Citrix Netscaler NS7000 : how to create a content switched load balanced farm/service (Part II)

In the previous part of this article, how to create a load balance virtual server (or 'lb vserver' using CLI) was described. Now we'll describe how to create content switching. Currently, as of Netscaler 7.0 beta, Citrix Netscaler supports only HTTP protocol for content switching.

Again, the logical, conceptual flow is clear and intuitive. However, the work flow is less so, the same as any object-oriented model applied to a more procedural mind-set or work flow.

In Citrix Netscaler's terminology, you need to create

• a Content Switching (CS) policy. The policy basics states a matching rule set that the HTTP request object must comply. Three basic

• domain, aka, URI
• URL
• any other request attributes/headers using regular expression or absolute matching.
  

• create a CS virtual server to direct traffic regulated by this policy to go to either individual service or a load balancing virtual server.
• a default mapping is allowed. The policy field would be 'blank'. It'd make more sense to actually call it 'Default' and displays it as such. This basically directs all traffic that fails to satisfy all the policy-vserser mapping to a default LB virtual server.
  

• Regular Expression can be created on the fly under the 'policy' node, or pre-created with a name from under 'System' node.