Eric Mitchell Channel SE, East US and Federal  F5 NetworksCERTIFIEDF5 STUDY GUIDE101 – Application Delivery Fundamentals
F5 STUDY GUIDE 
101 – Application Delivery Fundamentals
Contents
Overview 
Printed References 
Section 1 - OSI 
Objective - 1.01 Explain, compare, and contrast the OSI layers 
Objective - 1.02 Explain Protocols and Technologies Specific to the Data Link Layer 
Objective - 1.03 Explain protocols and apply technologies specific to the network layer 
Objective - 1.04 Explain the features and functionality of protocols and technologies specific 
to the transport layer 
Objective - 1.05 Explain the features and functionality of protocols and technologies specific 
to the application layer 
Section 2 - F5 Solutions and Technology 
Objective - 2.01 Articulate the role of F5 products 
Objective - 2.02 Explain the purpose, use, and advantages of iRules 
Objective - 2.03 Explain the purpose, use, and advantages of iApps 
Objective - 2.04 Explain the purpose of and use cases for full proxy and packet 
forwarding/packet based architectures 
Objective - 2.05 Explain the advantages and configurations of high availability (HA) 
Section 3 – Load Balancing Essentials 
Objective - 3.01 Discuss the purpose of, use cases for, and key considerations related to 
load balancing 
Objective - 3.02 Differentiate between a client and server 
Section 4 – Security 
Objective - 4.01 Compare and contrast positive and negative security models 
Objective - 4.02 Explain the purpose of cryptographic services 
Objective - 4.03 Describe the purpose and advantages of authentication 
Objective - 4.04 Describe the purpose, advantages, and use cases of IPsec and SSL VPN 
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101 – Application Delivery Fundamentals
Section 5 – Application Delivery Platforms 
Objective - 5.01 Describe the purpose, advantages, use cases, and challenges associated with 
hardware based application delivery platforms and virtual machines 
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Objective - 5.02 Describe the purpose of the various types of advanced acceleration techniques 
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Conclusion 
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Overview
Welcome to the F5 Networks 101 - Application Delivery Fundamentals compiled Study Guide. The purpose 
of this guide is to help you prepare for the F5 101 - Application Delivery Fundamentals exam. The contents of 
this document are based on the 101 - Application Delivery Fundamentals Blueprint Guide. 
This study guide provides students with some of the basic foundational knowledge required to pass 
the exam.
This study guide is a collection of information and therefore not a completely original work. The majority of 
the information is compiled from sources that are located on the Internet. All of the information locations are 
referenced at the top of each topic instead of in an Appendix of this document. This was done to help the 
reader access the referenced information easier without having to search through a formal appendix. This 
guide also references a book that should be basic reading for some of the topics on this exam. 
The F5 Certified team provides an official 101 - Application Delivery Fundamentals Study Guide to all 
candidates. The F5 Certified Study Guide is a list of reading material that will help any student build a broad 
base of general knowledge that can assist in not only their exam success but also in becoming a well-rounded 
systems engineer. The Resource Guide will be available to the candidate through the certification.f5.com 
website once they are qualified for the Application Delivery Fundamentals exam.
There are not any pre-requisite to this exam. 
This guide was prepared by an F5 employee but is not an official F5 document and is not supported by F5 
Networks.
Reading = Knowledge = Power
Printed References
These referenced books are important and should be considered basic reading material for this exam.
(Ref:1) Kozierok, Charles M. 2005. The TCP/IP Guide. No Starch Press, Inc. San Francisco, CA. 94103. ISBN 
1-59327-047-X pp 947 -1080
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F5 STUDY GUIDE 101 – Application Delivery Fundamentals
SECTION 1 - OSI
Objective - 1.01 Explain, compare, and contrast the 
OSI layers
1.01 – Describe the function of each OSI layer
Ref: 1, pp. 168-181.
Networking Basics: Part 17 - The OSI Model
The OSI Model’s Seven Layers Defined and Functions Explained
The OSI Model
The term OSI Model is short for Open System Interconnection Basic Reference Model. The OSI Model 
consists of seven different layers. Each layer of the model is designed so that it can perform a specific task, 
and facilitates communications between the layer above it and the layer below it. You can see what the OSI 
Model looks like in the figure below.
The Application Layer
The top layer of the OSI model is the Application layer. The first thing that you need to understand about the 
application layer is that it does not refer to the actual applications that users run. Instead, it provides the 
framework that the actual applications run on top of.
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F5 STUDY GUIDE 101 – Application Delivery Fundamentals
To understand what the application layer does, suppose that a user wanted to use Internet Explorer to open 
an FTP session and transfer a file. In this particular case, the application layer would define the file transfer 
protocol. This protocol is not directly accessible to the end user. The end user must still use an application 
that is designed to interact with the file transfer protocol. In this case, Internet Explorer would be that 
application.
The Presentation Layer
The presentation layer does some rather complex things, but everything that the presentation layer does can 
be summed up in one sentence. The presentation layer takes the data that is provided by the application layer, 
and converts it into a standard format that the other layers can understand. Likewise, this layer converts the 
inbound data that is received from the session layer into something that the application layer can understand. 
The reason why this layer is necessary is because applications handle data differently from one another. In 
order for network communications to function properly, the data needs to be structured in a standard way.
The Session Layer
Once the data has been put into the correct format, the sending host must establish a session with the 
receiving host. This is where the session layer comes into play. It is responsible for establishing, maintaining, 
and eventually terminating the session with the remote host.
The interesting thing about the session layer is that it is more closely related to the application layer than it is 
to the physical layer. It is easy to think of connecting a network session as being a hardware function, but 
sessions are established between applications. If a user is running multiple applications, several of those 
applications may have established sessions with remote resources at any time.
The Transport Layer
The Transport layer is responsible for maintaining flow control. An operating system allows users to run 
multiple applications simultaneously and it is therefore possible that multiple applications may need to 
communicate over the network simultaneously. The Transport Layer takes the data from each application, 
and integrates it all into a single stream. This layer is also responsible for providing error checking and 
performing data recovery when necessary. In essence, the Transport Layer is responsible for ensuring that 
all of the data makes it from the sending host to the receiving host.
The Network Layer
The Network Layer is responsible for determining how the data will reach the recipient. This layer handles 
things like addressing, routing, and logical protocols. Since this series is geared toward beginners, I do not 
want to get too technical, but I will tell you that the Network Layer creates logical paths, known as virtual 
circuits, between the source and destination hosts. This circuit provides the individual packets with a way to 
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F5 STUDY GUIDE 101 – Application Delivery Fundamentals
reach their destination. The Network Layer is also responsible for its own error handling, and for packet 
sequencing and congestion control.
Packet sequencing is necessary because each protocol limits the maximum size of a packet. The amount of 
data that must be transmitted often exceeds the maximum packet size. Therefore, the data is fragmented into 
multiple packets. When this happens, the Network Layer assigns each packet a sequence number. When 
the data is received by the remote host, that device’s Network layer examines the sequence numbers of the 
inbound packets, and uses the sequence number to reassemble the data and to figure out if any packets 
are missing. If you are having trouble understanding this concept, then imagine that you need to mail a large 
document to a friend, but do not have a big enough envelope. You could put a few pages into several small 
envelopes, and then label the envelopes so that your friend knows what order the pages go in. This is exactly 
the same thing that the Network Layer does.
The Data Link Layer
The data link layer can be sub divided into two other layers; the Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and the 
Logical Link Control (LLC) layer. The MAC layer basically establishes the computer’s identity on the network, 
via its MAC address. A MAC address is the address that is assigned to a network adapter at the hardware 
level. This is the address that is ultimately used when sending and receiving packets. The LLC layer controls 
frame synchronization and provides a degree of error checking.
The Physical Layer
The physical layer of the OSI model refers to the actual hardware specifications. The Physical Layer defines 
characteristics such as timing and voltage. The physical layer defines the hardware specifications used by 
network adapters and by the network cables (assuming that the connection is not wireless). To put it simply, 
the physical layer defines what it means to transmit and to receive data.
1.01 - Differentiate between the OSI layers
OSI (Open Source Interconnection) 7 Layer Model
OSI Layers 
Application (Layer 7)
This layer supports application and end-user processes. Communication partners are identified, quality of 
service is identified, user authentication and privacy are considered, and any constraints on data syntax 
are identified. Everything at this layer is application-specific. This layer provides application services for file 
transfers, e-mail, and other network software services.
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F5 STUDY GUIDE 101 – Application Delivery Fundamentals
Presentation (Layer 6)
This layer provides independence from differences in data representation (e.g., encryption) by translating 
from application to network format, and vice versa. This layer formats and encrypts data to be sent across 
a network, providing freedom from compatibility problems. It is sometimes called the syntax layer.
Transport (Layer 4)
This layer provides transparent transfer of data between end systems, or hosts, and is responsible for end-to-
end error recovery and flow control. It ensures complete data transfer.
Network (Layer 3)
This layer provides switching and routing technologies, creating logical paths, known as virtual circuits, for 
transmitting data from node to node. Routing and forwarding are functions of this layer, as well as addressing, 
internetworking, error handling, congestion control and packet sequencing.
Network (Layer 2)
This layer provides switching and routing technologies, creating logical paths, known as virtual circuits, for 
transmitting data from node to node. Routing and forwarding are functions of this layer, as well as addressing, 
internetworking, error handling, congestion control and packet sequencing.
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F5 STUDY GUIDE 101 – Application Delivery Fundamentals