Initial ALB Setup

Prerequisites: A public load balancer can be created by providing at least one listener IP address. Please make sure you have previously reserved public IP addresses via the IP Manager. You may always create a private load balancer without specifying any IP addresses.

Additionally, you will need at least one Target Group to which Application Load Balancer (ALB) will forward traffic. You can create one in the Target Group Manager.

Configure ALB settings

1. Add an ALB element by dragging it to the workspace.

2. Connect the northern interface to Internet Access and the southern interface to a target Server.

3. To configure the ALB Settings, select the Settings tab from the right side and provide the following information:

   • Name: Enter a name for the ALB.

   • Primary IPv4: Use a public IP you have previously reserved for public load balancing. For private load balancing, a private IP address will be assigned automatically upon provisioning. Otherwise, you may always enter a separate private IP.

   • Add IP: Add additional public or private IP addresses. It is an optional field.

Configuring ALB Settings in DCD

Add Forwarding rules

Forwarding rules define how client traffic is distributed to the targets. More than one rule can be created for the same load balancer. In the Inspector pane on the right side, select the Forwarding rules tab. To add Forwarding rules, select +Add forwarding rule option and fill in the following fields:

• Name: Enter a unique name for the forwarding rule.

• Protocol: This field is preset and defines how data is transmitted between devices. The default value is set to HTTP.

• Listener IP: Assign an IP address to the listener interface.

• Listener port: Select the HTTP port on which the listener will accept client requests.

• Client timeout: The default value is set to 50000 milliseconds(ms). This idle timeout is applied when the client is expected to acknowledge or send data. Client time is the duration in which the ALB will not break the TCP connection established with the client, after which the connection is terminated, provided that the client does not send any subsequent requests during this interval.

Adding the forwarding rules in the settings

Set up HTTP rules

Setting up HTTP rules in ALB configuration is essential for properly routing incoming traffic to the appropriate targets, load balancing between multiple targets, and improving security by filtering out unwanted traffic.

HTTP rules include Forward, Redirect, and Static rules. To create an HTTP rule, select + Add HTTP Rule on the right side.

Setting up HTTP rules in the right pane

Select an appropriate option for the incoming traffic to activate HTTP Rules in the workspace.

Forward

To forward a request to a pre-made Target Group, select the Forward option from the drop-down menu and fill in the following fields:

• Name: Enter a unique name for the HTTP rule.

• Target Group: Select a target group for forwarding traffic based on the protocol and port specified in the listener configuration. To add a new target, select +Add. An Add Target window will open up. Provide the following information:

  • IP: Enter the target IP directly or choose one from the drop-down list.

  • Port: Enter the target port directly or choose one from the drop-down list.

  • Weight: Assign a target weight from 1 to 256. A target with a higher weight gets a larger share of traffic. The default weight value is set to 1.

  • Proxy Protocol: Select a value for the Proxy Protocol from the drop-down list to enable it. You can preserve and send the connection information to your backend instances, such as Apache, NGINX, or an ingress controller inside Kubernetes. Ensure your backend instances are up and running and have Proxy Protocol enabled. The backend instances may return errors or empty responses if the servers are not configured. The following options are available for the Proxy Protocol:

    • none: for disabling the Proxy Protocol

    • v1: for plain text format

    • v2: for binary format

    • v2ssl: for encrypted binary format

  • Options: For changing the target-specific health check configuration, select the following:

    • Health Check Enabled: Upon selection, the target becomes available only for TCP or HTTP connection attempts.

    • Maintenance Enabled: Upon selection, the target does not receive balanced traffic and affects the health of the target.

Target options

Redirect

To request redirection at the HTTP level, select the Redirect option from the drop-down menu and fill in the following fields:

• Name: Enter a unique name for the HTTP rule.

• Redirect URL: Select a target URL for the redirect.

• Status Code: Select a status response code from the list.

• Query string: Specify whether you want to keep or drop the query string.

Setting up Redirect rule in the right pane

Static

To return a static response message, select the Static option from the drop-down menu and fill in the following fields:

• Name: Enter a unique name for the HTTP rule.

• Status Code: Select a status response code from the list.

• Response Message: Select an appropriate content type from the list.

• Response Content type: Enter the content to be displayed in the browser upon the rule trigger.

Setting up Static rule in the right pane

In addition, you can set Conditions for the rule. Select the +Add Condition option to define rules to determine how the load balancer should route incoming traffic. A New Condition window will open up. Provide the following information:

• Type: Select the Type of the condition from the drop-down list.

  • Header: Used when you want to customize the routing of incoming requests based on specific information found in the HTTP headers of those requests.

  • Path: Used when you want to customize the routing or handling of incoming requests based on the path of the URL.

  • Query: Used when you want to customize the routing or handling of incoming requests based on parameters in the query string of the URL.

  • Method: Used when you want to customize the routing or handling of incoming requests based on the HTTP method used in the request.

  • Host: Used when you want to customize the routing or handling of incoming requests based on the host or domain name present in the HTTP headers.

  • Cookie: Used when you want to customize the routing or handling of incoming requests based on the presence or value of specific cookies.

  • Source IP: Used when you want to customize the routing or handling of incoming requests based on the IP address of the client or the source of the request.

• not: Select not to specify conditions for routing rules.

• Condition: Select an option from the drop-down list to specify conditions for routing rules.

• Key: Enter the attribute of an incoming request that the condition is evaluating.

Select Add Condition to save the newly created condition.

Setting up Conditions

You can delete a condition by selecting the Remove option on the right.

Private IP options

Note: This step is optional. A private IP will be assigned automatically during provisioning. You may also add a private IP manually if you select + Add IP.

The backend of the ALB exposes the private IP addresses of the target as the source of client traffic. A backend IP address is configurable and defaults to x.x.x.225. Backend IPs are listed in the ALB Inspector under the Private IPs tab.

Provision an ALB

Once you have entered the mandatory Settings and Forwarding Rules, you can provision the ALB by selecting PROVISION CHANGES. A Provision Data Center pop-up will appear. Select Provision Now.

Provision ALB

Note: The provisioning process cannot be canceled. However, an existing ALB can be modified at any time. Your password may be required to edit some elements as an additional security measure.

Delete an ALB

Anytime you need to delete the ALB, right-click the element and select Delete. You can always use backspace/Delete button on your keyboard.

Deleting ALB