upgrade(all modules)

Known Affected Versions:
21.0.0

Opened: Dec 22, 2025

Severity: 2-Critical

Symptoms

When upgrading BIG-IP Virtual Edition from 17.5.1.3 to 21.0.0, a configuration load error occurs: 01071197:3: Metacharacter '*' must be at end of the session variable name. Unexpected Error: Loading configuration process failed.

Impact

You are unable to complete the upgrade from v17.5.1.3 to v21.0.0

Conditions

-- APM provisioned and configured

Workaround

None

Fix Information

None

Behavior Change

Guides & references

K10134038: F5 Bug Tracker Filter Names and Tips