# The Complete User Guide to Load Balancers

## Prerequisites

### Client

To use the load balancers service, you must first instantiate a `Rackspace` client object.

    use OpenCloud\Rackspace;

    $client = new Rackspace(Rackspace::US_IDENTITY_ENDPOINT, array(
        'username' => '<YOUR RACKSPACE CLOUD ACCOUNT USERNAME>',
        'apiKey'   => '<YOUR RACKSPACE CLOUD ACCOUNT API KEY>'
    ));

### Load Balancer Service

All operations on load balancers are done via a load balancer service object.

    $loadBalancerService = $client->loadBalancerService('cloudLoadBalancers', 'DFW');

### Cloud Servers

Many of the examples in this document use two cloud servers as nodes for the load balancer. The variables `$serverOne` and `$serverTwo` refer to these two cloud servers.

## Load Balancers

A load balancer is a device that distributes incoming network traffic amongst multiple back-end systems. These back-end systems are called the nodes of the load balancer.

### Create Load Balancer

    $loadBalancer = $loadBalancerService->loadBalancer();

    $serverOneNode = $loadBalancer->node();
    $serverOneNode->address = $serverOne->addresses->private[0]->addr;
    $serverOneNode->port = 8080;
    $serverOneNode->condition = 'ENABLED';

    $serverTwoNode = $loadBalancer->node();
    $serverTwoNode->address = $serverTwo->addresses->private[0]->addr;
    $serverTwoNode->port = 8080;
    $serverTwoNode->condition = 'ENABLED';

    $loadBalancer->addVirtualIp('PUBLIC');
    $loadBalancer->create(array(
        'name'     => 'My smart load balancer',
        'port'     => 80,
        'protocol' => 'HTTP',
        'nodes'    => array($serverOneNode, $serverTwoNode)
    ));

### List Load Balancer Details

You can retrieve a single load balancer’s details by using its ID.

    $loadBalancer = $loadBalancerService->loadBalancer('254889');

    /** @var $loadBalancer OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\LoadBalancer **/

### List Load Balancers

You can retrieve a list of all your load balancers. An instance of `OpenCloud\Common\Collection\PaginatedIterator` is returned.

    $loadBalancers = $loadBalancerService->loadBalancerList();
    foreach ($loadBalancers as $loadBalancer) {
        /** @var $loadBalancer OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\LoadBalancer **/
    }

### Update Load Balancer Attributes

You can update one or more of the following load balancer attributes:

- `name`: The name of the load balancer
- `algorithm`: The algorithm used by the load balancer to distribute traffic amongst its nodes. See also: Load balancing algorithms.
- `protocol`: The network protocol used by traffic coming in to the load balancer. See also: Protocols.
- `port`: The network port on which the load balancer listens for incoming traffic.
- `halfClosed`: Enable or Disable Half-Closed support for the load balancer.
- `timeout`: The timeout value for the load balancer to communicate with its nodes.
- `httpsRedirect`: Enable or disable HTTP to HTTPS redirection for the load balancer. When enabled, any HTTP request will return status code 301 (Moved Permanently), and the requestor will be redirected to the requested URL via the HTTPS protocol on port 443. For example, http://example.com/page.html would be redirected to https:// example.com/page.html. Only available for HTTPS protocol (`port` = 443), or HTTP Protocol with a properly configured SSL Termination (`secureTrafficOnly=true, securePort=443). See also: SSL Termination.

#### Updating a single attribute of a load balancer

    $loadBalancer->update(array(
        'name' => 'New name'
    ));

#### Updating multiple attributes of a load balancer

    $loadBalancer->update(array(
        'name'      => 'New name',
        'algorithm' => 'ROUND_ROBIN'
    ));

### Remove Load Balancer

When you no longer have a need for the load balancer, you can remove it.

    $loadBalancer->delete();

## Nodes

A node is a backend device that provides a service on specified IP and port. An example of a load balancer node might be a web server serving HTTP traffic on port 8080.

A load balancer typically has multiple nodes attached to it so it can distribute incoming network traffic amongst them.

### List Nodes

You can list the nodes attached to a load balancer. An instance of `OpenCloud\Common\Collection\PaginatedIterator` is returned.

    $nodes = $loadBalancer->nodeList();
    foreach ($nodes as $node) {
        /** @var $node OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\Node **/
    }

### Add Nodes

You can attach additional nodes to a load balancer. Assume `$loadBalancer` already has two nodes attached to it - `$serverOne` and `$serverTwo` - and you want to attach a third node to it, say `$serverThree`, which provides a service on port 8080.

Important: Remember to call `$loadBalancer->addNodes()` after all the calls to `$loadBalancer->addNode()` as shown below.

    $address = $serverThree->addresses->private[0]->addr;
    $loadBalancer->addNode($address, 8080);
    $loadBalancer->addNodes();

The `addNode` method accepts three more optional parameters, in addition to the two shown above:

Position | Description | Data type | Required? | Default value |
———– | ————— | ————–| ————– |

—————– | | 1 | IP address of node | String | Yes | - | | 2 | Port used by node’s service | Integer | Yes | - | | 3 | Starting condition of node: | 4 | Type of node to add: | 5 | Weight, between 1 and 100, given to node when distributing traffic using either the `WEIGHTED_ROUND_ROBIN` or the `WEIGHTED_LEAST_CONNECTIONS` load balancing algorithm. | Integer | No | 1 |

### Modify Nodes

You can modify one or more of the following node attributes:

- `condition`: The condition of the load balancer:
  - `ENABLED` – Node is ready to receive traffic from the load balancer.
  - `DISABLED` – Node should not receive traffic from the load balancer.
  - `DRAINING` – Node should process any traffic it is already receiving but should not receive any further traffic from the load balancer.
- `type`: The type of the node:
  - `PRIMARY` – Nodes defined as PRIMARY are in the normal rotation to receive traffic from the load balancer.
  - `SECONDARY` – Nodes defined as SECONDARY are only in the rotation to receive traffic from the load balancer when all the primary nodes fail.
- `weight`: The weight, between 1 and 100, given to node when distributing traffic using either the `WEIGHTED_ROUND_ROBIN` or the `WEIGHTED_LEAST_CONNECTIONS` load balancing algorithm.

#### Modifying a single attribute of a node

    use OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Enum\NodeCondition;

    $node->update(array(
        'condition' => NodeCondition::DISABLED
    ));

#### Modifying multiple attributes of a node

    use OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Enum\NodeCondition;
    use OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Enum\NodeType;

    $node->update(array(
        'condition' => NodeCondition::DISABLED,
        'type'      => NodeType::SECONDARY
    ));

### Remove Nodes

There are two ways to remove a node.

#### Given an `OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\Node` instance

    $node->delete();

#### Given an `OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\LoadBalancer` instance and a node ID

    $loadBalancer->removeNode(490639);

The `removeNode` method, as shown above, accepts the following arguments:

Position | Description | Data type | Required? | Default value
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---

1

ID of node

Integer

Yes

### View Node Service Events

You can view events associated with the activity between a node and a load balancer. An instance of `OpenCloud\Common\Collection\PaginatedIterator` is returned.

    $nodeEvents = $loadBalancer->nodeEventList();
    foreach ($nodeEvents as $nodeEvent) {
        /** @var $nodeEvent OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\NodeEvent **/
    }

## Virtual IPs

A virtual IP (VIP) makes a load balancer accessible by clients. The load balancing service supports either a public VIP address (`PUBLIC`), routable on the public Internet, or a ServiceNet VIP address (`SERVICENET`), routable only within the region in which the load balancer resides.

### List Virtual IPs

You can list the VIPs associated with a load balancer. An instance of `OpenCloud\Common\Collection\PaginatedIterator` is returned.

    $vips = $loadBalancer->virtualIpList();
    foreach ($vips as $vip) {
        /** @var $vip of OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\VirtualIp **/
    }

### Add Virtual IPv6

You can add additional IPv6 VIPs to a load balancer.

    use OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Enum\IpType;

    $loadBalancer->addVirtualIp(IpType::PUBLIC, 6);

The `addVirtualIp` method, as shown above, accepts the following arguments:

Position | Description | Data type | Required? | Default value |
———– | ————— | ————– |————– |

—————– | | 1 | Type of VIP: | 2 | IP version: Must be `6` | Integer | Yes | - |

### Remove Virtual IPs

You can remove a VIP from a load balancer.

    $vip->remove();

Please note that a load balancer must have at least one VIP associated with it. If you try to remove a load balancer’s last VIP, a `ClientErrorResponseException` will be thrown.

## Algorithms

Load balancers use an algorithm to determine how incoming traffic is distributed amongst the back-end nodes.

### List Load Balancing Algorithms

You can list all supported load balancing algorithms using a load balancer service object. An instance of `OpenCloud\Common\Collection\PaginatedIterator` is returned.

    $algorithms = $loadBalancerService->algorithmList();
    foreach ($algorithms as $algorithm) {
        /** @var $algorithm OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\Algorithm **/
    }

## Protocols

When a load balancer is created a network protocol must be specified. This network protocol should be based on the network protocol of the back-end service being load balanced.

### List Load Balancing Protocols

You can list all supported network protocols using a load balancer service object. An instance of `OpenCloud\Common\Collection\PaginatedIterator` is returned.

    $protocols = $loadBalancerService->protocolList();
    foreach ($protocols as $protocol) {
        /** @var $protocol OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\Protocol **/
    }

## Session Persistence

Session persistence is a feature of the load balancing service that forces multiple requests, of the same protocol, from clients to be directed to the same node. This is common with many web applications that do not inherently share application state between back-end servers.

There are two types (or modes) of session persistence:

Name | Description
--- | ---
`HTTP_COOKIE` | A session persistence mechanism that inserts an HTTP cookie and is used to determine the destination back-end node. This is supported for HTTP load balancing only.
`SOURCE_IP` | A session persistence mechanism that will keep track of the source IP address that is mapped and is able to determine the destination back-end node. This is supported for HTTPS pass-through and non-HTTP load balancing only.

### List Session Persistence Configuration

    $sessionPersistence = $loadBalancer->sessionPersistence();
    $sessionPersistenceType = $sessionPersistence->persistenceType;

    /** @var $sessionPersistenceType null | 'HTTP_COOKIE' | 'SOURCE_IP' **/

In the example above:

- If session persistence is enabled, the value of `$sessionPersistenceType` is the type of session persistence: either `HTTP_COOKIE` or `SOURCE_IP`.
- If session persistence is disabled, the value of `$sessionPersistenceType` is `null`.

### Enable Session Persistence

    $sessionPersistence = $loadBalancer->sessionPersistence();
    $sessionPersistence->update(array(
        'persistenceType' => 'HTTP_COOKIE'
    ));

### Disable Session Persistence

    $sessionPersistence = $loadBalancer->sessionPersistence();
    $sessionPersistence->delete();

## Connection Logging

The connection logging feature allows logs to be delivered to a Cloud Files account every hour. For HTTP-based protocol traffic, these are Apache-style access logs. For all other traffic, this is connection and transfer logging.

### Check Logging Configuration

    /** @var $connectionLogging bool **/

    $connectionLogging = $loadBalancer->hasConnectionLogging();

In the example above:

- If connection logging is enabled, the value of `$connectionLogging` is `true`.
- If connection logging is disabled, the value of `$connectionLogging` is `false`.

### Enable Connection Logging

    $loadBalancer->enableConnectionLogging(true);

### Disable Connection Logging

    $loadBalancer->enableConnectionLogging(false);

## Error Page

An error page is the html file that is shown to the end user when an error in the service has been thrown. By default every virtual server is provided with the default error file. It is also possible to set a custom error page for a load balancer.

### View Error Page Content

    $errorPage = $loadBalancer->errorPage();
    $errorPageContent = $errorPage->content;

    /** @var $errorPageContent string **/

In the example above the value of `$errorPageContent` is the HTML for that page. This could either be the HTML of the default error page or of your custom error page.

### Set Custom Error Page

    $errorPage = $loadBalancer->errorPage();
    $errorPage->update(array(
        'content' => '<HTML content of custom error page>'
    ));

### Delete Custom Error Page

    $errorPage = $loadBalancer->errorPage();
    $errorPage->delete();

## Allowed Domains

Allowed domains are a restricted set of domain names that are allowed to add load balancer nodes.

### List Allowed Domains

You can list all allowed domains using a load balancer service object. An instance of `OpenCloud\Common\Collection\PaginatedIterator` is returned.

    $allowedDomains = $loadBalancerService->allowedDomainList();
    foreach ($allowedDomains as $allowedDomain) {
        /** @var $allowedDomain OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\AllowedDomain **/
    }

## Access Lists

Access Lists allow fine-grained network access to a load balancer’s VIP. Using access lists, network traffic to a load balancer’s VIP can be allowed or denied from a single IP address, multiple IP addresses or entire network subnets.

Note that `ALLOW` network items will take precedence over `DENY` network items in an access list.

To reject traffic from all network items except those with the `ALLOW` type, add a `DENY` network item with the address of `0.0.0.0/0`.

### View Access List

You can view a load balancer’s access list. An instance of `OpenCloud\Common\Collection\PaginatedIterator` is returned.

    $accessList = $loadBalancer->accessList();
    foreach ($accessList as $networkItem) {
        /** @var $networkItem OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\Access **/
    }

### Add Network Items To Access List

You can add network items to a load balancer’s access list very easily:

    $loadBalancer->createAccessList(array(
        (object) array(
            'type'    => 'ALLOW',
            'address' => '206.160.165.1/24'
        ),
        (object) array(
            'type'    => 'DENY',
            'address' => '0.0.0.0/0'
        )
    ));

In the above example, we allowed access for 1 IP address, and used the “0.0.0.0” wildcard to blacklist all other traffic.

### Remove Network Item From Access List

You an remove a network item from a load balancer’s access list.

    $networkItem->delete();

## Content Caching

When content caching is enabled on a load balancer, recently-accessed files are stored on the load balancer for easy retrieval by web clients. Requests to the load balancer for these files are serviced by the load balancer itself, which reduces load off its back-end nodes and improves response times as well.

### Check Content Caching Configuration

    /** @var $contentCaching bool **/

    $contentCaching = $loadBalancer->hasContentCaching();

In the example above:

- If content caching is enabled, the value of `$contentCaching` is `true`.
- If content caching is disabled, the value of `$contentCaching` is `false`.

### Enable Content Caching

    $loadBalancer->enableContentCaching(true);

### Disable Content Caching

    $loadBalancer->enableContentCaching(false);

## SSL Termination

The SSL Termination feature allows a load balancer user to terminate SSL traffic at the load balancer layer versus at the web server layer. A user may choose to configure SSL Termination using a key and an SSL certificate or an (Intermediate) SSL certificate.

When SSL Termination is configured on a load balancer, a secure shadow server is created that listens only for secure traffic on a user-specified port. This shadow server is only visible to and manageable by the system. Existing or updated attributes on a load balancer with SSL Termination will also apply to its shadow server. For example, if Connection Logging is enabled on an SSL load balancer, it will also be enabled on the shadow server and Cloud Files logs will contain log files for both.

### View current SSL termination config

    /** @var $sslConfig OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\SSLTermination **/

    $sslConfig = $loadBalancer->SSLTermination();

### Update SSL termination config

    $sslConfig->update(array(
        'enabled'     => true,
        'securePort'  => 443,
        'privateKey'  => $key,
        'certificate' => $cert
    ));

For a full list, with explanations, of required and optional attributes, please consult the official documentation

### Delete SSL termination config

    $sslConfig->delete();

## Metadata

Metadata can be associated with each load balancer and each node for the client’s personal use. It is defined using key-value pairs where the key and value consist of alphanumeric characters. A key is unique per load balancer.

### List metadata

    $metadataList = $loadBalancer->metadataList();

    foreach ($metadataList as $metadataItem) {
        printf("Key: %s, Value: %s", $metadataItem->key, $metadataItem->value);
    }

Please consult the iterator documentation for more information about iterators.

### Add metadata

    $metadataItem = $loadBalancer->metadata();
    $metadataItem->create(array(
        'key'   => 'foo',
        'value' => 'bar'
    ));

### Modify metadata

    $metadataItem = $loadBalancer->metadata('foo');
    $metadataItem->update(array(
        'value' => 'baz'
    ));

### Remove metadata

    $metadataItem->delete();

## Monitors

The load balancing service includes a health monitoring operation which periodically checks your back-end nodes to ensure they are responding correctly. If a node is not responding, it is removed from rotation until the health monitor determines that the node is functional. In addition to being performed periodically, the health check also is performed against every node that is added to ensure that the node is operating properly before allowing it to service traffic. Only one health monitor is allowed to be enabled on a load balancer at a time.

    /** @var $healthMonitor OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\HealthMonitor **/

    $healthMonitor = $loadBalancer->healthMonitor();

    printf(
        "Monitoring type: %s, delay: %s, timeout: %s, attempts before deactivation: %s",
        $healthMonitor->type, $healthMonitor->delay, $healthMonitor->timeout
    );

For a full list, with explanations, of required and optional attributes, please consult the official documentation

### Update or delete

    // Update
    $healthMonitor->update(array(
        'delay'   => 120,
        'timeout' => 60,
        'type'    => 'CONNECT'
        'attemptsBeforeDeactivation' => 3
    ));

    // Delete
    $healthMonitor->delete();

## Statistics

You can retrieve detailed stats about your load balancer, including the following information:

- `connectTimeOut` – Connections closed by this load balancer because the ‘connect_timeout’ interval was exceeded.
- `connectError` – Number of transaction or protocol errors in this load balancer.
- `connectFailure` – Number of connection failures in this load balancer.
- `dataTimedOut` – Connections closed by this load balancer because the ‘timeout’ interval was exceeded.
- `keepAliveTimedOut` – Connections closed by this load balancer because the ‘keepalive_timeout’ interval was exceeded.
- `maxConn` – Maximum number of simultaneous TCP connections this load balancer has processed at any one time.

    /** @var $stats OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\Stats **/

    $stats = $loadBalancer->stats();

## Usage Reports

The load balancer usage reports provide a view of all transfer activity, average number of connections, and number of virtual IPs associated with the load balancing service. Current usage represents all usage recorded within the preceding 24 hours. Values for both incomingTransfer and outgoingTransfer are expressed in bytes transferred.

The optional startTime and endTime parameters can be used to filter all usage. If the startTime parameter is supplied but the endTime parameter is not, then all usage beginning with the startTime will be provided. Likewise, if the endTime parameter is supplied but the startTime parameter is not, then all usage will be returned up to the endTime specified.

    # View billable LBs
    $billable = $service->billableLoadBalancerList();

    foreach ($billable as $loadBalancer) {
       /** @var $loadBalancer OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\LoadBalancer **/

       # View usage
       /** @var $usage OpenCloud\LoadBalancer\Resource\UsageRecord **/
       $usage = $loadBalancer->usage();

       echo $usage->averageNumConnections, PHP_EOL;
    }