What You'll Learn

• Deployment considerations and network placement options
• Perform an initial configuration
• NetScaler-owned IP addresses
• Configure virtual local area networks (VLANs)
• Configure reverse network address translation (RNAT)
• Configure access control lists
• Configure high availability
• Configure load balancing
• Configure SSL offload
• Configure NetScaler features using classic policy expressions, including:
  • Content filtering
  • Content switching
  • Compression
• Perform auditing and logging
• Perform monitoring
• Configure global server load balancing (GSLB)
• Configure NetScaler features using advanced policy expressions, including:
  • Rewrite
  • Responder
  • URL transformation
  • Integrated caching
• Configure rate limiting
• Configure AppExpert templates
• Troubleshoot NetScaler configurations

Who Needs to Attend

System administrators or network operations personnel who configure and administer Citrix NetScaler products

Pre-requisites

• Intermediate knowledge of TCP/IP and HTTP protocols and an understanding of the OSI model
• Experience with network devices such as routers and switches, various networking protocols, and aspects of application and site architecture such as DMZ and VLANS
• Moderate exposure to UNIX or Linux
• Exposure to basic systems administration concepts, including logging, software upgrade procedures, and high availability operations
• Familiarity with web server software such as Apache, IIS, or WebSphere
• Basic knowledge of DNS, SSL, and compression concepts
• Understanding of concepts related to server load balancing and content switching
• Knowledge of network security threats and site protection concepts such as firewalls, worms, DDoS attacks

Course Outline

1. Deploying Citrix NetScaler

• NetScaler Request Switching
• Product Features
• NetScaler 9.0 Enhancements
• Product Editions
• Hardware Platforms
• Hardware Components
• Deployment Scenarios
• Deployment Considerations
• Network Placement Options

2. Performing an Initial Configuration

• Management Connectivity
• NetScaler Administrative Tools
• Using the Configuration Utility
• Using the Command-Line Interface
• Monitoring the NetScaler System
• Managing System Functions through FreeBSD
• Using Third-Party Tools
• NetScaler System Installation
• Logging in to the NetScaler System
• Setting up the NetScaler System
• Changing the Password
• Performing Initial Configuration
• Saving the Configuration
• Enabling Network Time Protocol
• NetScaler Management
• Performing an Upgrade
• Managing Licensing
• Enabling NetScaler Features
• Managing Role-Based Administration
• NetScaler System Communication
• Security Management
• Securing Internal Services
• Configuring Secure System Access

3. Networking

• Introduction to NetScaler Networking
• NetScaler-Owned IP Addresses
• Routing Traffic Using Layer 3 Mode
• Switching Traffic Using Layer 2 Mode
• Sending a Client IP Address to Servers
• Virtual Local Area Networks
• Network Address Translation
• Configuring Reverse Network Address Translation
• Access Control Lists
• Configuring Access Control Lists
• Link Aggregation Control Protocol

4. Configuring High Availability

• High Availability Overview
• High Availability Node Configuration
• Configuring Nodes
• Verifying High Availability Status
• Propagation and Synchronization
• Performing a Forced Failover
• High Availability Management
• Failover Interface Set

5. Configuring Load Balancing

• Load Balancing Topology
• Entity Management
• Creating Servers
• Creating Services
• Creating Virtual Servers
• Creating Entity Templates
• Service Monitoring
• Identifying Monitor Parameters
• Performing HTTP Monitoring
• Load-Balancing Methods
• Service Weights
• Entity Binding
• Session Persistence
• Other Load Balancing Options
• Other Load Balancing Methods
• Load Balancing Visualizer

6. Monitoring and Maintaining Load Balancing

• Load Balancing Traffic Types
• Extended Content Verification (ECV) Monitors
• Performing HTTP-INLINE Monitoring
• Setting Monitor Thresholds
• Token and Hashing-Based Load Balancing
• Configuring Load Monitors
• Service and Virtual Server Management
• Troubleshooting Load Balancing

7. Configuring SSL Offload

• SSL and Digital Certificates
• SSL Offload
• Server Certificates
• SSL Deployment Decisions
• Deploying Front-End SSL with Back-End HTTP
• Deploying Front-End SSL with Back-End SSL
• Deploying Front-End SSL_TCP with Back-End TCP
• Deploying SSL_BRIDGE
• SSL Administration
• Generating a Key
• Generating a Certificate Signing Request
• Generating a Certificate for Testing
• Creating a Certkey
• Binding a Certkey
• Advanced SSL Settings

8. Configuring Content Filtering Using Classic Policies

• Policy Basics
• HTTP and HTTPS Traffic
• Expression Structures
• Qualifiers, Operators, and Expression Values
• Simple Expressions
• Compound Expressions
• Content Filtering Basics
• Filter Actions
• Configuring Content Filtering
• Binding Filters

9. Configuring Content Switching

• Content Switching Overview
• Content Switching Virtual Servers
• Content Switching Policies
• Binding Content Switching Policies

10. Configuring Compression

• Basics of Compression
• Compression Parameters
• Compression Policies
• Configuring Compression Policies

11. Auditing and Logging

• Syslog and Nslog Auditing
• Configuring Audit Servers
• Configuring Global Auditing Parameters
• Configuring Auditing Policies
• Binding Auditing Policies
• Viewing Audit Messages
• NetScaler Log Management

12. Monitoring

• Simple Network Management Protocol
• SNMPv1 and SNMPv2
• Configuring SNMP Managers
• Configuring the MIB System Variables
• Configuring SNMP Community Strings
• Configuring SNMP Traps
• Configuring SNMP Alarms
• SNMPv3
• Dashboard
• Dashboard Components
• Navigating the Dashboard
• Customizing the Built-In Comparative Charts Pane
• Customizing the Group Monitoring Pane
• Reporting Tool
• Monitoring Tool

13. Configuring Global Server Load Balancing

• GSLB Concepts
• Defining Metric Exchange Protocol Communication
• GSLB Persistence
• GSLB Site Affinity
• DNS Concepts
• Configuring DNS Virtual Servers
• Configuring Service Type DNS
• Authoritative DNS Service
• GSLB DNS Response Options
• GSLB Configurations
• Implementing Traditional GSLB
• Implementing GSLB Failover for Disaster Recovery
• Implementing Proximity-Based GSLB
• Configuring GSLB (Command-Line Interface)
• Configuring GSLB Services (Configuration Utility)
• Configuring ADNS
• Synchronizing GSLB Configurations Automatically

14. Using Advanced Policies

• NetScaler Policy Overview
• Packet Processing Flow
• Policies
• Advanced Policy Expressions
• Advanced Policy Expression Syntax
• Actions
• Policy Bindings
• Bind Points
• Using the Policy Manager
• Policy Labels
• Using Pattern Sets
• Typecasting

15. Configuring Rewrite, Responder, and URL Transformation

• Rewrite, Responder, and URL Transformation Overview
• Packet Processing Flow
• Basic Configurations: Policies and Actions
• Configuring Rewrite Actions
• Configuring Rewrite Policies
• Responder Actions
• Configuring Responder Policies
• Configuring URL Transformation
• Troubleshooting URL Transformation

16. Configuring Integrated Caching

• Integrated Caching Architecture
• Static and Dynamic Content
• Request and Response Process Flow
• Cache Policies
• Cache Policy Evaluation
• Making Graceful Configuration Changes
• Cache Content Groups
• Controlling Content Aging
• Content Group Settings
• Enabling FlashCache
• Setting Global Attributes
• Managing Caching
• Caching Examples

17. Configuring Rate Limiting

• Rate Control
• Rate-Limiting Components
• Configuring Rate Control
• Rate Control Policy Scenarios

18. Configuring AppExpert Templates

• AppExpert Templates
• Using the Application Interface
• Planning for Applications
• AppExpert Template Deployment
• Viewing Application Template Statistics

19. Troubleshooting the NetScaler

• NetScaler System Overview
• Logged Information
• Accessing Logged Information
• Network Traffic Capture
• Statistics