F5_201_TMOS_Admin_StudyGuide

F5 BIG-IP Administrator Certification Study Guide

Purpose of this document

This document outlines topic areas covered on the F5 BIG-IP TMOS Administrator Certification Exam and resources available on the www.askf5.com and devcentral.f5.com Web sites to help prepare test takers.

1. Troubleshooting virtual server connectivity issues

1.1 Given a Connectivity troubleshooting situation, consider the packet, and virtual server

processing order

• SOL14800: Order of precedence for virtual server matching

• SOL411: Overview of packet tracing with the tcpdump utility

• SOL8082: Overview of TCP connection set-up for BIG-IP LTM virtual server types

• Manual Chapter: Introducing BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager

• Administering BIG-IP v11.6.0, Troubleshooting the BIG-IP System (Using tcpdump on the BIG- IP System section)

1.2 Identify the reason a virtual server is not working as expected

• DevCentral: Pool member won’t work through BIG-IP LTM

• Troubleshooting LTM Monitors

1.3 Identify the reasons a pool member has been marked down by health monitors

• SOL12531: Troubleshooting health monitors

• SOL10516: Overview of BIG-IP pool status

• SOL10966: Determining which monitor triggered a change in the availability of a node or pool member

• Administering BIG-IP v11.6.0, Monitoring Application Health

1.4 Identify a pool member not in the active priority group

• Manual Chapter: Pools

• Manual Chapter: LTM Pools

1.5 Identify traffic diverted due to persistence record

• Administering BIG-IP v11.6.0, Modifying Traffic Behavior with Persistence

• SOL13478: Overview of connection and persistence mirroring (11.x)

• SOL10430: Causes of uneven traffic distribution across BIG-IP pool members

• SOL7004: Using source address affinity for AOL persistence connections

1.6 Identify the current configured state of the pool member

• SOL16008: Overview of BIG-IP pool status (11.x)

• Manual Chapter: LTM Pools

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1.7 Identify a persistence issue

• Persistent and Persistence, What’s the Difference?

• Single Node Persistence

• Sessions and Cookies and Persistence

• Session Management (Wikipedia)

• Configuring BIG-IP LTM v11.6.0, Chapter 4: Persistence

• SOL13478: Overview of connection and persistence mirroring (11.x)

• SOL5714: Troubleshooting cookie persistence

2. Troubleshooting basic hardware issues

2.1 Perform and End User Diagnostic per F5 documentation and collect the Output

• Supplemental Document: EUD 11.4 Field Testing BIG-IP Hardware

2.2 Interpret LCD Warning Messages

• Operating the LCD Panel

• SOL4263: New front panel LED indicator behavior in BIG-IP version 9.x

• SOL10161: The Activity LED operation on 8400 platforms

2.3 Identify a possible hardware issue within the log files

• Writing to and rotating custom log files

• Monitoring & Managing LTM Log Files

2.4 Force an active unit to standby under the appropriate circumstances

• sol11736: Defining network resources for BIG-IP high availability features (9.x — 10.x)

• SOL13478: Overview of connection and persistence mirroring (11.x)

2.5 Understand the relationship between interfaces, trunks, VLANs and their status/statistics

• SOL14513: MAC address assignment for interfaces, trunks, and VLANs (11.x)

• SOL10191: Troubleshooting packet drops

3. Troubleshooting basic performance issues

3.1 Recognize when a packet capture is needed within the context of a performance issue.

• Troubleshooting BIG-IP LTM v11.6.0, Troubleshooting — Bottom to Top

• Troubleshooting BIG-IP LTM v11.6.0, Troubleshooting Tools

• SOL411: Overview of packet tracing with the tcpdump utility

• SOL9704:Capturing and viewing packets

• SOL6546: Recommended methods and limitations for running tcpdump on a BIG-IP system

3.2 Use BIG-IP tools in order to identify potential performance issues

• Troubleshooting BIG-IP LTM v11.6.0, Using System Logs

• BIG-IP iHealth User Guide

• Health and Performance Monitoring

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4. Troubleshooting basic device management connectivity issues

4.1 Verify remote connectivity to the BIG-IP in order to determine the cause of a management connectivity issue.

• Configuring Network Access Resources

• Diagnosing Network Connection Issues

• Defining Connectivity Options

• About Network Access

4.2 Check and interpret port lockdown settings in order to determine the cause of a management

connectivity issue to a Self-IP

• SOL13250 : Overview of port lockdown behavior (10.x — 11.x)

4.3 Given the use of a remote authentication server, verify proper DNS and NTP settings in order

to diagnose a connectivity issue.

• Remote Server Authentication

• Configuring Remote User Authentication and Authorization

• SOL13205: Configuring the BIG-IP system to resolve DNS hostnames (11.x)

• SOL10240: Verifying NTP peer server communications

5. Open a support ticket with F5

5.1 Identify the appropriate supporting components and severity levels for an F5Support ticket.

• SOL2633: Instructions for submitting a support case to F5

• SOL135: Information required when opening a support case for BIG-IP LTM or GTM

• BIG-IP iHealth User Guide

• SOL12878: Generating BIG-IP diagnostic data using the qkview utility (10.x — 11.x)

• SOL13066: Information required when opening a support case for BIG-IP Analytics

• Severity Levels and Response Times listed in the WBT F5 Networks Technical Support Overview.

• Administering BIG-IP v11.6.0, Troubleshooting the BIG-IP System (Leveraging the BIG-IP iHealth System and Working with F5 Technical Support sections)

5.2 Given an issue, determine the appropriate severity according to F5 guidelines

http://www.f5.com/services/customer-support/

http://www.f5.com/pdf/customer-support/guidelines-and-policies-ds.pdf

http://www.f5.com/services/customer-support/

http://www.f5.com/flash/technical-support-overview/

5.3 Provide quantitative and relevant information appropriate for a given issue

http://www.f5.com/services/customer-support/

• sol2633: Instructions for submitting a support case to F5

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6. Identify and report current device status

6.1 Review the network map in order to determine the status of objects

• LTM Essentials WBT — Module 2

• BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager: Concepts

• Administering BIG-IP v11.6.0, Monitoring Application Health (Using the Network Map section)

6.2 Use the dashboard to gauge the current running status of the system

https://devcentral.f5.com/Multimedia/DCTV/Player/TabId/1086258/VideoId/77/BIGIP-V10- Dashboard.aspx

• Getting Started Guide: Monitoring the BIG-IP System

6.3 Review log files and identify possible events

• Troubleshooting BIG-IP LTM v11.6.0, Using System Logs

• SOL13317: Configuring the level of information that syslog-ng sends to log files (11.x)

• SOL13080: Configuring the BIG-IP system to log to a remote syslog server (11.x)

• SOL5532: Configuring the level of information logged for TMM specific events

• SOL13367: Managing log files on the BIG-IP system (11.x)

• Manual: BIG-IP TMOS: Concepts Chapter: Logging

6.4 Use iApps analytics to gauge the current running status of application services

• BIG-IP Analytics: Implementations

7. Maintain system configuration

7.1 Create, manage, and restore a UCS archive under the appropriate circumstances

• TMOS Management Guide for BIG-IP Systems v10.x | Creating and Managing Archives

• BIG-IP TMOS: Concepts v11.2 | Archives (online)

• BIG-IP TMOS: Concepts v11.2 | Chapter 9: Archives (pdf)

• SOL4423: Overview of UCS Archives

• SOL13132 Backing up and restoring BIG-IP configuration (11.x)

• SOL11318: Backing up and restoring BIG-IP configuration files (10.x)

• SOL3499: Backing up and restoring BIG-IP version 9.x configuration files

• SOL13136: The UCS configuration archive cannot be restored on a platform other than the one on which the archive was created

• SOL9420: Installing a UCS file containing an encrypted passphrase

• BIG-IP Systems: Getting Started Guide v10.x | Preparing the System for Installation

• SOL13294: Change in Behavior: Installing a UCS configuration archive now restores the full configuration

7.2 Identify which high-level tasks can be automated using BIG-IQ

• Release Note: BIG-IQ Device, 4.5.0

• Release Note: BIG-IQ Cloud, 4.5.0

• Release Note: BIG-IQ Security, 4.5.0

• Release Note: BIG-IQ ADC, 4.5.0

7.3 Manage software images

• BIG-IP Redundant Systems Configuration Guide v11.0

• SOL8086: Replacing a BIG-IP system in a redundant pair without interrupting service

• BIG-IP System: Upgrading Active/Standby Systems v11.0 (online)

• BIG-IP System: Upgrading Active Standby Systems v11.0 (pdf)

• BIG-IP System: Upgrading Active/Active Systems v11.0 (online)

• BIG-IP System: Upgrading Active Active Systems v11.0 (pdf)

• SOL13123: Managing BIG-IP product hotfixes (11.x)

• BIG-IP Systems: Getting Started Guide v10.x | Preparing the System for Installation

• SOL4178: Booting the BIG-IP system in single-user mode

• SOL13117: Performing a clean installation of BIG-IP version 11.x

• SOL13127: Restoring the BIG-IP configuration to factory default settings 11.x

• SOL10449: Upgrading the software version or applying a hotfix to BIG-IP GTM v10.x

• Configuration Guide for the VIPRION System | Upgrading the VIPRION System

• Troubleshooting BIG-IP v11.6.0, F5 Support

7.4 Given an HA pair, describe the appropriate strategy for deploying a new software image

• SOL12157: Upgrading an Active-Active high availability pair(9x, 10x)

• Manual: BIG-IP System: Upgrading Active-Active Systems (11.x)

• Manual: BIG-IP Systems: Upgrading Active-Standby Systems

• Manual: BIG-IP Systems: Upgrading Active-Active Systems

7.5 Understand the processes of licensing, license reactivation, and license modification (add-ons)

• SOL7752: Overview of Licensing the BIG-IP System

• SOL9245: Verifying that a BIG-IP license is valid

• SOL15055: Using tmsh to view and manage licenses for BIG-IP and BIG-IQ systems

• SOL15094: Licensing the BIG-IQ system

• SOL14262: Licensing F5 products

• SOL15365: License activation may be required prior to software upgrade for the BIG-IQ system

• SOL7727: License activation may be required prior to software upgrade for the BIG-IP or Enterprise Manager system

7.6 Identify which modules are licensed and/or provisioned

• SOL14826: Good, Better, Best license options and provisioning

• SOL12111: Provisioning licensed BIG-IP modules

• SOL14810: Overview of the vCPU limits for the BIG-IP Virtual Edition license

• SOL15871: Web Based Training: F5 Good, Better, Best licensing schema (WBT)

• SOL13988: BIG-IP module provisioning exceptions

7.7 Explain how to create a user

• Administering BIG-IP 11.6.0, Administering the BIG-IP System (User Roles and Administrative Partitions section)

7.8 Explain how to modify user properties

• Manual Chapter: User Accounts

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8. Manage existing system and application services

8.1 Modify and manage virtual servers

• BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager v11.2: Concepts

• SOL8018: Overview of the BIG-IP HTTP class traffic flow

• BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager v11.2: Implementations

• Configuring BIG-IP LTM v11.6.0, Chapter 6: Virtual Servers

• LTM Essentials Web-based Training Course

• SOL10640: Pool member reselection options

• SOL13675: Overview of the stateless virtual server

• SOL12272: Overview of virtual server types for BIG-IP version 10.x

• HTTP Basics I Web Based Training Course

• HTTP Basics II Web Based Training Course

• Administering BIG-IP v11.6.0, Traffic Processing Building Blocks (Configuring Virtual Servers and Pools section)

• SOL14163: Overview of BIG-IP virtual server types (11.x)

• SOL14800: Order of precedence for virtual server matching (11.3.0 and later)

• SOL8082: Overview of TCP connection setup for BIG-IP LTM virtual server types

• SOL9039: A virtual server with a SNAT pool takes precedence over matching the NAT

• SOL10379: A local virtual server IP address cannot be used as a pool member

8.2 Modify and manage pools

• BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager v11.2: Concepts

• SOL8018: Overview of the BIG-IP HTTP class traffic flow

• BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager v11.2: Implementations

• SOL10640: Pool member reselection options

• LTM Essentials Web-based Training Course

• SOL8457: Connection limits configured on pool members or nodes for a CMP system are enforced per TMM instance

• SOL16008: Overview of BIG-IP pool status (11.x)

• SOL13310: Disabling nodes or pool members for maintenance (11.x)

• SOL6510: BIG-IP system fallback host behavior when a host is down

• SOL7065: Configuring the BIG-IP system to use an alternate server if pool members are unavailable

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