Administering BIG-IP and Configuring BIG-IP LTM v.17.1 Local Traffic Manager Bundle

This course is intended for system and network administrators, operators, and engineers responsible for managing the normal day-to-day operation and administration of a BIG-IP application delivery network, and installation, setup, configuration, and administration of the BIG-IP LTM system.

At the end of this course, the student will be able to:

Administering BIG-IP v15.1

• Describe the role of the BIG-IP system as a full proxy device in an application delivery network

• Set up, start/restart/stop, license, and provision the BIG-IP system out-of-the-box

• Create a basic network configuration on the BIG-IP system including VLANs and self IPs

• Use the Configuration utility and TMSH to manage BIG-IP resources such as virtual servers, pools, pool members, nodes, profiles, and monitors

• Create, restore from, and manage BIG-IP archives

• View resource status, availability, and statistical information and use this information to determine how the BIG-IP system is currently processing traffic

• Use profiles to manipulate the way the BIG-IP system processes traffic through a virtual server

• Perform basic troubleshooting and problem determination activities including using the iHealth diagnostic tool

• Support, and view traffic flow using TCPDUMP

• Understand and manage user roles and partitions

• Configure and manage a sync-failover device group with more than two members

• Configure stateful failover using connection mirroring and persistence mirroring

Configuring BIG-IP LTM v15.1: Local Traffic Manager

• Back up the BIG-IP system configuration for safekeeping

• Configure virtual servers, pools, monitors, profiles, and persistence objects

• Test and verify application delivery through the BIG-IP system using local traffic statistics

• Configure priority group activation on a load balancing pool to allow servers to be activated only as needed to process traffic

• Compare and contrast member-based and node-based dynamic load balancing methods

• Configure connection limits to place a threshold on traffic volume to particular pool members and nodes

• Differentiate between cookie, SSL, SIP, universal, and destination address affinity persistence, and describe use cases for each

• Describe the three Match Across Services persistence options and use cases for each

• Configure health monitors to appropriately monitor application delivery through a BIG-IP system

• Configure different types of virtual services to support different types of traffic processing through a BIG-IP system

• Configure different types of SNATs to support routing of traffic through a BIG-IP system

• Configure VLAN tagging and trunking

• Restrict administrative and application traffic through the BIG-IP system using packet filters, port lockdown, and virtual server settings

• Configure SNMP alerts and traps in support of remote monitoring of the BIG-IP system

• Use iRules and local traffic policies appropriately to customize application delivery through the BIG-IP system

• Configure the BIG-IP to detect and mitigate some common attacks at the network and application layers using LTM features such as SYN check, eviction policies, iRules and Local Traffic Policies

Administering BIG-IP v16.1

Chapter 1: Setting Up the BIG-IP System

• Introducing the BIG-IP System

• Initially Setting Up the BIG-IP System

• Configuring the Management Interface

• Activating the Software License

• Provisioning Modules and Resources

• Importing a Device Certificate

• Specifying BIG-IP Platform Properties

• Configuring the Network

• Configuring Network Time Protocol (NTP) Servers

• Configuring Domain Name System (DNS) Settings

• Configuring High Availability Options

• Archiving the BIG-IP Configuration

• Leveraging F5 Support Resources and Tools

Chapter 2: Traffic Processing Building Blocks

• Identifying BIG-IP Traffic Processing Objects

• Configuring Virtual Servers and Pools

• Load Balancing Traffic

• Viewing Module Statistics and Logs

• Using the Traffic Management Shell (TMSH)

• Understanding the TMSH Hierarchical Structure

• Navigating the TMSH Hierarchy

• Managing BIG-IP Configuration State and Files

• BIG-IP System Configuration State

• Loading and Saving the System Configuration

• Shutting Down and Restarting the BIG-IP System

• Saving and Replicating Configuration Data (UCS and SCF)

Chapter 3: Using NATs and SNATs

• Address Translation on the BIG-IP System

• Mapping IP Addresses with NATs

• Solving Routing Issues with SNATs

• Configuring SNAT Auto Map on a Virtual Server

• Monitoring for and Mitigating Port Exhaustion

Chapter 4: Monitoring Application Health

• Introducing Monitors

• Types of Monitors

• Monitor Interval and Timeout Settings

• Configuring Monitors

• Assigning Monitors to Resources

• Managing Pool, Pool Member, and Node Status

• Using the Network Map

Chapter 5: Modifying Traffic Behavior with Profiles

• Introducing Profiles

• Understanding Profile Types and Dependencies

• Configuring and Assigning Profiles

• Introducing SSL Offload and SSL Re-Encryption

Chapter 6: Modifying Traffic Behavior with Persistence

• Understanding the Need for Persistence

• Introducing Source Address Affinity Persistence

• Managing Object State

Chapter 7: Administering the BIG-IP System

• Configuring Logging

• Legacy Remote Logging

• Introducing High Speed Logging (HSL)

• High-Speed Logging Filters

• HSL Configuration Objects

• Configuring High Speed Logging

• Using TCPDUMP on the BIG-IP System

• Leveraging the BIG-IP iHealth System

• Viewing BIG-IP System Statistics

• Defining User Roles and Administrative Partitions

• Leveraging vCMP

Chapter 8: Configuring High Availability

• Introducing Device Service Clustering (DSC)

• Preparing to Deploy a DSC Configuration

• Configuring DSC Communication Settings

• Establishing Device Trust

• Establishing a Sync-Failover Device Group

• Synchronizing Configuration Data

• Exploring Traffic Group Behavior

• Understanding Failover Managers and Triggers

• Achieving Stateful Failover with Mirroring

Configuring BIG-IP LTM v15.1: Local Traffic Manager

Chapter 1: Setting Up the BIG-IP System

• Introducing the BIG-IP System

• Initially Setting Up the BIG-IP System

• Archiving the BIG-IP Configuration

•Leveraging F5 Support Resources and Tools

Chapter 2: Reviewing Local Traffic Configuration

• Reviewing Nodes, Pools, and Virtual Servers

• Reviewing Address Translation

• Reviewing Routing Assumptions

• Reviewing Application Health Monitoring

• Reviewing Traffic Behavior Modification with Profiles

• Reviewing the TMOS Shell (TMSH)

• Reviewing Managing BIG-IP Configuration Data

Chapter 3: Load Balancing Traffic with LTM

• Exploring Load Balancing Options

• Using Priority Group Activation and Fallback Host

• Comparing Member and Node Load Balancing

Chapter 4: Modifying Traffic Behavior with Persistence

• Reviewing Persistence

• Introducing Cookie Persistence

• Specifying Default and Fallback Persistence

• Introducing SSL Persistence

• Introducing SIP Persistence

• Introducing Universal Persistence

• Introducing Destination Address Affinity Persistence

• Using Match Across Options for Persistence

Chapter 5: Monitoring Application Health

• Differentiating Monitor Types

• Customizing the HTTP Monitor

• Monitoring an Alias Address and Port

• Monitoring a Path vs. Monitoring a Device

• Managing Multiple Monitors

• Using Application Check Monitors

• Using Manual Resume and Advanced Monitor Timer Settings

Chapter 6: Processing Traffic with Virtual Servers

• Understanding the Need for Other Virtual Server Types

• Forwarding Traffic with a Virtual Server

• Understanding Virtual Server Order of Precedence

• Path Load Balancing

Chapter 7: Processing Traffic with SNATs

• Overview of SNATs

• Using SNAT Pools

• SNATs as Listeners

• SNAT Specificity

• VIP Bounceback

• Additional SNAT Options

• Network Packet Processing Review

Chapter 8: Modifying Traffic Behavior with Profiles

• Profiles Overview

• TCP Express Optimization

• TCP Profiles Overview

• HTTP Profile Options

• HTTP/2 Profile Options

• OneConnect

• Offloading HTTP Compression to BIG-IP

• Web Acceleration Profile and HTTP Caching

• Stream Profiles

• F5 Acceleration Technologies

Chapter 9: Selected Topics

• VLAN, VLAN Tagging, and Trunking

• Restricting Network Access

• SNMP Features

• Segmenting Network Traffic with Route Domains

Chapter 10: Customizing Application Delivery with iRules

• Getting Started with iRules

• Understanding When iRules are Triggered

• Deploying iRules

• Constructing an iRule

• Testing and Debugging iRules

• Exploring iRules Documentation

Chapter 11: Customizing Application Delivery with Local Traffic Policies

• Getting Started with Local Traffic Policies

• Configuring and Managing Policy Rules

Chapter 12: Securing Application Delivery with LTM

• Understanding Today’s Threat Landscape

• Integrating LTM Into Your Security Strategy

• Defending Your Environment Against SYN Flood Attacks

• Defending Your Environment Against Other Volumetric Attacks

• Addressing Application Vulnerabilities with iRules and Local Traffic Policies

• Detecting and Mitigating Other Common HTTP Threats

Chapter 13: Final Lab Project

• About the Final Lab Project

Chapter 14: Additional Training and Certification

• Getting Started Series Web-Based Training

• F5 Instructor Led Training Curriculum

• F5 Professional Certification Program

Course Changes since v15

Administering BIG-IP v.16.1

• No significant changes to course outline or materials since the v15 release. 

• Minor updates to the course include review and update of referenced knowledge articles, GUI screenshots, hardware platform images in introduction and chapter 1 slides and student guide pages, and removed information for obsolete topics such as Link Controller.

Configuring BIG-IP LTM v16.1: Local Traffic Manager

• Updates for the v16.1 release include changes to TCP Profiles and Securing Application Delivery chapters. 

• All remaining content was reviewed and updated for relevance to the BIG-IP v16.1 release.

The following free web-based training courses, although optional, will be very helpful for any student with limited BIG-IP administration and configuration experience. 

These courses are available at LearnF5 (https://www.f5.com/services/training):

• Getting Started with BIG-IP

• Getting Started with BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) web-based training

The following general network technology knowledge and experience are recommended before attending any F5 Global Training Services instructor-led course:

• OSI model encapsulation

• Routing and switching

• Ethernet and ARP

• TCP/IP concepts

• IP addressing and subnetting

• NAT and private IP addressing

• Default gateway

• Network firewalls

• LAN vs. WAN

• Configuring BIG-IP DNS (formerly GTM) v.16.1
• Configuring F5 Advanced WAF (previously licensed as ASM) v16.1
• Configuring BIG-IP APM: Access Policy Manager v.16.1

Delegates will be provided with official F5 e-kit courseware approximately 1 week prior to the start of the course.