The two most common methods of placing a BIG-IP device into a network environment are SNAT (Secure Network Address Translation) configuration and Routed configuration. SNAT is used to translate the source IP address of clients to a floating self-IP address on the BIG-IP system, allowing for proper routing of return traffic. Routed configuration allows the BIG-IP to make direct routing decisions for network traffic, integrating it directly into the network topology and allowing it to manage traffic passing through it.

SSL offload primarily aims to reduce the processing load associated with encrypting and decrypting SSL/TLS traffic on backend servers, thereby reducing CPU usage on those servers. It also allows the intermediary device to inspect the traffic for security purposes or apply policies, thus requiring fewer SSL certificates at the server level and enabling the use of iRules on encrypted traffic. However, it does not inherently increase the bandwidth between the client and the Load Balancer (LTM). Thus, the statement about increasing the bandwidth is not a benefit of SSL offload.

When using a routed configuration, the real server must point to the LTM as the default gateway because the LTM (Local Traffic Manager) is responsible for routing traffic to and from the server. This ensures that the server's outbound traffic is properly managed and routed through the LTM for load balancing and other traffic management functions.

TCP Express is a feature included in the LTM (Local Traffic Manager) system. It does not require a separate license as it is part of the LTM package.

LTM (Local Traffic Manager) can load balance outbound traffic without the need for iRules. Load balancing can be managed through a pool with an applied algorithm, such as Round Robin. iRules are not a mandatory component for this task, as the LTM itself provides the necessary capabilities to perform load balancing.