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 ALB will forward traffic. You can create one in the Target Group Manager.

Configuring 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 ALB Settings, open the Settings tab from the right Inspector pane and fill in the following fields:

   • Name: Enter a name for the Application Load Balancer.

   • 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

Adding 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, open the Forwarding Rules tab. To add forwarding rules, select +Add Forwarding Rule and fill in the following fields:

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

• Protocol: 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

Setting 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 in the Inspector pane.

Setting up HTTP rules in the right pane

Select the 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.

• Targets: The value is automatically populated based on the target group selection.

Setting up Forwarding rules in the right pane

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 Type of the condition in New Condition section and define the rules to determine how incoming traffic is routed and handled by the load balancer. The action is performed only when all conditions are met. If no conditions are specified, the rule will always be performed.

If you make a mistake, you can always delete a rule by selecting the Remove icon 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.

Provisioning the ALB

Once you have entered the mandatory Settings and Forwarding Rules, you may provision the ALB by clicking PROVISION CHANGES. A Provision Data Center window will appear. Select the Provision Now option.

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.

Deleting an ALB

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

Deleting ALB