This 2-day course gives network administrators, networkoperators, and network engineers a functional understanding of the BIG-IPsystem as it is commonly deployed in an application delivery network.
The course introduces students to the BIG-IP system, itsconfiguration objects, how it processes traffic, and how typical administrativeand operational activities are performed.
The course includes lecture, hands-on labs, interactivedemonstrations, and discussions.
Course Topics
• Getting started with the BIG-IP system
• Traffic processing with BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM)
• Using TMSH (TMOS Shell) command line interface
• Using NATs and SNATs
• Monitoring application health and managing object status
• Modifying traffic behavior with profiles, including SSL offload and re-encryption
• Modifying traffic behavior with persistence, including source address affinity and cookie persistence
• Troubleshooting the BIG-IP system, including logging (local, high-speed, and legacy remote logging), and using TCPDUMP
• User roles and administrative partitions
• vCMP concepts
• Configuring high availability (including active/standby and connection and persistence mirroring)
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
Course Changes since v15
• 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.
After completing this course, participants will be able to complete the following tasks:
• 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
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
This course is intended for network administrators,operators, and engineers responsible for managing the normal day-to-dayoperation and administration of a BIG-IP application delivery network.
This course presents the prerequisite knowledge for manyother of F5's BIG-IP instructor-led training courses.
