Arrow Electronics, Inc.

Developing iRules for BIG-IP v.16.1

CODE: F5N_BIG-IRULE-CFG

LENGTH: 24 Hours (3 days)

PRICE: £2,295.00

Description

This 3-day course provides networking professionals a functional understanding of iRules development.

The course builds on the foundation of the Administering BIG-IP or Configuring LTM course, demonstrating how to logically plan and write iRules to help monitor and manage common tasks involved with processing traffic on the BIG-IP system.

Extensive course labs consist of writing, applying and evaluating the effect of iRules on local traffic.

This hands-on course includes lectures, labs, and discussions.

Course Topics

  • Setting up the BIG-IP system
  • Getting started with iRules
  • Leveraging DevCentral resources for iRule development
  • Exploring iRule elements, including events, functions, commands, variables, and operators
  • Using control structures for conditional branching and looping
  • Mastering whitespace, grouping, and special symbols
  • Measuring iRule efficiency using timing statistics
  • Logging from an iRule using syslog-ng and high-speed logging (HSL)
  • Optimizing iRules execution, including implementing efficiency best practices
  • Modularizing iRules for administrative efficiency, including using procedures
  • Securing web applications with iRules, including preventing common HTTP attacks, securing HTTP headers and cookies, and implementing HTTP strict transport security (HSTS)
  • Working with strings, including using Tcl parsing commands and iRules parsing functions
  • Accessing and manipulating HTTP traffic, including applying selective HTTP compression
  • Working with iFiles and data groups
  • Using iRules with universal persistence and stream profiles
  • Gathering statistics using STATS and ISTATS
  • Incorporating advanced variables, including arrays, static variables, and the session table
  • Objectives

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

      • Describe the role of iRules in customizing application delivery on a BIG-IP system
      • Describe best practices for using iRules
      • Define event context, and differentiate between client-side and server-side contexts, request and response contexts, and local and remote contexts
      • Trigger an iRule for both client-side and server-side request and response events
      • Assign multiple iRules to a virtual server and control the order in which duplicate events trigger
      • Describe and use a testing methodology for iRule development and troubleshooting
      • Use local variables, static variables, lists, arrays, the session table, and data groups to store information needed for iRule execution
      • Write iRules that are optimized for runtime and administrative efficiency
      • Use control structures to conditionally branch or loop within an iRule
      • Log from an iRule using Linux syslog-ng or TMOS high-speed logging (HSL)
      • Incorporate coding best practices during iRule development
      • Use analyzer tools to capture and view traffic flow on both client-side and server-side contexts
      • Collect and use timing statistics to measure iRule runtime efficiency
      • Write iRules to help mitigate and defend from some common HTTP attacks
      • Differentiate between decimal, octal, hexadecimal, floating-point, and exponential notation
      • Parse and manipulate strings using Tcl commands and iRule functions
      • Write iRules to access and manipulate HTTP header information
      • Write iRules to collect customized statistics
      • Implement universal persistence via an iRule
      • Modify payload content using an iRule with a stream profile

     

    Audience

    This course is intended for system administrators, network administrators and application developers responsible for the customization of traffic flow through a BIG-IP system using iRules.

    Prerequisites

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

    • Administering BIG-IP instructor-led course

    -or-

    • Configuring BIG-IP LTM instructor-led course

    -or-

    • F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator

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

    • Getting Started with BIG-IP web-based training
    • Getting Started with 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:

    • HTTP protocol
    • Any programming language

    Programme

    Chapter 1: Setting Up the BIG-IP System

    • Introducing the BIG-IP System
    • Initially Setting Up the BIG-IP System
    • Archiving the BIG-IP System Configuration
    • Leveraging F5 Support Resources and Tools

    Chapter 2: Getting Started with iRules

    • Customizing Application Delivery with iRules
    • Triggering an iRule
    • Leveraging the DevCentral Ecosystem
    • Creating and Deploying iRules

    Chapter 3: Exploring iRule Elements

    • Introducing iRule Constructs
    • Understanding iRule Events and Event Context
    • Working with iRule Commands
    • Logging from an iRule Using SYSLOG-NG (LOG Command)
    • Working with User-Defined Variables
    • Working with Operators and Data Types
    • Working with Conditional Control Structures (IF and SWITCH)
    • Incorporating Best Practices in iRules

    Chapter 4: Developing and Troubleshooting iRules

    • Mastering Whitespace and Special Symbols
    • Grouping Strings
    • Developing and Troubleshooting Tips
    • Using Fiddler to Test and Troubleshoot iRules

    Chapter 5: Optimizing iRule Execution

    • Understanding the Need for Efficiency
    • Measure iRule Runtime Efficiency Using Timing Statistics
    • Modularizing iRules for Administrative Efficiency
    • Using Procedures to Modularize Code
    • Optimizing Logging
    • Using High-Speed Logging Commands in an iRule
    • Implementing Other Efficiencies
    • Using Looping Control Structures (WHILE, FOR, FOREACH Commands)

    Chapter 6: Securing Web Applications with iRules

    • Integrating iRules into Web Application Defense
    • Mitigating HTTP Version Attacks
    • Mitigating Path Traversal Attacks
    • Using iRules to Defends Against Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
    • Mitigating HTTP Method Vulnerabilities
    • Securing HTTP Cookies with iRules
    • Adding HTTP Security Headers
    • Removing Undesirable HTTP Headers

    Chapter 7: Working with Numbers and Strings

    • Understanding Number Forms and Notation
    • Working with Strings (STRING and SCAN Commands)
    • Combining Strings (Adjacent Variables, CONCAT and APPEND Commands)
    • Using iRule String Parsing Functions (FINDSTR, GETFIELD, and SUBSTR Commands)

    Chapter 8: Processing the HTTP Payload

    • Reviewing HTTP Headers and Commands
    • Introducing iRule HTTP Header Commands
    • Accessing and Manipulating HTTP Headers (HTTP::header Commands)
    • Other HTTP commands (HTTP::host, HTTP::status, HTTP::is_keepalive, HTTP::method, HTTP::version, HTTP::redirect, HTTP::respond, HTTP::uri)
    • Parsing the HTTP URI (URI::path, URI::basename, URI::query)
    • Parsing Cookies with HTTP::cookie
    • Selectively Compressing HTTP Data (COMPRESS Command)

    Chapter 9: Working with iFiles and Data Groups

    • Working with iFiles
    • Introducing Data Groups
    • Working with New Format Data Groups (CLASS MATCH, CLASS SEARCH)

    Chapter 10: Using iRules with Universal Persistence, Stream, and Statistics Profiles

    • Implementing Universal Persistence (PERSIST UIE Command)
    • Working with the Stream Profile (STREAM Command)
    • Collecting Statistics Using a Statistics Profile (STATS Command)
    • Collecting Statistics Using iStats (ISTATS Command)

    Chapter 11: Incorporating Advanced Variables

    • Reviewing the Local Variable Namespace
    • Working with Arrays (ARRAY Command)
    • Using Static and Global Variables
    • Using the Session Table (TABLE Command)
    • Processing Session Table Subtables
    • Counting "Things" Using the Session Table

    Follow on courses

    Other courses available:

    F5N_BIG-LTM-CFG-3, Configuring BIG-IP LTM: Local Traffic Manager v.16.1
    F5N_BIG-DNS-I, Configuring BIG-IP DNS (formerly GTM) v.16.1
    F5N_BIG-AWF-CFG, Configuring F5 Advanced WAF (previously licensed as ASM) v.16.1
    F5N_BIG-EGW-APM, Configuring BIG-IP APM: Access Policy Manager v.16.1
    F5N_BIG-AFM, Configuring BIG-IP AFM: Advanced Firewall Manager v.16.1
    F5N_BIG-TRBL-INT2, Troubleshooting BIG-IP v.16.1

    Further Information

    Course Changes since v15

    The Developing iRules for BIG-IP v16.1 course presents much of the same content as v15.1, with removal of deprecated Data Group MATCHCLASS and FINDCLASS topics being the primary change. Passwords are 8 digits in length i.e.. f5trn0XX.

    Session Dates
    Date
    Location
    Time Zone
    Language
    Type
    Guaranteed
    PRICE

    04 Dec 2023

    Virtual Classroom

    GMT

    English

    Instructor Led Online

    £ 2,295.00

    08 Apr 2024

    Virtual Classroom

    BST

    English

    Instructor Led Online

    £ 2,295.00

    08 Jul 2024

    Virtual Classroom

    BST

    English

    Instructor Led Online

    £ 2,295.00

    07 Oct 2024

    Virtual Classroom

    BST

    English

    Instructor Led Online

    £ 2,295.00

    We also offer sessions in other countries