302 · F5-CTS, BIG-IP DNS
BIG-IP DNS Specialist
For engineers preparing for the 302 exam. Deliver intelligent DNS and Global Server Load Balancing across multiple data centres, and understand the protocol underneath it.
More of this exam is DNS than most candidates expect. Hierarchy and roles, zone transfers, DNSSEC and TSIG, DNS Express and DNS Cache, dig and nslookup, alongside GSLB pool and virtual server selection, topology load balancing, iQuery and sync groups.
Waitlist members get first access and launch pricing.
Full course β¬499. Covers all four sections of the 302 blueprint.
Status · In build
Waitlist members get first access and launch pricing. Pricing €499 > Full Course
Created by Graham Mattingley. Fourteen years F5-certified. Banking, aviation, government, and F5 instructor.
Course overview
302 identifies engineers who can deliver scalable intelligent DNS and Global Server Load Balancing across multiple data centres. It expects you to design the solution, implement it, prove it works, and keep it running.
Worth knowing before you start: a significant part of this exam is DNS itself rather than the BIG-IP product. Protocol hierarchy and roles, zone transfers, DNSSEC and TSIG key handling, and using dig and nslookup to verify behaviour all appear in the blueprint. Candidates who treat 302 as a GUI exam tend to be surprised.
Aligns directly with the official 302 blueprint, covering all fourteen objectives across four sections.
What's included
Join the 302 Wait List
Receive monthlyΒ build updates, preview content, and early access notifications.
What Will You Be Able To Do?
302 tests whether you can build DNS infrastructure that stays correct across data centres, and whether you understand the protocol well enough to know when the box is not the problem.
After completing this course, you'll be able to:
β Explain DNS properly - hierarchy, roles, resolution, record types, and where the protocol's limits actually bite
β Choose a deployment model from requirements - and justify DNS Express, Zone Runner, DNS Cache, DNS64 or DNSSEC on the facts
β Configure GSLB with intent - two tiers of pool selection, three tiers of virtual server selection, and the load balancing method that fits
β Use topology load balancing - and predict what it costs you in performance
β Get iQuery working and keep it working - self IPs, routes, ports, NTP across sync group members
β Diagnose with the right tool - dig, nslookup, tcpdump and openssl, and know which one answers your question
β Stop objects flapping - by finding the monitor or prober cause rather than restarting things
β Back up and restore correctly - including the master encryption keys for TSIG and DNSSEC, which are easy to lose and hard to recover
You will leave this course able to design, implement and defend a BIG-IP DNS deployment, and to explain the protocol behaviour underneath it.
302 Course Curriculum
Section 1 β Design and Architect
Section 2 β Implement
Section 3 β Test and Troubleshoot
Section 4 β Operations and Support
Private Community Included with the Course
Share a private community with other members of this course. Course community membership is permanent.
β Ask questions and get practical advice from other course members on the same learning journey.
β Share real-world scenarios, problems, and solutions.
Want Personalised Support?
Add a 1:1 Strategy Session. Get a private hour with Graham to:
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Review your TMOS Administration study/knowledge gaps
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Review specific areas of the blueprint that are blockers
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Live question sessions to test exam readiness
Additional Cost: β¬100
Full Video Course
Presentations, F5 GUI and CLI demonstrations, DNS protocol grounding, GSLB tier walkthroughs, topology load balancing, DNS Express and DNS Cache configuration, and troubleshooting sessions, all aligned to the 302 blueprint.
Watch Every Configuration (GUI & TMSH)
Guided demonstrations covering listener configuration, GSLB pools and wide IPs, topology records, iQuery and sync group setup, DNS Express and DNS Cache, plus live troubleshooting with dig, nslookup and tcpdump.
Lesson Knowledge Checks
Targeted assessments after each module to reinforce key concepts and ensure you are progressing toward 302 exam readiness. Protocol questions are included deliberately, because that is where most candidates lose marks.
302 Course FAQs
Does passing 302 give me a certification?
Do I need F5-CA before taking 302?
Does this course include practical configuration demonstrations?
How much DNS protocol knowledge does 302 assume?
What should I take after 302?
Your instructor
I don't teach exam shortcuts. I teach how TMOS actually behaves under production traffic, and how to make confident decisions when it's 2 AM and something's on fire.
Graham Mattingley
CCIE since 2001 | F5 401 Certified Solution Expert | OWASP member
Thirty years in application development, twenty in application delivery, F5-certified for fourteen. I've deployed and secured F5 solutions for banking, aviation, and government systems across Europe, and taught this material face to face to the engineers who run it.
This is the operational knowledge I wish I'd had twenty years ago, distilled from production deployments you won't find in official training materials.
How this course is delivered
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Instructor-led, structured video lessons aligned directly to the fourteen 302 blueprint objectives
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DNS protocol grounding before any BIG-IP configuration, because the exam assumes it
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Step-by-step configuration walkthroughs using the F5 GUI and TMSH
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GSLB selection logic worked through tier by tier with traffic examples
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Live troubleshooting with dig, nslookup, tcpdump and openssl
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Self-paced access, allowing you to study around professional commitments
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Design scenarios covering multi-data-centre deployments and sync group behaviour
Prerequisites & Requirements
F5 Certified Administrator, BIG-IP (F5-CA) is required before sitting 302. Since May 2025 that is earned by passing F5CAB1 to F5CAB5.
DNS knowledge matters more here than BIG-IP knowledge. Recommended:
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Understanding of DNS hierarchy, roles and common record types
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Familiarity with resolution behaviour, caching and TTLs
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Comfort with dig or nslookup at the command line
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Working knowledge of BIG-IP virtual servers, pools and monitors
Access to a BIG-IP lab environment is recommended for hands-on practice. However, the course includes lifetime access to all demonstrations, allowing you to revisit configuration walkthroughs as needed.
Lab Access InfoLab Licence Assistance
We can assist you with obtaining the F5 Lab Licence as well as installation and setup on your computer/laptop
What happensΒ next?
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Join the waiting list to be notified when enrolment opens
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Receive monthly, blueprint-aligned TMOS administration scenarios and diagnostic insights while the course is in development
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Get early access and priority enrolment before the public launch
