Learn DevOps techniques for the onboarding of and deploying apps to BIG-IP. Start by reviewing the Linux command line and then review basic BIG-IP concepts such as F5 terminology, round robin server pool load balancing, health monitor checks, layer 4 proxying, and source address translation both in lecture and in hands-on labs. Next, focus on automation and DevOps concepts, such as Infrastructure as Code, the role of orchestration, Source of Truth, atomicity, idempotency and imperative vs. declarative operations and their APIs.

Dive into JSON, the standard scripting notation of DevOps, and investigate programming BIG-IP systems using JSON-based iControl REST. Discover onboarding BIG-IP using iControl REST, both in lecture and hands-on labs.

Explore the alternative data serialization language to JSON, YAML, which is used by Kubernetes and many other applications, before jumping into Ansible. Learn about the Ansible architecture, components, modules and how it uses Python and iControl REST to run on just about any platform. Build trust relationships with BIG-IP systems and backend servers using advanced inventory files. Create sophisticated playbooks that feature fact gathering, conditional tasks, and secure password vaults that are used to onboard, provision, license and deploy HA applications to BIG-IP systems.

• Review Automation and DevOps concepts
• Describe the components of iControl REST calls and how they interact with BIG-IP
• Stand up and configure BIG-IP applications using iControl REST
• Describe the major components of Ansible and how they work together to configure BIG-IP
• Use flow control elements such as conditionals and looping in Ansible Playbooks
• Onboard and configure BIG-IP applications using Ansible

Course Topics

• Review the Linux Command Line
• Review BIG-IP Application Creation
• Discuss Automation and DevOps Concepts
• Configuring BIG-IP with iControl REST
• Configuring BIG-IP programmatically with Ansible

Chapter 1: Linux Command Line Review

• Navigating the Linux File System
• Creating and Deleting Files and Directories
• Copying and Moving Files
• Command Line Auto-Completion and Editing
• Tools for Analyzing Test Results and Inspecting Log Files

Chapter 2: BIG-IP Application Creation Review

• Understanding Load Balancing Basics
• Configuring Virtual Servers, Pools, Pool Members and Nodes
• Configuring Health Monitors and SSL Profiles
• Understanding the Full Proxy Architecture and Source Address Translation

Chapter 3: Automation and DevOps Concepts

• Understanding Infrastructure as Code, NetOps and DevOps
• Differentiating Automation and Orchestration Concepts
• Diving into DevOps Concepts such as Idempotency, Atomicity and Imperative vs Declarative

Chapter 4: Programming BIG-IP with iControl REST

• Introducing Basic JavaScript Types
• Introducing JavaScript Object Notation
• Discovering an existing BIG-IP Configuration using iControl REST
• Deploying Apps on BIG-IP using iControl REST
• Onboarding BIG-IP using iControl REST
• Working with JSON Programmatically

Chapter 5: Automating BIG-IP with Ansible

• Introducing YAML
• Establishing an Ansible Trust Relationship
• Creating an Ansible Playbook
• Exploring the Playbook
• Working with the Inventory File
• Using the Command Module
• Gathering Facts for the Playbook
• Deploying Apps on BIG-IP using Ansible
• Deleting a BIG-IP Application
• Onboarding a BIG-IP system using Ansible
• Deploying BIG-IP HA
• Investigating Ansible Roles

This course is intended for network administrators and operators and DevOps engineers interested in automating tasks on BIG-IP systems in their public and private Clouds as well as in their datacenter infrastructure.

Students should be familiar with and be able to configure basic BIG-IP elements such as:

• Virtual Servers
• Pools, Pool Members and Nodes
• Pool Monitors
• Basic Virtual Server Profiles

Students should also be familiar with the basics of the Linux command line. In addition, the following general technical knowledge should be well understood:

• Layer 2 Ethernet and ARP networking concepts
• Layer 3 and 4 TCP/IP networking concepts, including IP addressing and subnetting
• Layer 7 HTTP networking concepts
• Linux command line and basic Linux commands
• HTML

Finally, “nice-to-have” knowledge includes familiarity with programming and/or scripting languages, such as:

• JavaScript or NodeJS
• Python
• Bash