Getting Started With NSX ALB: Part-4-Load Balancer in Action

Manish Jha

In the last post of this series, I completed NSX-T integration with NSX ALB. Now it’s time to test the load balancer. 

If you have missed the earlier post of this series, you can read them from the below links:

1: NSX ALB Introduction & Architecture

2: Avi Controller Deployment & Configuration

3: NSX ALB Integration With NSX-T

Let’s get started.

Before I dive into the lab, let me first explain the topology that I have implemented in my lab.

  • I have two of my web servers sitting on the Web-LS logical segment backed by subnet 192.40.40.0/24.
  • Logical segments ALB-Mgmt-LS and ALB-Data-LS are connected to the same Tier-1 gateway to which Web-LS segment is connected and are backed by subnets 192.20.20.0/24 and 192.30.30.0/24.
  • Avi Service Engine VM’s are connected to both Mgmt & Data LS
  • All 3 segments are created in the overlay transport zone. 
  • My Tier-0 gateway is BGP peering with a physical router and my Win JB machine is able to ping the logical segments default gateway. 

The 2 web servers have IP addresses 192.40.40.10 and 192.40.40.11 configured and they are responding to the HTTP request. 

In NSX-T I have created a new tag named “Web-Server” and assigned this tag to both Web VM’s.

Also, I have created a security group for web servers and associated the tag created in the previous step with this group. 

To configure the load balancer, login to Avi Controller Web Interface and create a virtual service by navigating to Applications > Dashboard > Create Virtual Service > Basic Setup

Select NSX-T Cloud and hit next.

  • Provide a name for the Virtual Service and select Application Type. 
  • Ensure Auto Allocate check box is selected. 
  • Select Network for VIP Address Allocation. You have to select your Avi SE data network. 
  • Select the segment associated with the data network and the Tier-1 router. 
  • Under Add Servers, select Security Groups and choose the security group corresponding to Web Servers that you created in NSX-T earlier. 
  • Hit save to complete Virtual Service creation workflow.  

At this time Avi Controller starts deploying Avi Service VM’s in the backend vCenter.

On navigating to Dashboard and selecting View VS Tree, you should see the web servers’ IP Addresses learned from NSX.

Under the Virtual Services tab, you will see the VIP address corresponding to the virtual service which you just created. 

On hitting this IP, you should be able to access your web servers. 

In my lab, I have changed the LB algorithm to round-robin and when I hit VIP IP and refreshes the browser, I am able to access both web servers one by one. 

And that concludes this post. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Feel free to share this on social media if it is worth sharing 🙂

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