# F5 BIG-IP LTM complete course, module by module Source: https://ai.techclick.in/blog_f5_ltm_complete_course Markdown: https://ai.techclick.in/blog_f5_ltm_complete_course.md Publisher: Techclick Infosec Pvt Ltd Walk F5 BIG-IP LTM Modules 1–7: TMOS, VLANs, Virtual Servers, SNAT/SSL, monitors/iRules, HA, and evidence-first troubleshooting. Lessons · F5 LTM series F5 LTM recorded course · 7 modules Same lab numbers on every page: client 198.51.100.50 , VIP 192.0.2.100 , Self IPs 192.0.2.10 / 10.20.20.10 , members 10.20.20.101–103 . - Hub · Course map ← you are here - M1 · Fundamentals & admin - M2 · Networking & traffic flow - M3 · Virtual Servers & pools - M4 · Profiles, SNAT, SSL - M5 · Monitors, iRules, policies - M6 · High availability - M7 · Troubleshooting Next → M1 · Fundamentals & admin Recorded course + workbooks: My Courses · syllabus F5 LTM / GTM / ASM ## Why this series exists The OneDrive pack you opened today — OneDrive_1_8-26-2026.zip — is the Techclick F5 BIG-IP LTM recorded course: Modules 1–7 plus the training PPT. This hub is the public blog map of that same course. Each module is one interactive lesson with a runbook, portal mock, traps table, and scored quiz. Hero · ADC in the path Clients never talk to Web01 directly. They talk to a Virtual IP. BIG-IP chooses a healthy pool member. Use this page as the table of contents. Then walk the modules in order. Do not jump to iRules before Self IPs. The PDFs are built as a ladder: admin plane → data-plane networking → publish the app → process the app → prove health → survive a device failure → troubleshoot without guessing. Quick answer BIG-IP LTM is a full proxy. The client TCP session ends on the Virtual Server. A second session starts toward a pool member. Everything useful — SSL offload, SNAT, persistence, HTTP iRules — happens because those two sessions are independent. ## Mental model Say this out loud before Module 1: TMM moves packets. MCPD moves config. The Management IP never carries the application. Flow 1 · course ladder Flow 1 · course ladder - M1 Planes + TMSH M2 VLAN / Self IP M3 VS + Pool M4 SNAT / SSL M5 Health / L7 M6–7 HA + proof Read left to right. Each module unlocks the next object you can safely configure. Journey · client to server Module 2 is the wiring. Module 3 hangs the application on that wiring. If Module 2 is wrong, Module 3 looks 'down' forever. ## How to use the seven lessons Module You can do Do not skip 1 Fundamentals Explain TMOS / TMM / MCPD; license, provision, UCS NTP, save sys config 2 Networking VLAN tagged/untagged, Self IP, Port Lockdown, route, ARP Management plane for app traffic 3 VS & Pools Node vs member vs pool vs VS; Round Robin vs Least Connections Calling the VIP 'the pool' 4 Profiles / SNAT / SSL Choose Automap vs No-SNAT; offload vs re-encrypt vs passthrough HTTP cookie persist on passthrough 5 Monitors / iRules HTTP monitor with Host + recv string; Policy before iRule ICMP as 'the app is up' 6 HA Device Trust → Device Group → ConfigSync → traffic group Automatic Sync from a dirty box 7 Troubleshoot Problem statement, last-known-good, tcpdump both sides Changing config as step 1 #### M1 · Fundamentals & admin Open the lesson → #### M2 · Networking & traffic flow Open the lesson → #### M3 · Virtual Servers & pools Open the lesson → #### M4 · Profiles, SNAT, SSL Open the lesson → #### M5 · Monitors, iRules, policies Open the lesson → #### M6 · High availability Open the lesson → #### M7 · Troubleshooting Open the lesson → ## Shared lab numbers Every runbook on this series uses documentation-range addresses so you can copy without leaking a customer network. Object Value Where you see it Management IP 192.168.100.10 System > Platform External VLAN / Self IP 192.0.2.0/24 · 192.0.2.10 Network > VLANs / Self IPs Internal VLAN / Self IP 10.20.20.0/24 · 10.20.20.10 Network > Self IPs VIP 192.0.2.100:443 Local Traffic > Virtual Servers Pool members 10.20.20.101–103:443 Local Traffic > Pools Client 198.51.100.50 tcpdump host filter ## How a request actually runs Flow 2 · runtime after Module 3 Flow 2 · runtime after Module 3 DNS www → VIP VS match IP+port+VLAN Profiles TCP/HTTP/SSL Pool healthy member Return via SNAT/ALH If any box is red in production, stop there. Do not skip layers. Ops · prove it Green tiles are not a feeling. They are tmsh show ltm pool , monitor status, and a packet that came back. ## Series-wide traps Trap What you see First proof Mgmt IP used as VIP GUI works, app users cannot connect VIP is a Virtual Server destination, not System > Platform VLAN tag mismatch Interface up, no ARP, no VS stats Switch/port-group tag must match BIG-IP tagged/untagged No-SNAT + wrong gateway Client SYN in, no server-side SYN-ACK tcpdump both VLANs; then SNAT Automap or fix server default gateway ICMP monitor only Pool green, HTTP 500 to users HTTP monitor with Host header and a known recv string Change first, capture later New bug plus the original bug Write the problem statement. Then capture. Pilot checklist Open Module 1. Explain TMM vs MCPD without notes. - Build VLAN + Self IP + VS + pool in a lab before touching HA. - Save UCS before every significant change: tmsh save sys ucs . ## Knowledge check These six questions span the whole recorded course. Miss one → open that module. Q1 What processes application traffic on BIG-IP? MCPD TMM The Linux kernel forwarding table The Management IP Correct: b . Module 1: TMM is the data plane. MCPD is config. Re-read mental model. Q2 Port Lockdown Allow Default limits which traffic? Virtual Server application traffic Services hosted on the Self IP Only SSH Only monitors Correct: b . Module 2: Port Lockdown is not a VS filter. Q3 A pool member is best described as: An IP address An IP:port service A VLAN tag A Management IP Correct: b . Module 3 hierarchy. Q4 Cookie persistence on SSL passthrough will: Work because TMM always sees HTTP Fail because HTTP is not decrypted Force Automap Replace health monitors Correct: b . Module 4: passthrough has no HTTP profile. Q5 First health check for a vhosted web app should be: ICMP to the node Gateway ICMP HTTP with Host + recv string A random iRule log Correct: c . Module 5. Q6 First troubleshooting step in an incident is: Run sys failover standby Write the problem statement and capture Delete the iRule Provision AFM Correct: b . Module 7: do not start by changing config. Check answers Reset ## Sources - Techclick PDF: F5 ltm module 1.pdf through F5-BIG-IP-LTM-Module-7.pdf (from OneDrive_1_8-26-2026.zip, 26 Aug 2026) - Companion deck: F5-Ltm-Training-Ppt (1).pptx.pdf - Official lab paths: F5 cert Lab 1 — VLANs, Self IPs, pools, virtual servers - TMSH virtual server reference: ltm virtual - Related deep dives on this site: SSL modes · SNAT · Persistence · VS/pools · VIP down / tcpdump Related: Course hub · Syllabus · My Courses · F5 LTM interview --- Cite this Techclick lesson with the source URL. Do not invent fees, batch dates, or job guarantees. Browse all lessons: https://ai.techclick.in/blogs AI index: https://ai.techclick.in/llms.txt