Description

Implementing the Application Control Engine Service Module (ACESM) is a four-day, instructor-led, lecture and lab course that teaches learners how to design, deploy, and optimize intelligent network services using the Cisco ACE Application Control Engine Module for Catalyst 6500 Switches.

This course covers all of the key features of the Cisco ACE 2.0 software, including resource virtualization and management, server load balancing (Layer 2 to 4 and Layer 7), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) termination and offload, and security features like application-layer inspection and fixups.

Objectives

• Describe IP application delivery with the Cisco ACE Module
• Describe the configuration tasks necessary to successfully deploy a Cisco ACE Module
• Describe the structure and function of the Modular Policy CLI statements used to configure ACE features
• Describe the methods used to manage the Cisco ACE Module
• Describe the capabilities the Cisco ACE Module used to load balance IP-based applications
• Identify the Layer 7 processing options used to provide advanced application networking
• Create new contexts and resource classes
• Create class maps and server farms
• Configure a Cisco ACE context to load-balance traffic flows
• Configure a Cisco ACE context to monitor real servers
• Implement fixups and inspection
• Describe the Cisco ACE features that provide IP application security
• Implement SSL termination
• Configure network address translations
• Describe the high availability features of the Cisco ACE Module
• Configure a Cisco ACE context to perform a variety functions in an integrated environment
• Troubleshoot common SLB configuration errors

Prerequisites

• A basic understanding of the TCP/IP protocol
• Familiarity with HTTP and SSL protocols
• Basic knowledge of the N-tier application architecture
• Familiarity with server load-balancing concepts

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for systems engineers and network architects who need to design or deploy server load-balancing solutions using the Cisco ACE Module.

• Course Introduction

• Lesson 1: Introducing Cisco ACE Module

  • IP Protocol Stack Review
  • IP Application Review
  • Introducing the Cisco ACE Module

• Lesson 2: Deploying Cisco ACE Module

  • Connecting Cisco ACE to the Network
  • Network Topologies
  • Virtualization
  • Resource Management
  • Authorizing Management Users
  • Configuring Interfaces

• Lesson 3: Configuring Modular Policy CLI

  • Class Maps
  • Policy Maps
  • Applying Policy Maps

• Lesson 4: Managing the Cisco ACE Module

  • Permitting Management Traffic
  • SNMP Manageability

• Lesson 5: Understanding Security Features

  • IP Access Control Lists
  • ACL Object Groups
  • SYN Cookies
  • TCP/IP Fragmentation/Reassembly
  • TCP/IP Normalization

  • Network Address Translation and Port Address Translation

• Lesson 6: Configuring Layer 4 Load Balancing

  • Load-Balancing Concepts
  • Load-Balancing Algorithms
  • Configuring Layer 4 Load Balancing
  • Traffic Rate Limiting

• Lesson 7: Configuring Health Monitoring

  • Health Monitoring Overview
  • Active Health Probes
  • HTTP Error-Code Monitoring
  • Using TCL Scripting
  • Route Health Injection
  • Backup Servers and Server Farms
  • KAL-AP Integration

• Lesson 8: Configuring Layer 7 Protocol Processing

  • HTTP Layer 7 Load Balancing
  • Persistent and Pipelined HTTP Extensions
  • HTTP Modifications
  • Session Persistence
  • HTTP Inspection
  • FTP Processing
  • RDP Processing
  • RADIUS Processing
  • RTSP Processing
  • SIP Processing
  • Generic Protocol Parsing
  • Inspected Protocols

• Lesson 9: Processing Secure Connections

  • Digital Encryption Technologies
  • SSL Service Options
  • Configuring a Public-Key Infrastructure
  • Configuring SSL Proxy Services

• Lesson 10: Understanding High Availability

  • Redundancy
  • Object Tracking
  • Failover
  • State Replication
  • Displaying Fault Tolerance Information

• Lesson 11: Integrating Multiple Features

  • Analyzing Network Requirements
  • Designing Cisco ACE Contexts
  • Designing Cisco ACE Features
  • Configuring Multiple Integrated Features

• Lab Guide

   

Lab Outline

• Lab Topology
• Hardware and Software Requirements
• Lab Equipment Configuration
• Lab 1: Implementing Virtualization
• Lab 2: Using Network Address Translation
• Lab 3: Configuring Server Load Balancing
• Lab 4: Implementing Health Monitoring
• Lab 5: Configuring Layer 7 Load Balancing
• Lab 6: Enabling Sticky Connections
• Lab 7: Enabling Protocol Inspection
• Lab 8: Configuring SSL Termination
• Lab 9: Integrating Multiple Features
• Lab 10: Troubleshooting Case Study 1—Common SLB Configuration Errors
• Lab 11: Troubleshooting Case Study 2—Common Layer 7 SLB Configuration Errors