F5-CTS-LTM BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager Practice Question
Which THREE actions are required to successfully implement SSL offloading on a BIG-IP virtual server?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often forget that SSL offloading requires a Client SSL profile, mistakenly assuming that simply binding a server certificate enables decryption.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Import the server certificate and private key into the BIG-IP's certificate store.
SSL offloading requires the BIG-IP to decrypt traffic before it reaches the backend. This involves importing the server's certificate and key, creating a Client SSL profile, and ensuring the virtual server is listening on the correct port (typically 443). By offloading SSL, the LTM can inspect traffic, perform security checks, and manage persistence, which is not possible if the traffic remains encrypted from the client to the backend server.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Import the server certificate and private key into the BIG-IP's certificate store.
Why this is correct
For the BIG-IP to act as the endpoint for SSL/TLS, it must possess the server's identity. Importing the certificate and private key is essential to establish the cryptographic trust between the client and the BIG-IP, allowing the system to perform the decryption process effectively.
- ✗
Create a Server SSL profile and assign it to the virtual server.
Why it's wrong here
A Server SSL profile is used for re-encryption to the backend servers, not for offloading. For standard offloading, the connection between the BIG-IP and the pool member is typically plain HTTP, meaning no Server SSL profile is required. This would be a configuration error for offloading.
- ✓
Configure a Client SSL profile and assign it to the virtual server.
Why this is correct
The Client SSL profile handles the decryption of the inbound traffic from the client. It must be assigned to the virtual server to indicate that the BIG-IP should handle the SSL handshake and terminate the encrypted session before forwarding the decrypted request to the backend servers.
- ✗
Enable the 'Allow All' cipher suite in the SSL profile.
Why it's wrong here
Enabling 'Allow All' is a security risk and is not a functional requirement for SSL offloading. Best practices dictate using restricted, secure cipher suites to ensure compliance and robust security. Enabling weak or deprecated ciphers is not a supported or recommended configuration for any production deployment.
- ✓
Configure the virtual server to listen on port 443.
Why this is correct
Clients typically connect over port 443 for HTTPS traffic. By configuring the virtual server to listen on this port, the BIG-IP can intercept encrypted traffic, apply the Client SSL profile to decrypt it, and subsequently distribute the plaintext request to the backend pool members.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official F5 exam blueprint
This F5-CTS-LTM practice question is part of Courseiva's free F5 certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the F5-CTS-LTM exam.