F5 Configuring BIG-IP AFM: Advanced Firewall Manager
Course Overview
Suppose you need to let web traffic reach a new application while blocking everything else, and your monitoring servers still need to reach the self IPs. In this F5 BIG-IP AFM training, you start by building an address list for the monitoring servers and a port list for the web services. Then you write the rules, group them into a rule list, and attach a policy to the right context. Before anything goes live, you run the scenario through Packet Tester to see which rule matches.
That build, test, and verify cycle is the heart of F5’s Configuring BIG-IP AFM: Advanced Firewall Manager course. The network firewall chapter is the largest. It covers firewall contexts, packet processing order, rule direction, and the difference between ADC mode and firewall mode. You use the inline rule editor, apply schedules, match traffic by geolocation, and try other rule actions, including Send to Virtual, which redirects matching traffic to a virtual server.
Good firewall policy management means keeping the rule base clean as well as correct. AFM helps identify redundant, conflicting, and stale rules, and policy status views show what is applied where. Flow Inspector lets you examine live connections and see how the firewall handled them.
Each rule can log its decisions. You configure logging profiles, log throttling, and log publishers, then check the results in event logs and reports.
Later labs widen the scope. You apply IP Intelligence policies, configure device DoS and DoS profiles, set up sweep flood protection and IP shunning, and build DNS Firewall, DNS DoS, SIP DoS, and port misuse policies. Network firewall iRules close the technical chapters.
The course ends with a recap of BIG-IP architecture and AFM packet processing. By then you have built most of these objects yourself, which makes later changes to data center security much less risky.
Course Objectives
On completion, you will be able to:
- Create address lists, port lists, and rule lists that keep firewall policies short and reusable.
- Configure rules and policies with the inline rule editor, schedules, and geolocation.
- Apply policies to the correct context and explain AFM’s packet processing order.
- Test rule behavior with Packet Tester before deployment.
- Analyze live connections with Flow Inspector and review policy status.
- Identify redundant, conflicting, and stale rules in an existing rule base.
- Redirect traffic with Send to Virtual and extend firewall logic with network firewall iRules.
- Configure logging profiles, log throttling, and log publishers for each rule.
- Apply IP Intelligence, DoS profiles, sweep flood, shunning, DNS and SIP protection, and port misuse policies.
Course Prerequisites
Students must complete one of the following F5 prerequisites before attending this course:
- Administering BIG-IP instructor-led course
- F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator
The following web-based courses, although optional, will be very helpful for any student with limited BIG-IP administration and configuration experience:
- Getting Started with BIG-IP web-based training
- Getting Started with BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) web-based training
- Getting Started with BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) web-based training
The following general network technology knowledge and experience are recommended before attending any F5 Global Training Services instructor-led course:
- OSI model encapsulation
- Routing and switching
- Ethernet and ARP
- TCP/IP concepts
- IP addressing and subnetting
- NAT and private IP addressing
- Default gateway
- Network firewalls
- LAN vs. WAN
Target Audience
- Network security engineers: Build layer 3 and 4 defenses on the platform that already fronts your applications.
- Firewall administrators: Apply familiar rule and policy concepts to AFM's contexts and modes.
- F5 BIG-IP administrators: Add firewall and DoS protection to systems you already manage.
- Network engineers: See how AFM rules interact with self IPs, VLANs, and route domains.
- Application delivery engineers: Protect virtual servers without adding a separate firewall hop.
- Data center and infrastructure specialists: Plan where network firewall and DoS controls sit in your design.
- Security operations staff: Use AFM logs, reports, and dashboards to investigate attacks.
- Teams running or planning BIG-IP AFM: Agree on rule standards, logging, and DoS thresholds before rollout.
Course Content
2 modules · 27 topics01 v12.0 Course Topics14 topics
- Installation and setup of the BIG-IP AFM system
- AFM network firewall concepts
- Network firewall options and modes
- Network firewall rules, policies, address/port lists , rule lists and schedules
- IP Intelligence facilities of dynamic black and white lists, IP reputation database and dynamic IP shunning.
- Detection and prevention of DoS attacks
- Event logging of firewall rules and DoS attacks
- Reporting and notification facilities
- DoS Whitelists
- DoS Sweep/Flood
- DNS Firewall and DNS DoS
- SIP DoS
- Network Firewall and DoS iRules
- Various AFM component troubleshooting commands
02v11.6 Course Topics13 topics
- Installation and setup of the BIG-IP AFM System
- AFM network firewall concepts
- Network firewall options and modes
- Network firewall rules, policies, address/port lists , rule lists and schedules
- IP Intelligence facilities of dynamic black and white lists and the IP reputation database
- Detection and prevention of DoS attacks
- Event logging of firewall rules and DoS attacks
- Reporting and notification facilities
- DoS Whitelists
- DNS Firewall and DNS DoS
- SIP DoS
- Network Firewall iRules
- Various AFM component troubleshooting commands
Schedule Dates
4 upcoming batches| Batch Dates | Duration | Batch Options | Language | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 January 2027 - 26 January 2027 | 2 Days | 4 hours & 8 hours | English / Arabic | |
| 26 April 2027 - 27 April 2027 | 2 Days | 4 hours & 8 hours | English / Arabic | |
| 26 July 2027 - 27 July 2027 | 2 Days | 4 hours & 8 hours | English / Arabic | |
| 01 November 2027 - 02 November 2027 | 2 Days | 4 hours & 8 hours | English / Arabic |
Can’t find a suitable date? Request a schedule that fits your team.
Request More InformationF5 BIG-IP AFM Training in Oman for Critical Operations
Oman Vision 2040 has put weight behind logistics, ports, energy, and financial services, and the networks behind them need controls that are precise and well-tested. A rule that blocks the wrong traffic at a port terminal in Sohar can be as disruptive as an attack on a bank in Muscat. Our F5 BIG-IP AFM training in Oman focuses on building firewall rules, lists, and policies, then proving them with Packet Tester and Flow Inspector before they reach production. The course also covers DoS protection and IP Intelligence for services that face the internet. This F5 Advanced Firewall Manager course in Muscat suits engineers who already know BIG-IP. If you need that foundation, begin with our BIG-IP administration course in Oman. Related network security courses and our full F5 training range can help you plan next steps. For guidance on the right route for your team, review the course outline or contact our training coordinators.
FAQs
What exactly is Configuring BIG-IP AFM: Advanced Firewall Manager?
It is F5’s official course on deploying and operating the Advanced Firewall Manager module on BIG-IP. It covers the network firewall, logging, IP Intelligence, DoS protection, and reporting, along with DNS and SIP protection, port misuse, and network firewall iRules. Most chapters include labs, so you build and test configurations yourself.
Which AFM features will I configure in the labs?
You will configure most of AFM’s core features. These include firewall rules, policies, address lists, port lists, rule lists, and schedules, applied across different contexts and modes. You also work with IP Intelligence, device DoS, DoS profiles, sweep flood, IP shunning, DNS Firewall, DNS and SIP DoS, logging profiles, reports, Packet Tester, and Flow Inspector.
Who gets the most from a lab-led AFM course?
Engineers who will build or change AFM rule sets get the most from it. That includes network security engineers, firewall administrators, BIG-IP administrators, and network engineers who protect self IPs and management access. Practicing in a lab with Packet Tester to check each change makes production changes far less risky later.
Which F5 prerequisites apply before I enroll?
F5 requires one of these: Administering BIG-IP instructor-led training, F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator status, or a pass on the Administering BIG-IP Equivalency Assessment. F5 also expects knowledge of OSI encapsulation, TCP/IP, routing, ARP, subnetting, NAT, and network firewalls. Free Getting Started courses for BIG-IP, LTM, and AFM, and the paid Administering BIG-IP self-directed course, are optional.
What will I be able to do after the labs?
You will be able to turn a security requirement into a working, tested AFM policy. That covers building reusable lists, writing rules in the right context, checking them with Packet Tester, and confirming behavior with Flow Inspector and logs. You will also apply DoS and IP Intelligence protection and keep the rule base free of stale or conflicting entries.
How does the course relate to F5 certification?
The course is training, not an exam, and attending it does not result in certification. F5 doesn’t currently list an AFM-specific exam. F5 certifications such as F5 Certified Administrator, BIG-IP, require passing their own exams; in that case, F5CAB1 to F5CAB5. The AFM course is skills-focused and can support broader F5 learning.
Why test firewall rules before they go live?
An untested rule can block legitimate traffic or leave a gap open, and either can cause an incident. Packet Tester shows which rule a packet would hit without sending real traffic. Logging then confirms what happens in production. Combined with DoS protection, careful testing keeps services both reachable and protected.
Can this training help me grow professionally in Oman?
It can strengthen your practical firewall and DoS skills on a platform many organizations already use. Hands-on experience building and testing AFM policies can make you more confident with security changes. The course doesn’t promise a job, promotion, or salary change. Those depend on your background and the opportunities available to you.
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