===================================HAProxy Load Balancing Project================================

📌 Project Overview

This project demonstrates how to configure HAProxy as a load balancer for Apache2 and Nginx web servers. It implements three load balancing algorithms and includes testing and troubleshooting steps to ensure optimal performance.

🚀 System Architecture

Component Internal IP External IP Port HAProxy (Load Balancer) 10.128.0.5 35.239.94.162 80 Apache2 Web Server 10.128.0.6 34.136.46.2 80 Nginx Web Server 10.128.0.7 34.31.83.112 80

🔧 Installation & Configuration

1️⃣ Deploy Web Servers

🔹 Apache2 Setup (on apache2-server) > sudo apt update && sudo apt install apache2 -y > echo "

Apache2 Web Server

" | sudo tee /var/www/html/index.html > sudo systemctl restart apache2

🔹 Nginx Setup (on nginx-server) > sudo apt update && sudo apt install nginx -y > echo "

Nginx Web Server

" | sudo tee /var/www/html/index.html > sudo systemctl restart nginx

✅ Verify Setup: > curl -I http://10.128.0.6/ # Apache2 > curl -I http://10.128.0.7/ # Nginx

2️⃣ Install & Configure HAProxy (on haproxy-lb)

🔹 Install HAProxy > sudo apt update && sudo apt install haproxy -y

🔹 Configure HAProxy Edit HAProxy config file > sudo nano /etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg

Paste the following configuration:

global stats socket /run/haproxy/admin.sock mode 660 level admin

defaults mode http timeout connect 5s timeout client 30s timeout server 30s

frontend http_front bind *:80 use_backend backend_roundrobin if { hdr(host) -i roundrobin.local } use_backend backend_leastconn if { hdr(host) -i leastconn.local } use_backend backend_iphash if { hdr(host) -i iphash.local }

# HAProxy Statistics
stats enable
stats uri /haproxy?stats
stats refresh 5s
stats auth admin:haproxy123

backend backend_roundrobin balance roundrobin option httpchk GET / server web1 10.128.0.6:80 check server web2 10.128.0.7:80 check

backend backend_leastconn balance leastconn option httpchk GET / server web1 10.128.0.6:80 check server web2 10.128.0.7:80 check

backend backend_iphash balance source option httpchk GET / server web1 10.128.0.6:80 check server web2 10.128.0.7:80 check

✅ Restart HAProxy: > sudo systemctl restart haproxy

✅ Enable HAProxy at boot: > sudo systemctl enable haproxy

✅ Check HAProxy status: > sudo systemctl status haproxy

📊 Testing & Validation

1️⃣ Test Load Balancing Algorithms

🔹 Round-Robin > curl -I -H "Host: roundrobin.local" http://35.239.94.162/

✅ Expected: Alternates between Apache2 & Nginx.

🔹 Least Connections > curl -I -H "Host: leastconn.local" http://35.239.94.162/

✅ Expected: Routes traffic to the server with the fewest active connections.

🔹 IP Hashing > curl -I -H "Host: iphash.local" http://35.239.94.162/

✅ Expected: Same client IP is always routed to the same backend.

2️⃣ Load Testing (Apache Benchmark) > ab -n 1000 -c 50 -H "Host: roundrobin.local" http://35.239.94.162/

✅ Expected: Requests are distributed across both servers.

3️⃣ Monitor HAProxy Performance

🔹 Check Backend Status > echo "show stat" | sudo socat unix-connect:/run/haproxy/admin.sock stdio

🔹 View HAProxy Logs > sudo journalctl -xeu haproxy | tail -n 20

🔹 Access HAProxy Web Dashboard > http://35.239.94.162/haproxy?stats

✅ Login with: Username: admin Password: haproxy123

📌 Final Testing

🔹 Verify Load Balancing

Run multiple requests:

for i in {1..10}; do curl -I http://haproxy-ip/; done

✅ Expected: Some responses from Apache2, some from Nginx.

📌 Conclusion ✔ HAProxy efficiently balances traffic across Apache2 and Nginx. ✔ Multiple load balancing algorithms ensure high availability. ✔ Health checks keep the system reliable. ✔ Testing & monitoring provide performance insights. ✔ Tested Load Distribution with Apache Benchmark (ab)

📜 Author 👤 Valentine Uchenna Ukah 📧 val.ukah01@gmail.com 📌 GitHub: https://github.com/Tinobrace/Haproxy-LoadBalancing-Lab