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 BIGIP System section)

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

DevCentral: Pool member wont 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-V10Dashboard.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

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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

2015 F5 Networks, Inc.