Deploy HAProxy on Ubuntu 22.04 in 5 Steps

Learn how to deploy HAProxy on Ubuntu 22.04. Our HAProxy Support team is here to answer queries and concerns.

Deploy HAProxy on Ubuntu 22.04 in 5 Steps

HAProxy is designed for distributing traffic efficiently across multiple servers. It acts as both a reverse and forward proxy for TCP and HTTP-based applications, enhancing performance, reducing server load, and ensuring high availability.

Today, we will walk through the process of setting up HAProxy on Ubuntu to load-balance traffic between two Apache web servers.

Step 1. Prepare Backend Apache Servers

Before configuring HAProxy, we need at least two backend servers running Apache.

Log in to each backend server and run:

apt-get install apache2 -y

For easier identification during testing, create a unique index page on each server:

On the first server:

echo "<h1>This is my first Apache Server</h1>" | tee /var/www/html/index.html

On the second server:

echo "<h1>This is my second Apache Server</h1>" | tee /var/www/html/index.html

Step 2. Install HAProxy

On the server where HAProxy will run, execute this command:

apt-get install haproxy -y

Then, verify the installation:

haproxy -v

We will see output similar to:

HAProxy version 2.4.24-0ubuntu0.22.04.1 2023/10/31 – https://haproxy.org/

Now, start and enable the HAProxy service:

systemctl start haproxy

systemctl enable haproxy

Step 3. Configure HAProxy for Load Balancing

Edit the HAProxy configuration file:

nano /etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg

Add the following configuration:

frontend haproxy-main

bind *:80

option forwardfor

default_backend apache_webservers

backend apache_webservers

balance roundrobin

server websvr1 192.168.1.13:80 check

server websvr2 192.168.1.17:80 check

Replace `192.168.1.13` and `192.168.1.17` with the actual IP addresses of the Apache backend servers.

Frontend handles incoming connections on port 80. The backend defines the pool of servers to which traffic will be forwarded, using the round-robin method.

To further control routing based on IP ranges, you can implement HAProxy ACLs using CIDR to manage access policies more securely.

Step 4. Enable HAProxy Stats Page with Authentication

To monitor traffic and server health, enable HAProxy’s built-in statistics page.

We need to open the configuration file again:

nano /etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg

Then, add this block:

listen stats

bind :8800

stats enable

stats uri /

stats hide-version

stats auth admin:password

default_backend apache_webservers

Save and close the file, then restart HAProxy to apply changes:

systemctl restart haproxy

Now, check the service status:

systemctl status haproxy

We will see a confirmation like this:

● haproxy.service - HAProxy Load Balancer

Active: active (running)

If you’re working with HTTPS traffic, consider using HAProxy ACLs with ssl_fc to make decisions based on whether SSL is in use—ideal for secure applications.

Step 5. Test the HAProxy Setup

Open a browser and go to:

http://<your-haproxy-ip>

We will be able to see alternating content from our two Apache servers, confirming that HAProxy is successfully balancing traffic.

If the page fails to load or displays unexpected errors, reviewing your configuration and ensuring there are no syntax issues is key. This guide on fixing “unable to parse headers” in HAProxy error files can help in diagnosing those specific errors.

How to Access the Stats Page

Head to the http://<your-haproxy-ip>:8800/ and log in using the configured credentials to view detailed load balancing stats and backend health checks.

For setups using TCP load balancing instead of HTTP, it’s essential to set up HAProxy health checks tailored for TCP traffic to ensure consistent performance.

[Need assistance with a different issue? Our team is available 24/7.]

Conclusion

In brief, our Support Experts demonstrated how to deploy HAProxy on Ubuntu 22.04.