This course gives networking professionals a functional understanding of the BIG-IP DNS system as it is commonly used. The course covers configuration and ongoing management of the BIG-IP DNS system, and includes a combination of lecture, discussion, and hands-on labs.
Prerequisites
There are no F5-technology-specific prerequisites for this course: However, completing the following before attending would be helpful for students with limited BIG-IP administration and configuration experience:
- Administering BIG-IP instructor-led course or
- F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator
Objectives
- Provision the BIG-IP system for operation
- Back up the BIG-IP system configuration for safekeeping
- Describe how the Domain Name System (DNS) resolves host names into IP addresses
- Describe how the BIG-IP DNS system can participate in the DNS resolution process
- Use DNS Express on the BIG-IP DNS system to accelerate DNS resolution
- Cache DNS query responses on BIG-IP DNS to accelerate DNS resolution
- Load balance DNS queries to a pool of DNS servers and monitor pool health
- Configure the key features of the BIG-IP DNS system to perform intelligent DNS resolution
- Describe the LDNS probes used by BIG-IP DNS to support path-based load balancing
- Configure a wide IP pool to use a path load balancing method
- View and confirm DNS resolution behavior using path load balancing methods
- Use static and dynamic load balancing methods to intelligently resolve DNS queries
- Use persistence to effectively return one or more clients to the same virtual server on each query
- Use manual resume to control certain load balancing behavior in the event of an outage
- Configure and use load balancing decision logs to fine-tune and troubleshoot DNS resolution
- Configure monitors on the BIG-IP DNS system in support of DNS resolution
- Configure BIG-IP DNS to participate in the DNSSEC chain of trust
- Configure limit settings on virtual servers, servers, and wide IP pools to temporarily direct client traffic away from resources that may not be performing at certain thresholds of efficiency
- Configure iRules on a wide IP to customize intelligent DNS resolution
- Describe the other wide IP types provided with BIG-IP DNS
- Configure a BIG-IP DNS sync group
- Apply all the principles learned throughout the course to configure a BIG-IP DNS system based on hypothetical specifications
Agenda
- Overview of the Domain Name System and DNS resolution flow through BIG-IP DNS
- Configuring DNS listeners
- Accelerating DNS resolution with DNS Express, DNS cache, and DNS server load balancing
- Intelligent DNS resolution with wide IPs and wide IP pools
- Using probes and metrics to assist the intelligent DNS resolution process
- Intelligent DNS load balancing methods
- Monitoring intelligent DNS resources
- Logging GSLB load balancing decisions
- Using DNSSEC
- Integrating iRules in the DNS resolution process
- Managing BIG-IP DNS sync groups
