F5 BIG-IP: Local Traffic Manager (LTM) Training

Server Persistence

www.routehub.net

Michel Thomatis, CCIE #6778

Chief Network Architect and Lead Trainer
What is Persistence?
• Require the client to stay connected to the same server once connected
within a pool. And not be load-balanced to a different server.
• BIG-IP will keep track of the client and the server it connected to in the
pool.
Types of Persistence
• Source IP Address
• HTTP cookies
• Hash
Persistence using Source IP Address
• BIG-IP tracks client using its IP address
• BIG-IP will create a Persistence record
• Mask determines how Persistence record is created (IP address or
Network)

• Mask Examples:
• Using a /32 (255.255.255.255): applies to a single IP address
• 100 hosts  server farm
• Total of 100 Persistence records created

• Using a /24 (255.255.255.0): applies to a single IP network/subnet

• 100 hosts from 10.67.78.0  server farm
• Total of 1 Persistence record is created for 10.67.78.0
Persistence using Source IP Address -
Considerations
• Clients that exist behind the same NAT gateway (firewall, router) using
the same Source IP Address (e.g. PAT, NAT Overload)

• Example:
• Application Server Farm enabled for Persistence using Source IP Address
• Major client is from the same company.
• 100 clients behind the same NAT gateway
• All 100 client connections could be established to the same server in the pool.
Persistence using Cookies
• BIG-IP tracks client using an HTTP cookie
• Only applicable for web farms (e.g. HTTP)
Persistence using Cookies - Modes
• Insert Mode: only the BIG-IP creates the cookie

• Rewrite mode: the server and the BIG-IP create cookies

• Passive mode: only the server creates the cookie

Persistence using Cookies - Considerations
• Client disables the use of cookies (not recommended)
• Time on client's system is incorrect