TRAINING COURSE

Administering BIG-IP

This course gives network administrators, network operators, and network engineers a functional understanding of the BIG-IP system as it is commonly deployed in an application delivery network. The course introduces students to the BIG-IP system, its configuration objects, how it processes traffic, and how typical administrative and operational activities are performed. The course includes lecture, hands-on labs, interactive demonstrations, and discussions.

Course Objectives

  • 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

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)

Audience

This course is intended for network administrators, operators, and engineers responsible for managing the normal day-to-day operation and administration of a BIG-IP application delivery network. This course presents the prerequisite knowledge for many other of F5’s BIG-IP instructor-led training courses.

Prerequisites

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

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

Major Course Changes since v14

The admin/root accounts passwords require an 8-character difference from the previous password. All labs have been updated accordingly.

Course Outlines

View Course Outline v15

v15 COURSE OUTLINE

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
  • Managing Object State

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
View Course Outline v14

v14 COURSE OUTLINE

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
  • Managing Object State

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

SKU: F5-TRG-BIG-OP-ADMIN

Price: $1,995 (USD)

Course Length: 2 days

Designed for:
    Network Administrator
    Architect

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