COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course gives network professionals a functional understanding of BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM), introducing students to both commonly used and advanced LTM features. 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 (V12.0) include:

• 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, packet filters, and route domains)
• Deploying application services with iApps
• Customizing application delivery with iRules and local traffic policies

v12.0 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 Configurations
• 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 Dynamic 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

Chapter 6: Processing Traffic with Virtual Servers

• Virtual Servers Concepts
• Path Load Balancing
• Introducing Auto Last Hop

Chapter 7: Processing Traffic with SNATs

• Overview of SNATs
• SNAT Automap
• SNAT Pools
• SNATs as Listeners
• SNAT Specificity
• VIP Bounceback
• Additional SNAT Options
• Network Packet Processing

Chapter 8: Configuring High Availability

• Sync-Failover Group Concepts
• Synchronization, State and Failover
• Traffic Group Concepts
• N+1 Concepts

Chapter 9: Configuring High Availability Part 2

• Failover Triggers and Detection
• Stateful Failover
• Device Group Communication
• Sync-Only Device Groups

Chapter 10: Modifying Traffic with Profiles

• Profiles Review
• Common Protocol Profile Types and Settings
• TCP Express Optimization
• Performance Improvements
• Configuring and Using Profiles
• HTTP Profile Options
• OneConnect
• HTTP Compression
• HTTP Caching
• Stream Profiles
• F5 Acceleration Technologies
• Analytics

Chapter 11: Selected Topics

• VLAN, VLAN Tagging, and Trunking
• Restricting Network Access
• SNMP Features
• Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)
• Route Domains

Chapter 12: 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 13: 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
• Specifying Requires and Controls
• Constructing and Managing Rules

Chapter 14: Final Lab Project

• Lab Project Options

Chapter 15: Additional Training and Certification

• Getting Started Series Web-Based Training
• F5 Instructor Led Training Curriculum
• F5 Professional Certification Program
• Appendix A: Installation
• L1 and L2 Partner Support Requirements
• Appendix B: Additional Labs and How To’s
• Final Lab – Answer Key
• Additional Challenge Requirements