Course Outline
BIG-IP Architecture & Platform Management
- Networking fundamentals—OSI model (L2–L7), load balancers at L4/L7; IP addressing and subnetting mapped to BIG-IP self IPs and VLANs.
- TMM traffic-processing architecture; traffic flow from client → virtual server → pool member; device modes, administrative partitions, and role-based access control (relevant to segregation-of-duties requirements in banking); licensing and module provisioning (LTM, AVR).
- TMUI navigation and efficient GUI workflows; tmsh essentials; configuration backup and restore with UCS archives; overview of hardware vs. virtual editions and their suitability in bank data centres.
- Lab “Get Traffic Flowing”—initial setup (VLANs, self IPs, routes), creation of nodes, pool, and health monitor, building the first virtual server, verifying traffic to backend application servers, and taking a UCS backup.
Core Load Balancing & SSL/TLS
- Networking fundamentals—TCP/UDP handshake and port concepts; HTTP methods, headers, status codes, and keep-alive.
- Virtual server types; pools, nodes, and monitor design; load-balancing algorithms; TCP/HTTP profiles and connection reuse; application of these concepts to internet banking and API traffic patterns.
- SSL/TLS offloading and certificate management (key/cert import, chains, cipher policy—aligned with typical banking security baselines); persistence methods (cookie, source-address) and appropriate use cases; introduction to iRules with simple read-only examples (redirects, header insertion).
- Lab—Build an HTTPS virtual server with SSL offloading for a simulated banking portal, configure cookie persistence, validate the certificate chain in a browser, apply a simple redirect iRule, and observe monitor-driven pool member failover.
High Availability & Operations
- Networking fundamentals—VLANs, routing, and ARP essentials; DNS resolution flow and record types; TLS handshake recap.
- Device Service Clustering: device trust, sync-failover groups, config synchronization, traffic groups, and floating IPs; failover behavior and client experience; HA design considerations for banking (dual-data centre patterns, maintenance without downtime).
- Operations for regulated environments: local and remote logging (syslog, SNMP), AVR traffic analytics, audit logging of administrative changes, upgrade and maintenance procedures, backup strategy, and disaster recovery basics; brief outlook on automation (iControl REST) and WAF (ASM/Advanced WAF) as follow-on topics.
- Lab: Build an active/standby HA pair from the two per-trainee BIG-IP VEs, establish device trust and config synchronization, execute a forced failover during live traffic, configure remote syslog, review audit logs, and perform a final backup; course recap and Q&A.
Lab Environment
Each trainee receives a dedicated, isolated lab environment: two BIG-IP Virtual Edition instances (enabling the Day 3 HA exercise) plus shared backend web servers simulating application tiers. Access is entirely browser-based via a secured Guacamole gateway—trainees need only a web browser, with no VPN client or local software installation required, simplifying participation from locked-down banking workstations. The environment is pre-built and validated before Day 1; every trainee completes Day 1 with working traffic through their own BIG-IP.
Requirements
No prior F5 experience is necessary.
Basic TCP/IP knowledge is beneficial but not required. Each day begins with brief networking primers (OSI model, TCP/HTTP, DNS/TLS) aligned with the day's F5 content, ensuring mixed-experience teams start from a common baseline.
Audience: Network engineers, security engineers, application support and operations staff in banking/financial institutions.
Custom Corporate Training
Training solutions designed exclusively for businesses.
- Customized Content: We adapt the syllabus and practical exercises to the real goals and needs of your project.
- Flexible Schedule: Dates and times adapted to your team's agenda.
- Format: Online (live), In-company (at your offices), or Hybrid.
Price per private group, online live training, starting from 3900 € + VAT*
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