This course provides networking professionals a functional understanding of iRules development. The course builds on the foundation of the Administering BIG-IP or Configuring LTM course, demonstrating how to logically plan and write iRules to help monitor and manage common tasks involved with processing traffic on the BIG-IP system. Extensive course labs consist of
writing, applying and evaluating the effect of iRules on local traffic. This hands-on course includes lectures, labs, and discussions.

Audience

This course is intended for system administrators, network administrators and application developers responsible for the customization of traffic flow through a BIG-IP system using iRules.

Students must complete one of the following F5 prerequisites before attending this course:

Administering BIG-IP instructor-led course

Configuring BIG-IP LTM instructor-led course

F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator

The following free web-based training courses, although optional, will be very helpful for any student with limited BIG-IP
administration and configuration experience.

Getting Started with BIG-IP web-based training

Getting Started with BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) web-based training

The following general network technology knowledge and experience are recommended before attending any F5 Global Training Services instructor-led course:

OSI model encapsulation

Routing and switching

Ethernet and ARP

TCP/IP concepts

IP addressing and subnetting

NAT and private IP addressing

Default gateway

Network firewalls

LAN vs. WAN

The following course-specific knowledge and experience is suggested before attending this course:

HTTP protocol

Any programming language

Students should be able to :

Describe the role of iRules in customizing application delivery on a BIG-IP system

Describe best practices for using iRules

Define event context, and differentiate between client-side and server-side contexts, request and response contexts, and local and remote contexts

Trigger an iRule for both client-side and server-side request and response events

Assign multiple iRules to a virtual server and control the order in which duplicate events trigger

Describe and use a testing methodology for iRule development and troubleshooting

Use local variables, static variables, lists, arrays, the session table, and data groups to store information needed for iRule execution

Write iRules that are optimized for runtime and administrative efficiency

Use control structures to conditionally branch or loop within an iRule

Log from an iRule using Linux syslog-ng or TMOS high-speed logging (HSL)

Incorporate coding best practices during iRule development

Use analyzer tools to capture and view traffic flow on both client-side and server-side contexts

Collect and use timing statistics to measure iRule runtime efficiency

Write iRules to help mitigate and defend from some common HTTP attacks

Differentiate between decimal, octal, hexadecimal, floating-point, and exponential notation

Parse and manipulate strings using Tcl commands and iRule functions

Write iRules to access and manipulate HTTP header information

Write iRules to collect customized statistics

Implement universal persistence via an iRule

Modify payload content using an iRule with a stream profile

Setting up the BIG-IP system

Getting started with iRules

Leveraging DevCentral resources for iRule development

Exploring iRule elements, including events, functions, commands, variables, and operators

Using control structures for conditional branching and looping

Mastering whitespace, grouping, and special symbols

Measuring iRule efficiency using timing statistics

Logging from an iRule using syslog-ng and high-speed logging
(HSL)

Optimizing iRules execution, including implementing efficiency best practices

Modularizing iRules for administrative efficiency, including using procedures

Securing web applications with iRules, including preventing common HTTP attacks, securing HTTP headers and cookies, and implementing HTTP strict transport security (HSTS)

Working with strings, including using Tcl parsing commands and iRules parsing functions

Accessing and manipulating HTTP traffic, including applying selective HTTP compression

Working with iFiles and data groups

Using iRules with universal persistence and stream profiles

Gathering statistics using STATS and ISTATS

Incorporating advanced variables, including arrays, static variables, and the session table