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Course Overview
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.
Who Should Attend
This course is intended for system administrators, network administrators and application developers responsible for the customization of traffic flow through a BIG-IP system.
Course Outline
1 - Setting Up the BIG-IP System
- Introducing the BIG-IP System
- Initially Setting Up the BIG-IP System
- Archiving the BIG-IP System Configuration
- Leveraging F5 Support Resources and Tools
2 - Getting Started with iRules
- Customizing Application Delivery with iRules
- Triggering an iRule
- Leveraging the DevCentral Ecosystem
- Creating and Deploying iRules
3 - Exploring iRule Elements
- Introducing iRule Constructs
- Understanding iRule Events and Event Context
- Working with iRule Commands
- Logging from an iRule Using SYSLOG-NG (LOG Command)
- Working with User-Defined Variables
- Working with Operators and Data Types
- Working with Conditional Control Structures (IF and SWITCH)
- Incorporating Best Practices in iRules
4 - Developing and Troubleshooting iRules
- Mastering Whitespace and Special Symbols
- Grouping Strings
- Developing and Troubleshooting Tips
- Using Fiddler to Test and Troubleshoot iRules
5 - Optimizing iRule Execution
- Understanding the Need for Efficiency
- Measure iRule Runtime Efficiency Using Timing Statistics
- Modularizing iRules for Administrative Efficiency
- Using Procedures to Modularize Code
- Optimizing Logging
- Using High-Speed Logging Commands in an iRule
- Implementing Other Efficiencies
- Using Looping Control Structures (WHILE, FOR, FOREACH Commands)
6 - Securing Web Applications with iRules
- Integrating iRules into Web Application Defense
- Mitigating HTTP Version Attacks
- Mitigating Path Traversal Attacks
- Using iRules to Defends Against Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
- Mitigating HTTP Method Vulnerabilities
- Securing HTTP Cookies with iRules
- Adding HTTP Security Headers
- Removing Undesirable HTTP Headers
7 - Working with Numbers and Strings
- Understanding Number Forms and Notation
- Working with Strings (STRING and SCAN Commands)
- Combining Strings (Adjacent Variables, CONCAT and APPEND Commands)
- Using iRule String Parsing Functions (FINDSTR, GETFIELD, and SUBSTR Commands)
8 - Processing the HTTP Payload
- Reviewing HTTP Headers and Commands
- Accessing and Manipulating HTTP Headers (HTTP::header Commands)
- Other HTTP commands (HTTP::host, HTTP::status, HTTP::is_keepalive, HTTP::method, HTTP::version, HTTP::redirect, HTTP::respond, HTTP::uri)
- Parsing the HTTP URI (URI::path, URI::basename, URI::query)
- Parsing Cookies with HTTP::cookie
- Selectively Compressing HTTP Data (COMPRESS Command)
9 - Working with iFiles and Data Groups
- Working with iFiles
- Introducing Data Groups
- Working with Old Format Data Groups (MATCHCLASS, FINDCLASS)
- Working with New Format Data Groups (CLASS MATCH, CLASS SEARCH)
10 - Using iRules with Universal Persistence, Stream, and Statistics Profiles
- Implementing Universal Persistence (PERSIST UIE Command)
- Working with the Stream Profile (STREAM Command)
- Collecting Statistics Using a Statistics Profile (STATS Command)
- Collecting Statistics Using iStats (ISTATS Command)
11 - Incorporating Advanced Variables
- Reviewing the Local Variable Namespace
- Working with Arrays (ARRAY Command)
- Using Static and Global Variables
- Using the Session Table (TABLE Command)
- Processing Session Table Subtables
- Counting “Things” Using the Session Table