Managing the F5 BIG-IP Load Balancer

F5 Load Balancing

Cisco UCS Director supports the creation and monitoring of F5 load balancers.

Although load balancing may be prevalent in the routing environment, it is also of growing importance in the virtual networking and VM environment. Server load balancing is a mechanism for distributing traffic across multiple virtual servers, offering high application and server resource utilization.

Server load balancing (SLB) is the process of deciding to which server a load-balancing device should send a client request for service. For example, a client request can consist of an HTTP GET for a web page or an FTP GET to download a file. The job of the load balancer is to select the server that can successfully fulfill the client request and do so in the shortest amount of time without overloading either the server or the server farm as a whole.

Depending on the load-balancing algorithm or predictor that you configure, the F5 BIG-IP performs a series of checks and calculations to determine the server that can best service each client request. F5 BIG-IP bases server selection on several factors, including the server with the fewest connections regarding load, source or destination address, cookies, URLs, or HTTP headers.

A high-level process flow of load balancing is as follows:

  1. A client attempts to connect with a service on the load balancer.

  2. The load balancer accepts the connection.

  3. The load balancer decides which host should receive the connection and changes the destination IP address (or port) in order to match the service of the selected host.

  4. The host accepts the load balancer's connection and responds to the original source, to the client (through its default route), and to the load balancer.

  5. The load balancer acquires the return packet from the host and changes the source IP (or port) to correspond to the virtual server IP and port, and forwards the packet back to the client.

  6. The client receives the return packet, assuming it came from the virtual server, and continues the rest of the process.

Cisco UCS Director enables the management, orchestration, and monitoring of the F5 load balancer. Following is a summary of the crucial processes:

  1. Add the F5 load balancer using Administration > Physical Accounts > Managed Network Element > Add Network Element.

  2. Adding the F5 load balancer is added to Cisco UCS Director as a managed element triggers Cisco UCS Directortask inventory collection. The polling interval configured on the System Tasks tab specifies the frequency of inventory collection.

  3. After the F5 is added to the Pod, it is listed with all other components of the pod environment at the account level. To see the F5 component information, navigate to Physical > Network > Network Managed Elements.

There are two ways to implement load balancing on an F5 device using Cisco UCS Director:

  1. Use an iApps (BIG-IP) application service.

    iApps application templates let you configure the BIG-IP system for your HTTP applications, by functioning as an interface to consistently deploy, manage, and monitor your servers. You can use default iApps templates or create and customize a template to implement load balancing on the F5 device.

  2. Use Cisco UCS Director to:

    • Set up a managed element

    • Create a Pool

    • Add pool members

    • Create a virtual server

Understanding Load Balancing Terminology

This section describes common terms found in the F5 BIG-IP environment. In a load-balancing environment, a virtual server is a construct that allows multiple physical servers to appear as one for load-balancing purposes. A virtual server is bound to physical services running on real servers in a server farm and uses IP address and port information to distribute incoming client requests to the servers in the server farm according to a specified load-balancing algorithm.

  • Virtual servers—In a load-balancing environment, a virtual server is a construct that allows multiple physical servers to appear as one for load-balancing purposes. A virtual server is bound to physical services running on real servers in a server farm and uses IP address and port information to distribute incoming client requests to the servers in the server farm according to a specified load-balancing algorithm.

  • Pools—A pool is a collection of virtual servers that provide similar services available on multiple hosts. (See the pool members or nodes entry for additional information.)

  • Pool members or nodes—When creating a pool, you assign one or more pool members to it. A pool member or node is a logical object that represents a physical node (and a service) on the network. When you add a virtual server to a pool, it becomes a pool member. A member or node includes the TCP port of the actual application that is receiving traffic.

    Tip

    A virtual server can be a member of multiple pools. In a different pool, it can have different attributes and play a different role. For example, a virtual server could be a backup resource for a different type of requests, such as requests from a different part of the world.

  • Nodes—Physical servers that receive traffic from a load balancer.

  • Profiles—A profile can be either local or roaming. We recommended that you operate using roaming profiles rather than local profiles. Using roaming profiles assures you that your settings are always available to you at all times.

Adding a Network Element

In order to create a virtual server that supports load balancing, first add a network element in Cisco UCS Director. After a Load Balancer is added as a network element in Cisco UCS Director, it appears under the Managed Network Element tab.

Before You Begin

You must be logged in to the appliance to complete this task.

    Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Administration > Physical Accounts.
    Step 2   Choose the Managed Network Elements tab.
    Step 3   Click Add Network Element.
    Step 4   In the Add Network Element dialog box, complete the following fields:
    Name Description

    Pod drop-down list

    Choose the pod to which the network element belongs.

    Device Category drop-down list

    Choose the device category for this network element. For example: F5 Load Balancer.

    Device IP field

    The IP address for this device.

    Protocol drop-down list

    Choose the protocol to be used. The list may include the following:

    • Telnet

    • SSH

    • HTTP

    • HTTPS

    Note   

    When working with an F5 load balancer device, HTTP and HTTPS are the only valid selections.

    Port field

    The port to use.

    Login field

    The login name.

    Password field

    The password associated with the login name.

    Step 5   Click Submit.

    Adding the F5 Load Balancer triggers the system task inventory collection. The polling interval configured on the System Tasks tab specifies the frequency of inventory collection.

    What to Do Next

    To modify or edit a virtual server, choose the server, then click the Modify button. To remove a virtual server, choose the server, then click the Delete button.

    Viewing Application Services

    The Application Services tab provides information on the following items:

    • Pod Name

    • Name

    • Template

    • Partition/Path

    • Device Group

    • Traffic Group

    • Active Device


    Note

    F5 BIG-IP devices with versions lower than 12.0 show a blank Active Device column.

      Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
      Step 2   Choose a pod.
      Step 3   Choose the load balancing server.
      Step 4   Click the Application Services tab to view information for the existing application services.

      Creating an Application Service

      This topic describes how to create an application service for a selected pod.

        Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
        Step 2   Choose a pod that includes the F5 network, expand the directory as necessary, and click the F5 network.
        Step 3   Click the Application Services tab.
        Step 4   Click Create.
        Step 5   In the Create Application Service dialog box, complete the following fields:
        Name Description

        Select F5 Partition

        The partition name.

        Application Service Name field

        The virtual server name.

        Template field

        The name of the template.

        Note   

        When working with an F5 network, this value should be set as f5.http.

        Virtual Server IP field

        The IP address of the destination device.

        FQDN names of Virtual Server field

        The fully qualified domain name (FQDN) names of the virtual server. Separate each FQDN name with a comma.

        Note   

        Clients can use the FQDNs that you enter here to access the web servers. For each FQDN, your DNS Administrator must configure a DNS entry that resolves to the IP address you entered for the BIG-IP virtual server.

        Nodes List

        Select a node from the Nodes list and click Submit.

        If a node that you want to associate with the Virtual Server does not appear in the Nodes list:

        • Click + to add it. The Add Entry to Nodes list dialog box appears.

        • Provide the Node IP address, the Port, and the Connection limit; then click Submit.

        Inherit Device Group from current Partition/Path check box

        Check to automatically inherit the device group from the current partition or path. This option is selected by default.

        Device Group

        Select the device group to associate with the application service.

        Inherit Traffic Group from current Partition/Path check box

        Check to automatically inherit the traffic group from the current partition or path. This option is selected by default

        Traffic Group

        Select the traffic group to associate with the application service.

        Step 6   Click Submit.

        Virtual Servers

        In a load-balancing environment, a virtual server is a construct that allows multiple physical servers to appear as one for load-balancing purposes. A virtual server is bound to physical services running on real servers in a server farm. The virtual server uses IP address and port information to distribute incoming client requests to the servers in the server farm according to a specified load-balancing algorithm.

        Although the virtual server is of primary importance because it is used to administer pools and pool members, the practical flow of performing the setup is as follows:

        1. Create a pool

        2. Add members to pool

        3. Create a virtual server that uses the pool

        Remember:

        Before you can create a virtual server that supports load balancing, you must add the F5 load balancer as a network element.

        Creating a Virtual Server


        Tip

        To get inventory information about the F5 device, navigate to Converged > Pod, then click the middle of the large Pod icon. In the row of Network images, double-click BIG-IP to see current information about it.

        Before You Begin

        An account with the F5 BIG-IP server.

          Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
          Step 2   Click a pod in which one of the Managed Network Elements is the F5 BIG-IP device you want to use, then click the network.

          With a Pod highlighted under Physical > Network and the Managed Network Elements tab selected, a row of information in the table include the IP address for the F5 BIG-IP device you want to. In the left column, click the network associated with this device.

          Step 3   Click the Virtual Servers tab, then click Create.
          Step 4   In the Create Virtual Server dialogue box, complete the following fields:
          Name Description

          Virtual Server Name field

          The virtual server name.

          Virtual Server Description field

          A unique description of this virtual server.

          Virtual Server Type field

          The type of virtual server (preselected).

          Destination IP field

          The IP address of the destination device, the virtual server. This is a network address, which the system uses this network address with Mask to represent a range of IP addresses.

          Destination IP Address Mask field

          The IP address mask of the destination device.

          Service Port drop-down list

          The data transfer protocol associated with the service port

          Choose a protocol from the following list:

          • FTP

          • HTTP

          • HTTPS

          • TELNET

          • PPTP

          • SMTP

          • SNMP

          • SNMP-TRAP

          • SSH

          • Other

          Port Number

          The port number to be assigned to this server.

          Protocol drop-down list

          Choose a protocol for high-speed data transfer from the following list:

          • TCP

          • UDP

          Note   

          TCP is the default value for Protocol.

          Protocol Profile (Client) button

          Choose a client protocol profile with the correct Parent Profile for the Client. The parent profiles are TCP and UDP.

          The Client Protocol here specifies that the selected profile is a client-side profile. The drop-down list contains entries for each client protocol profile that has been defined.

          Remember:

          The profile selection applies to TCP and UDP connections only. If TCP is set as Protocol, the TCP-related profile should be selected in client and server-side profiles. Likewise, UDP-related profiles should be selected if UDP is selected as the protocol. Hence parent profiles are TCP and UDP.

          Protocol Profile (Server) button

          Choose a server protocol profile with the correct Parent Profile for the Server.

          Server Protocol: Specifies that the selected profile is a server-side profile. Options are: (Use Client Profile) - the default - and entries for each defined server protocol profile.

          Default Pool button

          Choose a default pool.

          Note   

          If you have created a virtual server for load balancing, you must assign a default load balancing pool to this virtual server. A default pool is the pool to which the BIG-IP system sends traffic if no iRule exists specifying a different pool. When you first create the virtual server, you assign an existing default pool to it. From then on, the virtual server automatically directs traffic to that default pool. It is not strictly mandatory to add default pool while creating a virtual server, so there is no default.

          Step 5   Click Submit.

          Viewing Virtual Servers

          The Virtual Servers tab provides information on the following items:

          • Pod Name

          • Virtual Server Name

          • Status

          • Destination IP Address

          • Service Port

          • Type

          • Partition/Path

          • Active Device


          Note

          F5 BIG-IP devices with versions lower than 12.0 show a blank Active Device column.

          Before You Begin

          Create a Virtual Server.

            Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
            Step 2   Choose a pod that includes a load balancing network.
            Step 3   Choose the load balancing server.
            Step 4   Click the Virtual Servers tab to view the F5 server.

            Viewing Virtual Server Statistics

            The Virtual Servers Statistics tab provides information on the following items:

            • Pod Name

            • Virtual Server

            • Status

            • Partition/Path

            • Bits In

            • Bits Out

            • Packets In

            • Packets Out

            • Current Connections

            • Maximum Connections

            • Total Request

            • CPU Utilization

            Before You Begin

            Create a Virtual Server.

              Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
              Step 2   Choose a pod.
              Step 3   Choose the load balancing server.
              Step 4   Click the Virtual Servers Statistics tab to view the statistics.

              Viewing Virtual Addresses

              The Virtual Address tab provides information on the following items:

              • Pod Name

              • Name

              • Status

              • Address

              • Partition/Path

              • Traffic Group

              • Active Device


              Note

              F5 BIG-IP devices with versions lower than 12.0 show a blank Active Device column.

                Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                Step 2   Choose a pod.
                Step 3   Choose the load balancing server.
                Step 4   Click the Virtual Address tab to view information for the virtual addresses associated with the pod.

                Updating Traffic Groups for Virtual Addresses

                You can update the traffic group for a virtual address associated with the pod.

                  Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                  Step 2   Choose a pod.
                  Step 3   Choose the load balancing server.
                  Step 4   Click the Virtual Address tab.
                  Step 5   Choose the virtual address for which you want to update the traffic group, and click Update Traffic Group.
                  Step 6   In the Update Traffic Group dialog box, you can select the new traffic group, or check Inherit Traffic Group from current Partition/Path.
                  Step 7   Click Submit.

                  Creating a Pool

                  The Pool list tab enables you to create a new pool to the list of pools associated with an F5 load balancer. It also allows you to delete a pool, or to modify a pool by adding or deleting pool members.

                  The Pool list tab lists the following data for each pool:

                  • Pod Name

                  • Server Name

                  • Status

                  • Members

                  • Partition/Path

                    Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                    Step 2   Click the pod that supports the F5 BIG-IP network that you want to use, then click that network.
                    Step 3   Click the Pool List tab to view the existing list of pools.

                    Using controls that appear in this tab, you can also delete a pool from this list, see the members of any selected pool, or add or delete members of an existing pool.

                    Step 4   Click Create.
                    Step 5   In the Create Pool dialog box, complete the following fields:
                    Name Description

                    Pool Name field

                    The Pool name.

                    Load Balancing Method drop-down list

                    Choose a load balancing method from the following list:

                    • Round Robin

                    • Ratio (member)

                    • Lease Connections (member)

                    • Observed (member)

                    • Predictive (member)

                    • Ratio (node)

                    Use Existing Nodes List selector

                    From the Existing Nodes list, add a node to the named pool.

                    If the node you want to use does not yet appear in the Existing Nodes List, click + to add it. A dialog box appears, titled Add Entry to Existing Node List. Provide the Node Name and the port that you want this node to use, then click Submit. Choose the node. Then click Submit.

                    Note   

                    For the purposes of setting up an F5 pool, the node name here does not have to use IPO address format. If a node is created by a virtual server creation service or by an application creation service, then the name of the node is set as the IP address of the node. If a node is created using the Create Node option, a name of another format may be displayed.

                    Step 6   Click Submit.
                    Step 7   To see additional details about available pools and nodes, see the tabs titled Pool Statistics, Node list, and Node Statistics.

                    Adding Members to a Pool

                    Before You Begin

                    Create a Pool.

                      Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                      Step 2   Click the pod that supports the F5 BIG-IP network of interest to you, then click that network.
                      Step 3   Click the Pool List tab to view the existing list of pools.

                      Using controls that appear in this tab, you can also create or delete a pool from this list, or see the members of any selected pool.

                      Step 4   Click the pool in which you want to add, delete, or modify members, then click View Details. The Pool Members tab appears, listing the members of the pool you most recently selected.
                      Step 5   To add a member to the selected pool, click Add. The Add Pool Member dialog box appears.
                      Step 6   If you want to use an existing Node, then check the box labeled "Do you want to use existing node?" Otherwise, provide the Address and Service port.
                      1. Check the box labeled "Do you want to use existing node?"
                      2. Provide the following information.
                      3. In the Add Pool Member dialogue box, complete the following fields:
                        Name Description

                        Node Name selector.

                        • Click Select... to open a list of existing nodes associated with the Pool-related account.

                        • Checkmark a node to select it, then click Select.

                        The selected node appears in the Add Pool Member dialog box.

                        Service Port

                        		Enter the service port for the node.
                      4. Click Submit.

                      A message confirms that the member was added to the pool successfully.

                      Step 7   If you do not want to use an existing Node, then provide the Address and Service Port data and click Submit.

                      A message confirms that the member was added to the pool successfully and the new member is listed in the Pool Members tab.

                      Step 8   To return to the Pool List tab, click the Back button.

                      Viewing Pool Statistics

                      The Pool Statistics tab provides the following information:

                      • Pod Name

                      • Pool Name

                      • Status

                      • Partition/Path

                      • Bits In

                      • Bits Out

                      • Packets In

                      • Packets Out

                      • Current Connections

                      • Maximum Connections

                      • Total Connections

                      • Total Requests

                      • Request Queue Depth

                      • Request Queue Max Age

                      Before You Begin

                      Create a Virtual Server.

                        Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                        Step 2   In the left pane, choose a pod that includes an F5 BIG-IP network.
                        Step 3   Expand the pod, then choose the F5 BIG-IP load balancer account.
                        Step 4   Click the Pool Statistics tab to view the existing information.

                        Viewing Node Lists

                        The Node list tab provides information on the following items:

                        • Pod Name

                        • Server Name

                        • Status

                        • Description

                        • IP Address

                        • Partition/Path

                        Before You Begin

                        Create a Virtual Server.

                          Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                          Step 2   Choose a pod.
                          Step 3   Choose the load balancing server.
                          Step 4   Click the Node List tab to view the existing node list information.

                          Viewing Node Statistics

                          The Node Statistics tab provides the following information:

                          • Pod Name

                          • Node Name

                          • Status

                          • Partition/Path

                          • Bits In

                          • Bits Out

                          • Packets In

                          • Packets Out

                          • Current Connections

                          • Maximum Connections

                          • Total Connections

                          • Total Requests

                          Before You Begin

                          Create a Virtual Server.

                            Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                            Step 2   In the left pane, choose a pod that includes an F5 BIG-IP network.
                            Step 3   Expand the pod, then choose the F5 BIG-IP load balancer account.
                            Step 4   Click the Node Statistics tab to view information for the existing nodes.

                            Viewing TCP Profiles

                            The TCP Profiles tab provides information on the following items:

                            • Pod Name

                            • Server Name

                            • Parent Profile

                            • Partition/Path

                            Before You Begin

                            Create a Virtual Server.

                              Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                              Step 2   In the left pane, choose a pod that includes an F5 BIG-IP network.
                              Step 3   Expand the pod, then choose the F5 BIG-IP load balancer account.
                              Step 4   Click the TCP Profiles tab to view the existing list of TCP profiles.

                              Viewing UDP Profiles

                              The UDP Profiles tab provides information on the following items:

                              • Pod Name

                              • Server Name

                              • Parent Profile

                              • Partition/Path

                                Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                                Step 2   In the left pane, choose a pod that includes an F5 BIG-IP network.
                                Step 3   Expand the pod, then choose the F5 BIG-IP load balancer account.
                                Step 4   Click the UDP Profiles tab to view the existing list of UDP profiles.

                                Partition

                                A partition is a logical container that you can create to contain a defined set of BIG-IP system objects. As an Administrator to the BIG-IP system, you can create administrative partitions to control other users' access to BIG-IP objects. When a specific set of objects resides in a partition, you can give certain users the authority to view and manage the objects in that partition only, rather than to all objects on the BIG-IP system.

                                Creating a Partition

                                In order to create a partition, perform the following procedure:

                                Before You Begin

                                You must be logged in to the appliance to complete the task.

                                  Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                                  Step 2   Choose the Managed Network Elements tab.
                                  Step 3   Select a device from the Unassigned Pods in the left pane.
                                  Step 4   Double click the element or select it from F5.
                                  Step 5   Click Partition and a list of previously created partitions are displayed.
                                  Step 6   Click Create to add a partition.
                                  Step 7   In the Create Partition dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                  Name Description

                                  Partition Name field

                                  A unique name for the partition.

                                  Description field

                                  A detailed description of the partition.

                                  Step 8   Click Submit. The partition is created successfully.
                                  Step 9   Click OK to confirm in the Submit Result dialog box.
                                  Note   

                                  • The report displays the name or path of the partition you created in the Partition/Path column.

                                  • You can also create partitions from the F5 appliance. Go to System > Users > Partition List and click Create.

                                  What to Do Next

                                  You can delete partitions you have created. To delete partitions, click Delete under the Partition tab or in the F5 appliance, go to System > Users > Partition List, select the partition, and click Delete.

                                  Viewing Device Groups

                                  The Device Group tab provides information on the following items:

                                  • Account Name

                                  • Pod Name

                                  • Name

                                  • App Service

                                  • ASM Synchronize

                                  • Auto Synchronize

                                  • Full Load On Synchronize

                                  • Incremental Config Synchronize

                                  • Network Failover

                                  • Save On Auto Synchronize

                                    Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                                    Step 2   Choose a pod.
                                    Step 3   Choose the load balancing server.
                                    Step 4   Click the Device Group tab to view information for the existing device groups.

                                    Creating a Device Group

                                    Cisco UCS Director lets you create a device group that runs on the F5 BIG-IP server. You can create two types of device groups. A sync-failover device group contains devices that synchronize configuration data and support traffic groups for failover purposes. A sync-only device group contains devices that synchronize configuration data, but do not synchronize failover objects.
                                    Before You Begin

                                    An account with the F5 BIG-IP server.

                                      Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                                      Step 2   Choose pod in which one of the Managed Network Elements is the F5 BIG-IP device you want to use, then click that network.
                                      Step 3   Click the Device Group tab, then click Create.
                                      Step 4   In the Create Device Group dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                      Name Description

                                      Select F5 Partition

                                      The partition name.

                                      Name field

                                      A unique name for the device group.

                                      Description field

                                      A detailed description of the device group.

                                      ASM Synchronize check box

                                      Check to enable automatic synchronization of security policies and Application Security Manager (ASM) configurations.

                                      Group Type drop-down list

                                      Choose the device group type from the following list:

                                      • sync-only

                                      • sync-failover

                                      Note   

                                      Sync-only is the default value for the device group type.

                                      Auto Synchronize check box

                                      Check to automatically synchronize configuration changes between devices in the same device group.

                                      Full Load On Synchronize check box

                                      Check to enable full load synchronization.

                                      Incremental Config Synchronize Size Max field

                                      This value specifies the total size of configuration changes that can reside in the incremental sync cache. 1024 (KB) is the default value.

                                      Save On Auto Synchronize check box

                                      Check to save the configuration to file during the automatic synchronization.

                                      Members

                                      Choose accounts to add to the device group.

                                      Step 5   Click Submit.
                                      What to Do Next

                                      You can modify a device group or delete a device group by selecting the device group and click the Modify or Delete buttons.

                                      Viewing Traffic Groups

                                      The Traffic Group tab provides information on the following items:

                                      • Account Name

                                      • Pod Name

                                      • Name

                                      • Auto Failback Enabled

                                      • Auto Failback Time

                                      • Default Device

                                      • HA Group

                                      • HA Load Factor

                                      • MAC

                                      • Unit ID

                                      • HA Order

                                        Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                                        Step 2   Choose a pod.
                                        Step 3   Choose the load balancing server.
                                        Step 4   Click the Traffic Group tab to view information for the existing traffic groups.

                                        Viewing Traffic Group Device Statistics

                                        The Traffic Group Device Stats report provides information on the following items:

                                        • Account Name

                                        • Pod Name

                                        • Partition

                                        • Device Name

                                        • Failover State

                                        • Next Active

                                        • Traffic Group

                                          Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                                          Step 2   Choose a pod.
                                          Step 3   Choose the load balancing server.
                                          Step 4   Click the Traffic Group tab.
                                          Step 5   Choose the traffic group for which you want to view the traffic group device statistics and click View Details.

                                          Creating a Traffic Group

                                          Cisco UCS Director lets you create a traffic group that runs on the F5 BIG-IP server.
                                          Before You Begin

                                          An account with the F5 BIG-IP server.

                                            Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                                            Step 2   Choose a pod in which one of the Managed Network Elements is the F5 BIG-IP device you want to use, then click that network.
                                            Step 3   Click the Traffic Group tab, then click Create.
                                            Step 4   In the Create Traffic Group dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                            Name Description

                                            Select F5 Partition

                                            The partition name.

                                            Name field

                                            A unique name for the traffic group.

                                            Description field

                                            A detailed description of the traffic group.

                                            Failover Method drop-down list

                                            Choose a failover method from the following list:

                                            • HA Group

                                            • HA Order

                                            • Load Aware

                                            Note   

                                            Load Aware is the default value for the failover method. If you select HA Group, select the HA Group to failover to. If you select HA Order, specify the failover order in the Failover Order table.

                                            HA Load Factor field

                                            The value that represents the application load for this traffic group relative to other traffic groups on the local device. The HA load factor range must be between 1-1000.

                                            Auto Failback Time field

                                            The number of seconds after which auto failback expires. The default value is 60.

                                            MAC Address field

                                            A unique MAC address that functions as the MAC masquerade address and floats on failover to minimize dropped connections

                                            Step 5   Click Submit.
                                            What to Do Next

                                            You can modify a traffic group or delete a traffic group by selecting the traffic group and click the Modify or Delete buttons.

                                            Forcing a Traffic Group to a Standby State

                                            Cisco UCS Director lets you force a traffic group to a standby state. By forcing the traffic group into a standby state, the traffic group becomes idle on the device, and becomes active on another device in the device group.

                                              Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                                              Step 2   Choose a pod in which one of the Managed Network Elements is the F5 BIG-IP device you want to use, then click that network.
                                              Step 3   Click the Traffic Group tab.
                                              Step 4   Choose the traffic group that you want to force into a standby state and click Force Standby.
                                              Step 5   In the Force Traffic Group To Standby dialog box, click Submit.

                                              Viewing Device Information

                                              The Device Info tab provides information on the following items:

                                              • Account Name

                                              • Pod Name

                                              • Status

                                              • Name

                                              • IP Address

                                              • Host Name

                                              • Product

                                              • Version

                                                Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                                                Step 2   Choose a pod.
                                                Step 3   Choose the load balancing server.
                                                Step 4   Click the Device Info tab to view information for the existing devices associated with the pod.

                                                Viewing HA Groups

                                                The HA Group tab provides information on the following items:

                                                • Account Name

                                                • Pod Name

                                                • Full Path

                                                • Name

                                                  Step 1   On the menu bar, choose Physical > Network.
                                                  Step 2   Choose a pod.
                                                  Step 3   Choose the load balancing server.
                                                  Step 4   Click the HA Group tab to view information for the existing HA groups associated with the pod.