Administering BIG-IP

Begin the BIG-IP learning journey with Administering BIG-IP. Learn how to set up and operate the BIG-IP system as it is commonly deployed in an application delivery network. Through a combination of instructor-led lecture and hands-on labs, complete initial configuration including licensing, resource provisioning, networking, high-availability (HA), and more to establish a secure system. Gain practical experience implementing traffic processing objects: pools, virtual servers, health monitors, network address translation (NATs and SNATs), and more. Explore modifying traffic behavior with profiles that include SSL offload and re-encryption, and with persistence, including source address affinity and cookie persistence using the configuration utility graphical user interface (GUI) and TMSH (TMOS Shell) command line interface (CLI). Build troubleshooting skills learning various logging methods including local, high-speed, and legacy remote logging combined with practice using troubleshooting tools like TCPDUMP. Learn typical administrative and operational activities including user roles and administrative partition creation and management.

By the end of this course, you will be able to: - 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

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