RELIANOID Load Balancer, or Application Delivery Controller (ADC), is a critical component for managing the delivery, security, and high availability of your applications, networks, and services. Proper maintenance and regular updates ensure optimal performance and reliability. This guide outlines best practices for maintaining your RELIANOID load balancer to maximize uptime, security, and efficiency.

Application Delivery Software Updates #

To keep your RELIANOID load balancer efficient and secure, ensure it is updated to the latest hotfix within your release. Regularly applying these updates safeguards against bugs and optimizes performance. Security patches included in every release are critical to protect your load balancer from vulnerabilities, particularly for SSL services.

• Check system updates: Using the command checkupgrades from the command line.



• Check major system updates: In the web administration panel section Dashboard > News or official timeline.
• Check IPDS updates: In the web administration panel or via checkupgrades command.



• Apply system updates: Using the command checkupgrades -i will apply software and security updates to your load balancers.

Configure Alerts Notifications #

To configure email alert notifications in RELIANOID, navigate to System > Notifications within the management console. Here, you can set up alerts for critical system events, management alerts, and security warnings to be sent directly to your specified email address. Also, the system notifications could be integrated with SNMP Traps for a more quick response from your SIEM. Once configured, test the email settings to ensure proper delivery, allowing you to stay informed of system issues and critical events in real-time.

Monitoring Application Delivery Resource Utilization #

Regularly monitor system health and key resource metrics, using patterns and graphs to identify potential issues in application delivery. Key metrics:

• Disk Space: Ensure sufficient disk capacity of every system partitions to prevent operational slowdowns.
• Memory & CPU Usage: Monitor memory and CPU for load spikes that might indicate inefficiencies.
• Concurrent Connections: Track active connections to manage load effectively.
• Network Bandwidth: Monitor bandwidth for signs of saturation or unusual traffic spikes.

Use the Monitoring section in the web GUI, or integrate SNMP for advanced monitoring (e.g., with Nagios or Zabbix). The RELIANOID API can also provide real-time metrics.

High Availability Failover Test #

If a cluster is built, force a failover, during a planned service window, to verify the correct replication of sessions if persistence is configured and the networks and virtual service switches correctly without downtime.

Use the Enable Maintenance Mode included in Show nodes from the System > Cluster section or restart the primary node to force a Cluster failover and test that the services are running without disruption.

Disaster Recovery Planning #

Automate configuration backups whenever significant changes are made to ensure a reliable disaster recovery plan. These backups should be securely stored and easily accessible for quick restoration when needed.

Access Management and Logging #

Ensuring secure access and maintaining detailed logs are key aspects of load balancer management. Implementing robust access controls and regularly reviewing logs helps prevent unauthorized access and allows for quick detection and response to potential issues.

• Access Control: Limit access to only trusted personnel by using Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) for admin accounts.
• Audit Logging: Enable audit logging to track all administrative actions and configuration changes. Regularly review these logs for suspicious activity.
• Log Retention: Configure the log retention period based on your organization’s security policy to ensure that historical data is available for forensic analysis if needed.

Configuration Management #

Maintaining a stable and consistent configuration across all load balancer instances is essential, especially in complex environments with multiple clusters or load balancers.

• Version Control: Use version control to track and manage configuration changes, ensuring you can revert to previous configurations if an issue arises.
• Change Management: Establish a process for validating and deploying configuration changes. Test configurations in a staging environment before rolling them out to production.
• Configuration Backup: Schedule regular backups of configuration files and securely store them for quick restoration in case of a misconfiguration or disaster.

SSL/TLS Certificate Management #

SSL/TLS certificates are critical for securing traffic, especially for HTTPS services. Effective certificate management prevents security lapses due to expired or misconfigured certificates.

• Certificate Expiration Monitoring: Regularly monitor certificate expiration dates and implement automated alerts for expiring certificates.
• Certificate Renewal: Establish a streamlined renewal process to minimize downtime, either through automation or a renewal checklist.
• TLS Configuration: Periodically review TLS settings to ensure strong ciphers and protocols are enforced, aligning with industry best practices.

These activities can be easily configured in the System > Notification alerts.

Performance Optimization and Tuning #

Optimizing load balancer performance helps maintain responsiveness and reduce latency, especially as traffic and demand fluctuate.

• Traffic Routing Policies: Periodically review routing and balancing algorithms (e.g., round-robin, least connections) and adjust based on traffic patterns to ensure optimal distribution.
• Connection Timeouts: Tune timeout settings for connections to balance efficiency with user experience.
• Cache and Compression: Where applicable, enable caching and compression settings to reduce bandwidth usage and improve load times for end-users.

Network and Security Baseline Audits #

Conducting regular audits of network settings and security baselines ensures that the load balancer remains secure and aligned with organizational policies.

• Firewall and IP Restrictions: Regularly audit firewall settings and IP restrictions to ensure they align with your security posture.
• Security Posture Review: Periodically assess security settings, including SSL/TLS configurations, WAF rules, and other security modules.
• Baseline Performance Metrics: Establish baseline metrics for CPU, memory, and bandwidth usage. Use these baselines to quickly identify anomalies.

Ways to Stay Updated #

Staying current with RELIANOID Load Balancer updates is essential for effective management and security. We recommend following these sources to stay informed:

• Knowledge Base: Up-to-date official documentation about the project with troubleshooting, Howtos and Administration Guides among others.
• Quarterly Support Newsletter: Delivered quarterly to our support clients, this newsletter provides a summary of the latest articles, events, and release news.
• Quarterly Newsletter: Open to all subscribers, this quarterly update includes the latest articles, event details, and release information.
• Early Adopters Program: Sign up to be among the first to test and evaluate our latest technologies.
• Dashboard News: Access the News section within the web administration dashboard for important updates.
• Update Notification Icon: The bell icon in the top-right corner of the admin interface alerts you to any pending updates when connected to the Internet.
• Release Timeline: The timeline webpage offers a schedule of current and upcoming releases.
• End-of-Life (EOL) Page: Check this page for support and long-term maintenance plans for each major version.
• Blog: Stay up-to-date on our latest news and reports by following our blog.
• Social Media: Follow us on social media for project updates and community news. On Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Following these channels will keep you updated on important developments and ensure you get the most out of your RELIANOID load balancer.

These guidelines not only support system resilience and performance but also strengthen security and provide visibility into system health, which are essential for long-term maintenance of RELIANOID Load Balancers. Don’t doubt to contact with our Team for further information.