Learn how to Migrate from Citrix NetScaler to HAProxy with a practical guide, including SSL setup, config mapping, and HAProxy examples. Our Live Support Team is always here to help you.

Why and How to Migrate from Citrix NetScaler to HAProxy

Businesses that rely on Citrix NetScaler often reach a point where they want a simpler, more cost-effective, and open-source alternative. That’s where HAProxy comes in. It is widely used for load balancing, high availability, and traffic management. In this guide, we’ll show you how to Migrate from Citrix NetScaler to HAProxy step by step, including the installation process, SSL preparation, and configuration translation.

What is HAProxy?

HAProxy (High Availability Proxy) is a free, open-source solution built to handle TCP and HTTP traffic efficiently. It distributes requests across multiple servers, ensuring availability and preventing overload. Developers and system admins favor it because of its speed, rich features, and proven stability.

Key highlights include:

• HTTP/2 protocol support for faster web performance
• SSL/TLS termination to manage encryption securely
• Detailed logs for troubleshooting and monitoring
• RDP cookie support for session reliability
• Command-line control for fine-tuned management

With version 2.7.0, HAProxy is stronger than ever for modern infrastructures.

What is Citrix NetScaler?

Citrix NetScaler is a commercial application delivery controller trusted by global enterprises, including Microsoft and eBay. It is available as both hardware and software, offering load balancing, application acceleration, and security features.

It provides:

• Optimized app delivery
• Strong performance and continuity
• Advanced security
• Reliable availability for critical services

However, many organizations move away from it because of licensing costs and complexity, making the decision to Migrate from Citrix NetScaler to HAProxy a practical one.

Installation Process

To begin the switch, set up HAProxy on Ubuntu 24.04.

sudo apt update

sudo apt install haproxy

sudo systemctl enable haproxy

Preparing SSL Certificates

Citrix NetScaler stores certificates and keys separately, while HAProxy requires them combined into a PEM file.

sudo mkdir -p /etc/haproxy/certs

# For each certificate, combine cert and key

openssl rsa -in domain.key -out temp.key.nopass

cat domain.crt temp.key.nopass > /etc/haproxy/certs/domain.pem

sudo chmod 400 /etc/haproxy/certs/*.pem

sudo chown haproxy:haproxy /etc/haproxy/certs/*.pem

Configuration Translation

When you Migrate from Citrix NetScaler to HAProxy, each component aligns with its equivalent in HAProxy. Here’s how the mapping works:

• First of all, a Content Switch Virtual Server in NetScaler becomes a Frontend with ACLs in HAProxy.
• Next, CS Policies translate into ACL rules.
• After that, CS Actions are represented by use_backend directives.
• In addition, Service Groups align with backend server pools.
• Moreover, Monitors correspond to health checks.
• Finally, the SSL Profile is implemented as SSL bind options.

The Configuration Structure

Here’s a working HAProxy example for the migration:

global

# System-wide settings

log 127.0.0.1:514 local0

user haproxy

group haproxy

defaults

# Default parameters for all proxies

mode http

timeout client 180s

timeout server 360s

frontend https_frontend

bind *:443 ssl crt /etc/haproxy/certs/

# Content switching ACLs

acl host_app1 hdr(host) -i app1.example.com

acl host_app2 hdr(host) -i app2.example.com

# Route to appropriate backend

use_backend app1_backend if host_app1

use_backend app2_backend if host_app2

backend app1_backend

balance roundrobin

server node01 10.0.1.10:3000 check

server node02 10.0.1.11:3000 check

backend app2_backend

balance roundrobin

server node01 10.0.1.10:8080 check

server node02 10.0.1.11:8080 check

Conclusion

To Migrate from Citrix NetScaler to HAProxy successfully, you only need to install HAProxy, prepare your SSL certificates, and translate your NetScaler configuration into HAProxy’s format. Once done, you’ll have a reliable, open-source load balancer that delivers strong performance without the licensing overhead.