F5CABR (BIG-IP Recert) study plan

Diagram the full BIG-IP traffic path from client SYN to pool member response, labeling each module (VLAN, virtual server, profile chain, SNAT, pool, node) and where each decision is made

Explain the difference between control plane and data plane processes (tmm, restjavad, mcpd) and which failures break traffic versus break configuration

Identify the role of the TMOS shell, tmsh, and iControl REST in configuration, and practice navigating configuration objects with tmsh list and show commands

Describe how a virtual server's destination, mask, and port determine which listener matches an inbound packet, including wildcard and network virtual servers

Compare standard, performance Layer 4, forwarding IP, and stateless virtual server types and select the correct type for three described scenarios

Configure pools with health monitors and explain how monitor success and failure marks a member up, down, or forced offline

Trace how a pool member's node state and session state interact when a monitor fails mid-connection

Explain how priority groups and minimum active members change member selection in a pool

Describe the decision logic of round robin, least connections, observed, predictive, ratio, and dynamic ratio, and predict which member receives the next five connections in a described pool

Configure a priority group with a minimum active member threshold and explain failover behavior when members drop

Explain how SNAT automap and explicit SNAT interact with pool member selection and return traffic

List the default values that most often surprise candidates (idle timeout, connection limits, monitor intervals) and where each is set

Map the profile hierarchy (parent, default, inherited values) and explain how a child profile overrides a parent setting

Explain how TCP, HTTP, and OneConnect profiles change connection handling between client and server side

Write a small iRule that inspects a URI and selects a pool, and explain the event order (CLIENT_ACCEPTED, HTTP_REQUEST, LB_SELECTED, SERVER_CONNECTED)

Configure cookie, source-address, and SSL persistence and state which traffic conditions break each method

Explain the difference between client SSL and server SSL profiles and which side of the BIG-IP each terminates

Describe certificate chain requirements, including where intermediate certificates go and what happens when the chain is incomplete

Configure certificate and key installation, and explain the role of the certificate file, key file, and chain file in a client SSL profile

Explain SNI, renegotiation, and cipher rule behavior in a client SSL profile and when each matters

Explain device group types (sync-failover, sync-only) and what syncs versus what does not during a config sync

Describe how a traffic group's floating self IP and MAC masquerade move during failover, and what triggers the move

Configure a device group, trust relationship, and traffic group, and explain the order of operations

Explain the difference between active/standby and active/active behavior and the failure modes of each

Explain how self IPs, VLANs, and routes combine to determine egress path, and when a route domain is required

Configure a VLAN, self IP, and static route, and explain the effect of port lockdown on management access

Describe how SNAT and SNAT pools differ from automap, including the return-traffic consequence of each

Summarize the purpose of APM access policies, AFM network firewall and DoS protection, and ASM security policies, and state one configuration object each uses

Use logs and statistics to diagnose a failing pool member, an SSL handshake failure, and a persistence mismatch

Explain what /var/log/ltm, /var/log/audit, and tmsh show sys log contain and which question each answers

Perform a full timed practice review across all eight domains and log every missed question by domain

Re-explain the ten weakest concepts from memory without notes and correct any errors