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Configuring VMware® vCloud
Automation Center 6.1 High
Availability Using an F5 Load
Balancer
Deployment Guide for High-Availability Configurations
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Configuring VMware® vCloud Automation Center 6.1 High Availability Using an F5 Load Balancer
Introduction
This guide outlines the steps for performing an end-to-end implementation of vCloud Automation Center 6.1 in a
Highly Available (HA) configuration using the F5 load balancer.
Supported software components are:

vCloud Automation Center 6.1 (Supported Windows servers are Windows 2012 R2 or Windows 2012)

F5 load balancer version: BIG-IP 11.5.1 Build 0.0.110 Final
Overview
The configuration of the F5 load balancer with vCloud Automation Center 6.1 in a highly available (HA) configuration
requires that the various components are implemented in the correct sequence. Failing to follow the documented
sequence can create unpredictable consequences and/or dependencies on other components where dependencies
should not be placed.
The following list summarizes the steps for deploying vCloud Automation Center 6.1 in a high-availability environment
using the F5 load balancer.
Note: The examples used in this guide refer to an environment with two vCloud Automation Center virtual appliances,
two IaaS web servers, an active IaaS manager service and a passive IaaS manager service. This guide can be used
to scale out the environment to include two or more virtual appliances and two or more IaaS web servers.
1.
2.
Prerequisites:
a.
An installed and licensed F5 load balancer for which the DNS server configuration is complete
b.
DNS entries created for all the vCloud Automation Center 6.1 components/servers and the F5-Virtual
Servers
Configuring the F5 Load Balancer for use with vCloud Automation Center 6.1 in an HA Configuration
a.
Create and configure three Monitors
b.
Configure the default health monitor
c.
Create and configure six Nodes
d.
Create and configure three Pools
e.
Create three Virtual Servers (VIPs)
3.
Install vCloud Automation Center 6.1
4.
Validate the HA environment.
Environment Prerequisites
Prerequisites
Before starting the HA implementation of vCloud Automation Center using an F5 load balancer, you must ensure that
certain elements of the environment are in place and fully functional.
1.
It is required that the F5 load balancer be installed and licensed and that which the DNS server configuration
is complete.
2.
The current guide outlines the HA deployment of the following highlighted (in yellow) components (i.e., load
balancers, vCloud Automation Center virtual appliances, IaaS Web Servers and Manager Service):
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Configuring VMware® vCloud Automation Center 6.1 High Availability Using an F5 Load Balancer
3.
The following table outlines the servers and DNS entries that are required for the redundant installation. It is
required that DNS entries exist for each entry on the table below. Supported Windows servers are Windows
2012 R2 or Windows 2012.
Table 1. Servers / DNS Entries – Redundant
Name
*FQDN
*IP Address
Configuration
DNS Entry of F5-Virtual Server for
vCAC virtual appliances
vcac.mydomain.com
192.168.1.101
Host (A)
vCAC Virtual Appliance 1
uslbv6ca01a.mydomain.com
192.168.1.105
6.1 build 2077124
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vCAC Virtual Appliance 2
uslbv6ca01b.mydomain.com
192.168.1.106
6.1 build 2077124
DNS Entry of F5-Virtual Server for
IaaS Web Servers
iaas.mydomain.com
192.168.1.102
Host (A)
IaaS Web Server 1
uslbv6web01a.mydomain.com
192.168.1.107
Windows 2012
IaaS Web Server 2
uslbv6web01b.mydomain.com
192.168.1.108
Windows 2012
DNS Entry of F5 Virtual Server
for IaaS Manager Service
mgr.mydomain.com
192.168.1.103
Host (A)
IaaS Manager Service 1 (active)
uslbv6mgr01a.mydomain.com
192.168.1.109
Windows 2012
IaaS Manager Service 2 (passive)
uslbv6mgr01b.mydomain.com
192.168.1.110
Windows 2012
*The actual FQDN and IP Addresses will be different based on your environment.
Note: vCloud Orchestrator configuration steps can be found in the vCO configuration guide and are not covered in
this guide.
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Configure the F5 Load Balancer for use with vCloud
Automation Center 6.1 in an HA Configuration
You can use the procedures in this section to configure an F5 load balancer for use with vCloud Automation Center
6.1.
The examples in this section reference the values shown in Table 1. Procedures in this section are based on the
following load balancer environment:

F5 load balancer that is installed and licensed and for which DNS server configuration is complete

F5 load balancer running version BIG-IP 11.5.1 Build 0.0.110
These steps may vary in a different F5 load balancer version.
Procedure
Create Monitors
More information about monitors can be found on the F5 Monitors documentation page.
1.
Navigate to Local Traffic > Monitors
2.
Click the + button
3.
Create a monitor called https_vcac. This will monitor the status of the vCloud Automation Center virtual
appliance nodes.
a.
Provide the following settings for the https_vcac monitor.
i. Type: HTTPS
ii. Send String: GET /shell-ui-app/services/api/status\r\n
iii. Receive String: CN=cafe
4.
Create another monitor called https_web. This will monitor the status of the IaaS Web Server nodes.
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a.
Provide the following settings for the https_web monitor.
i. Type: HTTPS
ii. Send String: GET /\r\n
5.
Create a third monitor called https_mgr. This will monitor the status of the IaaS Manager Service nodes
a.
Provide the following settings for the https_mgr monitor.
i. Type: HTTPS
ii. Send String: GET /VMPS\r\n
iii. Receive String: CN=ProvisionClient
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Note: You should now have three monitors created, https_vcac, https_web, https_mgr
Configure Default Health Monitor
More information about monitors can be found on the F5 Monitors documentation page.
1. Navigate to Local Traffic > Nodes > Default Monitor.
2. Select and add icmp.
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3. Click Update.
Create and Configure Nodes
More information about nodes can be found on the F5 Nodes documentation page.
1. Navigate to Local Traffic > Nodes > Node List.
2. Click the + button.
3. Using Table 1 as reference, create a node named uslbv6ca01a to represent the first vCloud Automation Center
virtual appliance.
a.
Name: uslbv6ca01a
b.
Address: 192.168.1.105
c.
Health Monitor > Node Default
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4. Repeat step 3 to create five additional nodes (use Table 1 as reference for Name and IP Address),
a.
uslbv6ca01b – second vCloud Automation Center virtual appliance
b.
uslbv6web01a – first IaaS Web server
c.
uslbv6web01b – second IaaS Web server
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d.
uslbv6mgr01a – active IaaS Manager service
e.
uslbv6mgr01b – passive IaaS Manager service
Note: Since the actual vCloud Automation Center virtual appliances and IaaS servers have not yet been deployed,
the status of these nodes will show a non-Green color.
Create and Configure Pools
More information about pools can be found on the F5 Load Balancing Pools documentation page.
1. Navigate to Local Traffic > Pools > Pool List.
2. Click the + button.
3. Create a pool named vCAC_Servers. This pool will correspond to the health monitor for the vCloud Automation
Center virtual appliances (https_vcac) and the vCloud Automation Center virtual appliance nodes (uslbv6ca01a,
uslbv6ca01b).
4. Repeat step 3 to create a second pool called WEB_Servers to correspond to the health monitor for the IaaS Web
servers (https_web) and the IaaS Web Server nodes (uslbv6web01a, uslbv6web01b).
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5. Repeat step 3 to create a third pool called MGR_Servers to correspond to the health monitor for the IaaS
Manager Service (https_mgr) and the IaaS Manager Service nodes (uslbv6mgr01a, uslbv6mgr01b).
Note: Ensure that you specify unique values for Health Monitor and Members
At this point you should now have three pools available.
Create Virtual Servers (VIPs)
More information about nodes can be found on the F5 Virtual Servers documentation page.
1. Navigate to Local Traffic > Virtual Servers > Virtual Server List.
2. Click the + button.
3. Create a Virtual Server called vCAC_VS for the vCloud Automation Center virtual appliances:
a.
Provide the following settings in the General Properties section:
i. Name: vCAC_VS
ii. Description: Virtual Server for vCloud Automation Center Virtual Appliances
iii. Source: 0.0.0.0/0
iv.
Select Destination > Type as Host
v.
Refer to Table 1 and specify the IP address in the Address field
vi.
Select Service Port > HTTPS
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b.
Scroll down to the Configuration section and provide the following settings:
i. Select HTTP Profile > http
ii. Select Source Address Translation > Auto Map
c.
Scroll down to the Resources section and provide the following settings:
i. Since this is the virtual server for the vCloud Automation Center virtual appliances, select
Default Pool > vCAC_Servers.
ii. Select Default Persistence Profile > dest_addr.
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d.
Click Finished.
4. Repeat step 3 to create a second virtual server mgr_VS for the IaaS Manager Service. Use the same settings as
specified in step 3, with the following exceptions:
a.
Under General Properties section, set the Destination > Address to be 192.168.1.102.
b.
Under Resources section, set the Default Pool to be MGR_Servers.
5. Repeat step 3 to create a third virtual server web_VS for the IaaS Web servers. Use the same settings as
specified in step 3, with the following exceptions:
a.
Under General Properties section, set the Destination > Address to be 192.168.1.103.
b.
Under Resources section, set the Default Pool to be WEB_Servers
Note: At this point, there should be three virtual servers created, vCAC_VS, web_VS and mgr_VS
Install vCloud Automation Center 6.1
The following steps need to be followed when installing vCloud Automation Center 6.1:
1.
Disable the 3 health monitors, https_vcac, https_web, https_mgr
2.
Install vCloud Automation Center 6.1 in a high-availability (distributed) environment following the procedure
described in the vCloud Automation Center 6.1 Installation Guide.
3.
Enable the three health monitors.
Note: If you want to install additional nodes in a working vCloud Automation Center 6.1 environment you will need to
disable the health monitors before installing the new nodes and enable the health monitors after installation of the
nodes is completed.
Validate the vCloud Automation Center 6.1 High
Availability Environment
1. Navigate to Local Traffic > Network Map.
2. View the vCloud Automation Center environment build-out. At this point, all entries should be illustrated in Green
(except the Passive IaaS Manager Service node).
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This completes the configuration of vCloud Automation Center 6.1 in a high-availability environment using an F5 load
balancer.
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Acknowledgements
VMware would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their contributions to this paper and help with content
review:
vCloud Automation Center – Patricia O’Connor, David Kelley, Carl Prahl, Victor Dubinsky, Max Choly, Joseph
Rinella, Jitender Uppal
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