This course gives network professionals a functional understanding of BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager, introducing students to both commonly used and advanced BIG-IP LTM features and functionality. Incorporating lecture, extensive hands-on labs, and classroom discussion, the course helps students build the well-rounded skill set needed to manage BIG-IP LTM systems as part of a flexible and high performance application delivery network.

Topics covered in this course include:

   v13 Course Topics

BIG-IP initial setup (licensing, provisioning, and network configuration)
A review of BIG-IP local traffic configuration objects
Using dynamic load balancing methods
Modifying traffic behavior with persistence (including SSL, SIP, universal, and destination address affinity persistence)
Monitoring application health with Layer 3, Layer 4, and Layer 7 monitors (including transparent, scripted, and external monitors)
Processing traffic with virtual servers (including network, forwarding, and reject virtual servers)
Processing traffic with SNATs (including SNAT pools and SNATs as listeners)
Configuring high availability (including active/standby and N+1 sync failover device groups, connection and persistence mirroring, and sync-only device groups)
Modifying traffic behavior with profiles (including advanced HTTP profile options, caching, compression, and OneConnect profiles)
Advanced BIG-IP LTM configuration options (including VLAN tagging and trunking, SNMP features, and packet filters)
Deploying application services with iApps
Customizing application delivery with iRules and local traffic policies
 

  ​By the end of this course, the student should be able to use both the Configuration utility, TMSH, and Linux commands to configure and manage BIG-IP LTM systems in an application delivery network. In addition, students should be able to monitor the BIG-IP system to achieve operational efficiency, and establish and maintain high availability infrastructure for critical business applications.

v13 COURSE OUTLINE

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 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

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

Chapter 9: Modifying Traffic Behavior with Profiles

Profiles Overview
TCP Profile Settings
TCP Express Optimization
Performance Improvements
Configuring and Using Profiles
HTTP Profile Options
OneConnect
Offloading HTTP Compression to BIG-IP
HTTP Caching
Stream Profiles
F5 Acceleration Technologies

Chapter 10: Selected Topics

VLAN, VLAN Tagging, and Trunking
Restricting Network Access
SNMP Features

Chapter 11: Deploying Application Services with iApps

Simplifying Application Deployment with iApps
Using iApps Templates
Deploying an Application Service
Reconfiguring an Application Service
Leveraging the iApps Ecosystem on DevCentral

Chapter 12: Customizing Application Delivery with iRules and Local Traffic Policies

Getting Started with iRules
Triggering an iRule
Introducing iRule Constructs
Leveraging the DevCentral Ecosystem
Deploying and Testing iRules
Getting Started with Local Traffic Policies
What Can You Do with a Local Traffic Policy?
How Does a Local Traffic Policy Work?
Understanding Local Traffic Policy Workflow
Introducing the Elements of a Local Traffic Policy
Specifying the Matching Strategy
What Are Rules?
Understanding Requires and Controls
Configuring and Managing Policy Rules
Configuring a New Rule
Including Tcl in Certain Rule Settings

Chapter 13: Final Lab Project

About the Final Lab Project
Possible Solution to Lab 13.1

This course is intended for system and network administrators responsible for installation, setup, configuration, and administration of the BIG-IP LTM system.

Students must complete one of the following F5 prerequisites before attending this course:

Administering BIG-IP instructor-led course
F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator
The following free web-based courses, although optional, will be very helpful for any student with limited BIG-IP administration and configuration experience. These courses are available at F5 University:

Getting Started with BIG-IP web-based training
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
The following course-specific knowledge and experience is suggested before attending this course:

Web application delivery
HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and SSH protocols
TLS/SSL