multiple pools per VS

Well. Yes and no...

No, you can only have ONE directly associated pool to a VS. That's the 'default' pool (Configured via the GUI or the command line).

HOWEVER

You can use as many pools as you like for a VS by using an iRule to select the pool for servicing the request. The pool can be selected as a static string, or an arbitrary name made up on the fly (As long as it exists of course). If an iRule tries to assign a pool that doesn't exist, then you'll get a TCL runtime error in the iRule and the connection will be closed.

The iRule command to select a pool and over-ride the default pool is the 'pool' command. e.g.

if { [IP::client_ip] equals "10.0.0.1" } {
  pool "dedicatedpool"
}

would select the pool 'dedicatedpool' for the client at 10.0.0.1, and everone else would get the default pool for the VS.

H

how can use this irule to forward the http_request for both pool at the same time - is that applicapable?

Sorry. That wasn't what I understood you wanted.

 

 

Having the same http request goto 2 tcp pools simultaneously isn't really supported. Except in the use of a clone pool, which is intended to send traffic to an IDS (i.e. Only one of the pools will actually respond). The clone pool isn't expected to respond (IIUC the traffic would be discarded), and the clone pool itself can be configure to take client side, server sode or both sides of the traffic.

 

 

Just out of curiosity, Why do you want two pools to get the same request from one client?

 

 

H

 

what about using one pool for the http_request and the other for the http_response?

How would you get a response from a pool that didn't get a request?

 

i tried to add a new pool as cloned one for client and server and it's not working...

 

any ideas?

It isn't possible to do what you are asking with an F5.

 

 

Clone Pooling is for use with IDS (Intrusion Detection System) or User Experience Logging (this is what my company uses it for).

 

Connection Mirroring is used for maintaining state across an F5 Pair. In case of Failure, the F5 maintains the session information, so that neither the client or the server see an interuption or disconnect.

 

 

What you are asking for isn't possible because the client is only talking to one pool or the other. Any responses from the second pool would be ignored and any session information would be considered invalid.

what about using an irule - is that applicapble?

Not to my knowledge.

 

 

An iRule will only allow traffic to flow to a single pool. I don't know of any command or configuration option that would allow traffic to flow to multiple pools (other than Clone Pooling).

 

 

My Co-Workers and I did the same research that you are doing now and our conclusion was that it wasn't possible.

Is anyone here still interested in cloning web app traffic to one or more other servers? If so, I have an iRule that I'd like to have you try. I've done initial testing in a lab, but would like more diverse testing. Email me for details: aaron at f5 dot com.

 

 

Thanks, Aaron