Configure the Load Balancer

After creating the Load Balancer, add a Listener + Pool + Members so it can distribute traffic. Open the detail page by clicking the Load Balancer name in the list.

Listener

A Listener receives traffic on a given port + protocol and forwards it to a Pool.

Add a Listener

On the Listener tab → + Add Listener.

Field	Meaning	Example
Listener name	Memorable name	http-80, https-443
Protocol	HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, TERMINATED_HTTPS	HTTP
Port	Listening port	80, 443, 8080
SSL Certificate	Required when protocol = TERMINATED_HTTPS	–
Pool	Target Pool — can be created later and attached	–

Which protocol should I pick?

Protocol	When to use
HTTP	Site/API without HTTPS
HTTPS	TLS passthrough — backends terminate TLS themselves
TERMINATED_HTTPS	Load Balancer decrypts TLS, backends receive plain HTTP (recommended)
TCP	Non-HTTP workloads (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis…)

TERMINATED_HTTPS needs a certificate

When you pick TERMINATED_HTTPS, you must import the SSL certificate before creating the Listener.

Pool

A Pool is a group of backend VMs with the same role.

Add a Pool

On the Pool tab → + Add Pool.

Field	Meaning
Listener	The Listener that sends traffic to this Pool
Pool name	Memorable name (pool-web, pool-api)
Load Balancing Algorithm	Round Robin / Least Connections / Source IP
Health Check (optional)	Probe to detect failed members

Load-balancing algorithms

Algorithm	How it works	When to use
Round Robin	One after another, round-robin	Default; uniform workloads
Least Connections	Favours the member with the fewest live connections	Requests with varying processing time
Source IP	Same client IP → same member	Simple sticky sessions

Health check

The Health Check periodically probes each member. Members that fail are temporarily removed from the pool until they recover.

Common parameters:

• Type: HTTP / TCP
• URL: /health (for HTTP)
• Interval: 5–10 seconds
• Timeout: 2–5 seconds
• Max retries: 3

Member

A Member is a specific backend VM inside the Pool.

Manage members

Pool tab → click ⋯ next to the Pool → Servers.

Each member needs:

• IP Address — the backend VM's internal IP.
• Port — the port the backend is listening on (80, 8080…).
• Weight — distribution weight (default 1; give stronger backends a higher weight).

Edit a member

Add or remove a member

Safe rolling updates

When deploying a new version, set weight = 0 on the member to drain it instead of removing it abruptly. In-flight connections finish; new connections go to other members.

Import an SSL certificate

Needed when the Listener uses TERMINATED_HTTPS.

Step 1. Open the SSL Certificate page

Go to Load Balancer → SSL Certificate and click + Create Certificate.

Step 2. Paste the certificate contents

Field	Contents
Name	Memorable name (example-com-2026)
Certificate	Contents of the .crt / .pem file
Intermediate Certificate (optional)	Intermediate CA chain
Private Key	The matching private key
Passphrase (optional)	If the private key is encrypted

Click Confirm. The certificate is now available to pick when configuring a TERMINATED_HTTPS Listener.

Private key handling

The private key is uploaded once — you cannot retrieve it later. Store the original in a password manager / vault before uploading. Never keep it in Git or on a shared drive.

Monitoring

Watch Load Balancer, Listener, Pool and per-Member performance in real time.

Monitoring tab → click Enable Monitoring.

Typical metrics:

• Connections — current / new connections per second.
• Throughput — Mbps in/out.
• Member status — online / offline per health check.
• Response time — backend response latency.

Change the Load Balancer plan

When demand grows, upgrade the Load Balancer plan.

Configuration tab → pick a new plan → click Change plan.

Public IP may change

For a Public Load Balancer, the Public IP may change after a plan change. Update DNS A/AAAA records if a domain points at the old IP. Plan ahead (lower the TTL before the change).

See also

• Create a Load Balancer — if you don't have one yet.
• Security Group — backends need to accept connections from the Load Balancer.
• Floating IP — backends don't need a Floating IP when they sit behind a Load Balancer.