Building F5 BIG-IP Lab for Free - VMware Workstation

Explore the F5 BIG-IP lab topology with a clear overview and learn how to access the five BIG-IP devices and the client.

Set up a f5 big-ip lab in VMware Workstation using nested templates, detailing hardware needs, Windows client, Linux or Mac OS X, and rest API testing with 13.x or 14.x.

visualize the lab topology with five big-ip devices, a training server, and a windows client on a vmware essxi host, with vip-based load distribution across internal servers.

Design the lab topology with an external network at 10.0.0.60, a /30 for the BIG-IP load balancer and self IP, and a training VM on 172.16.0.60.

Explore lab topology by configuring the management network in a logical lab, linking the Windows client via dp to five VIPs serving SSA and HTTPS on the 192.168.254.0/24 network.

Download lab resources and unzip the five eLab Dosch zip, verify part one Dosch five directory for README, and test the BIG-IP REST API with KOLD commands and Python scripts.

Install nested ESXi from the provided template in VMware Workstation, deploy and verify reachability, then access ESXi via a browser with default credentials and create external and internal virtual switches.

Download the nested ESXi template from the Dropbox link and verify two virtual machines in VMware Workstation, including Linux 2021 edition and the nested ESXi version 6.7.

Import and deploy nested ESXi VM from a template in VMware Workstation, accept the license, use default password, and ensure VM on the management network obtains a DHCP IP.

Change the ESXi management IP to a static address, restart the management network, and then access the nested ESXi via a web browser to log in with credentials.

Shut down the nested ESXi, upgrade memory to 8 GB, add a 50 GB data store, and create two new virtual switches with external and internal support groups.

Deploy five Big-IP in VMware Workstation after deploying nested cixi, obtain VIP registration keys, download the Big-IP virtual edition, and configure management settings with specific network adapters.

Learn to obtain a 30-day BIG-IP virtual edition trial by visiting the F5 trial page, logging in or registering, and requesting a license key.

Download the F5 BIG-IP virtual edition for VMware by selecting version 14.x, accepting the terms, and choosing VMware as the platform and Singapore as the download location.

Deploy a F5 BIG-IP VM from a template in VMware Workstation, configure storage, licensing, and networks, and prepare for high availability with management, external, and internal adapters.

Configure f5 big-ip management on a vmware vm by logging in as root, changing the default password to a strong one, and switching from dynamic to static management IP.

Deploy the Windows client and training server. Connect the Windows client to external and management network to manage the F5 VIP device via the training server's three virtual IP addresses.

Download the training server and Windows client via direct download links, choose VMware with Windows and stable 89 version, and complete the deployment after setting up nested ESXi and VIP.

Extract the Windows 10 client and training server zip files, then deploy the training server as a VM in VMware ESX, configure internal network mapping, and power on without errors.

Deploy a Windows 10 enterprise evaluation client in the VMware Workstation F5 BIG-IP lab by creating a PVM, selecting the VM files, and configuring adapters for management and data access.

Configure Windows client network with static IPv4 addresses, set DNS and gateway, enable remote desktop, and test RDP connectivity in a F5 BIG-IP lab setup.

Configure basic settings for five BIG-IP devices (vlans, IP addresses, domain), enable licensing (automated and manual), and validate connectivity from client to BIG-IP in a VMware Workstation lab.

License and configure the f5 big-ip by addressing an initial password change bug, then activate licenses via automatic and manual methods using registration keys and activation portals.

Configure a F5 BIG-IP lab by selecting LTM, fix the management route, set the hostname, and establish internal and external VLAN IPs during initial setup.

Verify basic connectivity in a three-VM F5 BIG-IP lab on VMware Workstation by pinging the training server and Windows client across external and internal switches, noting icmp behavior.

Test load balancing and API overview with F5 BIG-IP by creating application objects, virtual servers, pools, and members, then sending requests via curl and Python to verify distribution across servers.

Explore API testing and learn F5 BIG-IP basics: nodes are IP addresses, pool members include port, pools hold members, and virtual servers act as listeners with pool associations for load balancing.

Configure and test an f5 big-ip virtual server and pool, add pool members, and verify load balancing across multiple web servers through ping and browser requests.

Test the F5 iControl REST API from a Linux environment, validating virtual server and pool configurations via curl and a Python script, and demonstrate scalable automation across multiple BIG-IP devices.

Review the F5 BIG-IP lab setup in VMware Workstation, including the nested ESX template installation, license registration, Windows client deployment, initial device configuration, and iControl REST API load balancing tests.

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