1 Introduction

VMware's vRealize Automation provides cloud automation software that facilitates the delivery and management of infrastructure and accelerating the deployment and release of applications. It allows deployment across multi-vendor hybrid cloud infrastructure and greatly reduces the time required to provision services, reducing costs and improving business agility. End-users are given different service levels, policies and automation processes, as appropriate for their needs.

The Kemp LoadMaster is able to load balance the vRealize Automation IaaS Web Server workload. The LoadMaster offers advanced Layer 4 and Layer 7 server load balancing, SSL Acceleration and a multitude of other advanced Application Delivery and Optimization (ADC) features. The LoadMaster intelligently and efficiently distributes user traffic among the application servers so that users get the best experience possible. 

1.1 Document Purpose

This document provides guidance on how to deploy vRealize Automation with a Kemp LoadMaster. The Kemp Support Team is available to provide solutions for scenarios not explicitly defined.

The Kemp support site can be found at: https://support.kemptechnologies.com.

2 Template

Kemp has developed a template containing our recommended settings for this workload. You can install this template to help create Virtual Services (VSs) because it automatically populates the settings. You can use the template to easily create the required VSs with the recommended settings. For some workloads, additional manual steps may be required such as assigning a certificate or applying port following, these steps are covered in the document, if needed.

You can remove templates after use and this will not affect deployed services. If needed, you can make changes to any of the VS settings after using the template.

Download released templates from the following page: LoadMaster Templates.

For more information and steps on how to import and use templates, refer to the Virtual Services and Templates, Feature Description on the Kemp Documentation page.

3 Configure vRealize Automation Virtual Services

The environment in which vRealize Automation is deployed determines which of the following setups should be used.

3.1 Enable Subnet Originating Requests Globally

It is best practice to enable the Subnet Originating Requests option globally.

In a one-armed setup (where the Virtual Service and Real Servers are on the same network/subnet) Subnet Originating Requests is usually not needed. However, enabling Subnet Originating Requests should not affect the routing in a one-armed setup.

In a two-armed setup where the Virtual Service is on network/subnet A, for example, and the Real Servers are on network B, Subnet Originating Requests should be enabled on LoadMasters with firmware version 7.1-16 and above.

When Subnet Originating Requests is enabled, the Real Server sees traffic originating from 10.20.20.21 (LoadMaster eth1 address) and responds correctly in most scenarios.

With Subnet Originating Requests disabled, the Real Server sees traffic originating from 10.0.0.15 (LoadMaster Virtual Service address on eth0) and responds to eth0 which could cause asymmetric routing.

When Subnet Originating Requests is enabled globally, it is automatically enabled on all Virtual Services. If the Subnet Originating Requests option is disabled globally, you can choose whether to enable Subnet Originating Requests on a per-Virtual Service basis.

To enable Subnet Originating Requests globally, follow the steps below:

1. In the main menu of the LoadMaster User Interface (UI), go to System Configuration > Miscellaneous Options > Network Options.

2. Select the Subnet Originating Requests check box.

3.2 vRealize Automation IaaS Web Virtual Service

The following are the steps involved and the values required to configure the vRealize Automation VRA VC Web Virtual Service:

1. In the main menu of the LoadMaster Web User Interface (WUI), go to Virtual Services > Add New.

 

2. Enter a valid IP address in the Virtual Address text box.

3. Enter 443 in the Port text box.

4. Enter a recognizable Service Name, for example vRealize Automation IaaS Web.

5. Ensure tcp is selected as the Protocol.

6. Click Add this Virtual Service.

7. Enter the details shown in the following table:

Section	Option	Value	Comment
Standard Options	Transparency	Deselected
	Persistence Mode	Source IP Address
	Timeout	6 Minutes
	Scheduling Method	Least Connection
	Idle Connection Timeout	360
SSL Properties	SSL Acceleration	Enabled Reencrypt	A wildcard certificate allows secure connections to be established with a request URL in the format of *.example.com. With this approach, a single certificate secures traffic for all clients in a multi-tenant environment.
	Supported Protocols	TLS1.0 TLS1.1 TLS1.2 TLS1.3	While this workload may not support TLS1.3 yet, Kemp recommend enabling it for future proofing.
	Cipher Set	BestPractices
Advanced Properties	Content Switching	Disabled
	Add HTTP Headers	Legacy Operation (X-ClientSide)
Real Servers	Real Server Check Method	HTTPS Protocol
	URL	/wapi/api/statusweb	Click Set URL.
	Checked Port	443
	HTTP Method	GET

Users should note that clicking the Add HTTP Redirector button, automatically creates a redirect Virtual Service on Port 80.

8. Add the Real Servers:

a) Click the Add New button.

b) Enter the address of the vRealize Automation IaaS Web Server.

c) Enter 443 as the Port.

d) Click Add this Real Server. Click OK to the pop-up message.

e) Repeat the steps above to add more Real Servers as needed, based on the environment.

Last Updated Date

This document was last updated on 03 March 2022.