IBM Cloud VPC Network Load Balancer -- Node.js SDK Examples

 What is Network Load Balancer (NLB)?

Network Load Balancer works in Layer 4 and is best fit for business-critical and interactive workloads that require high throughput and low latency.

                -- from IBM Cloud blog

With traditional load balancer, all incoming and returning traffics would go through the load balancer itself. The big disadvantage is the high volume of traffics will increase the latency and affect the throughput.

NLB is using a technology called Direct Server Return (DSR). The information processed by the backend targets is sent directly back to the client, thus minimizing latency and optimizing throughput performance.

                  -- from IBM Cloud blog

Node.js SDK

This Node.js SDK is a new tool for developer to manage their IBM Cloud VPC resources. If you are new to Node.js and need to use the Node.js SDK to manage your ALB/NLB on IBM Cloud VPC, this doc can help you to get start. 

Import the VPC libaries:

	const { IamAuthenticator } = require('ibm-vpc/auth');
	const VpcV1 = require('ibm-vpc/vpc/v1');

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Create VPC service object and authenticate:

	// Create an IAM authenticator.
	const authenticator = new IamAuthenticator({
	apikey: '<api-key>',
	});
	// Construct the service client.
	const vpcService = new VpcV1({
	authenticator, // required
	serviceUrl: 'https://us-south.iaas.cloud.ibm.com/v1', // optional, change us-south base on the region you are using
	});

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Define some variables and sleep function that will be used below:

	const instanceId = "<instaince_id>";
	const subnetId = "<subnet_id>";
	const nlbName = "nodesdk-nlb-test-1";
	const listenerPort = 234;
	const memberPort = 234;
	function sleep(ms) {
	return new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
	}

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Define an async checkLbActive function:

	async function checkLbActive(lbId) {
	const params = {id: lbId};
	var lb;
	do {
	var lb = await vpcService.getLoadBalancer(params)
	console.log("LB is in " + lb.result.provisioning_status + " state")
	// const second = 1000
	await sleep(30 * 1000);
	} while(lb.result.provisioning_status != "active");
	}

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List load balancers:

	async function listLbs() {
	console.log("\nListing all load balancers in us-south ...")
	const params = {};
	var lbs = await vpcService.listLoadBalancers(params);
	lbs.result.load_balancers.forEach((item, _) => {
	console.log(item)
	})
	}

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CREATE Load Balancer:

	async function createNlb() {
	console.log("\nCreating network load balancer ...")
	// SubnetIdentityById
	const subnetIdentityModel = {
	id: subnetId,
	};
	// LoadBalancerPoolIdentityByName
	const loadBalancerPoolIdentityByNameModel = {
	name: 'my-load-balancer-pool',
	};
	// LoadBalancerListenerPrototypeLoadBalancerContext
	const loadBalancerListenerPrototypeLoadBalancerContextModel = {
	port: listenerPort,
	protocol: 'tcp',
	default_pool: loadBalancerPoolIdentityByNameModel,
	};
	// LoadBalancerPoolHealthMonitorPrototype
	const loadBalancerPoolHealthMonitorPrototypeModel = {
	delay: 5,
	max_retries: 2,
	port: 22,
	timeout: 2,
	type: 'http',
	url_path: '/',
	};
	// LoadBalancerPoolMemberTargetPrototypeInstanceIdentityInstanceIdentityById
	const loadBalancerPoolMemberTargetPrototypeModel = {
	id: instanceId,
	};
	// LoadBalancerPoolMemberPrototype
	const loadBalancerPoolMemberPrototypeModel = {
	port: memberPort,
	weight: 50,
	target: loadBalancerPoolMemberTargetPrototypeModel,
	};
	// LoadBalancerPoolSessionPersistencePrototype
	const loadBalancerPoolSessionPersistencePrototypeModel = {
	type: 'source_ip',
	};
	// LoadBalancerPoolPrototype
	const loadBalancerPoolPrototypeModel = {
	name: 'my-load-balancer-pool',
	algorithm: 'least_connections',
	protocol: 'tcp',
	health_monitor: loadBalancerPoolHealthMonitorPrototypeModel,
	members: [loadBalancerPoolMemberPrototypeModel],
	session_persistence: loadBalancerPoolSessionPersistencePrototypeModel,
	};
	// LoadBalancerProfileIdentityByName
	const loadBalancerProfileIdentityModel = {
	name: 'network-fixed',
	};
	const isPublic = true;
	const subnets = [subnetIdentityModel];
	const name = nlbName;
	const listeners = [loadBalancerListenerPrototypeLoadBalancerContextModel];
	const pools = [loadBalancerPoolPrototypeModel];
	const profile = loadBalancerProfileIdentityModel;
	const params = {
	isPublic: isPublic,
	subnets: subnets,
	name: name,
	listeners: listeners,
	pools: pools,
	profile: profile,
	};
	try {
	var lb = await vpcService.createLoadBalancer(params)
	console.log(lb)
	} catch(e) {
	console.log(e.message)
	throw 500
	};
	return lb.result
	}

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CREATE Load Balancer Listener:

	async function createListener(lbId, poolId) {
	console.log("\nCreating listener ...")
	// LoadBalancerPoolIdentityById
	const loadBalancerPoolIdentityModel = {
	id: poolId,
	};
	const params = {
	loadBalancerId: lbId,
	port: listenerPort,
	protocol: "tcp",
	defaultPool: loadBalancerPoolIdentityModel,
	}
	try {
	var listener = await vpcService.createLoadBalancerListener(params);
	console.log(listener)
	} catch(e) {
	console.log(e.message)
	throw 500
	}
	console.log("Create listener request sent.")
	return listener.result.id
	}

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CREATE Load Balancer Pool:

	async function createPool(lbId) {
	console.log("\nCreating pool ...")
	// LoadBalancerPoolHealthMonitorPrototype
	const loadBalancerPoolHealthMonitorPrototypeModel = {
	delay: 20,
	max_retries: 3,
	port: 6060,
	timeout: 10,
	type: 'tcp',
	};
	// LoadBalancerPoolPrototype
	const params = {
	loadBalancerId: lbId,
	name: 'my-pool',
	algorithm: 'round_robin',
	protocol: 'tcp',
	healthMonitor: loadBalancerPoolHealthMonitorPrototypeModel,
	};
	try {
	var pool = await vpcService.createLoadBalancerPool(params);
	console.log(pool)
	} catch(e) {
	console.log(e.message)
	throw 500
	}
	console.log("Create pool request sent.")
	return pool.result.id;
	}

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CREATE Load Balancer Pool Member:

	async function createMember(lbId, poolId) {
	console.log("\nCreating member ...")
	// LoadBalancerPoolMemberTargetPrototypeInstanceIdentityInstanceIdentityById
	const loadBalancerPoolMemberTargetPrototypeModel = {
	id: instanceId,
	};
	var params = {
	loadBalancerId: lbId,
	poolId: poolId,
	port: memberPort,
	weight: 50,
	target: loadBalancerPoolMemberTargetPrototypeModel,
	}
	try {
	var member = await vpcService.createLoadBalancerPoolMember(params);
	console.log(member)
	} catch(e) {
	console.log(e.message)
	throw 500
	}
	console.log("Create member request sent.")
	return member.result.id
	}

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UPDATE Load Balancer Listener:

	async function updateListener(lbId, listenerId) {
	console.log("\nUpdating listener ...")
	const params = {
	loadBalancerId: lbId,
	id: listenerId,
	port: 1010,
	}
	try {
	var listener = await vpcService.updateLoadBalancerListener(params);
	console.log(listener)
	} catch(e) {
	console.log(e.message)
	throw 500
	}
	console.log("Update listener request sent.")
	}

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UPDATE Load Balancer Pool:

	async function updatePool(lbId, poolId) {
	console.log("\nUpdating pool ...")
	// LoadBalancerPoolHealthMonitorPrototype
	const loadBalancerPoolHealthMonitorPrototypeModel = {
	delay: 30,
	max_retries: 2,
	port: 7070,
	timeout: 6,
	type: 'http',
	url_path: "/hello",
	};
	// LoadBalancerPoolPrototype
	const params = {
	loadBalancerId: lbId,
	id: poolId,
	name: 'my-pool-test',
	algorithm: 'weighted_round_robin',
	protocol: 'tcp',
	healthMonitor: loadBalancerPoolHealthMonitorPrototypeModel,
	};
	try {
	var pool = await vpcService.updateLoadBalancerPool(params);
	console.log(pool)
	} catch(e) {
	console.log(e.message)
	throw 500
	}
	console.log("Update pool request sent.")
	}

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UPDATE Load Balancer Member:

	async function updateMember(lbId, poolId, memberId) {
	console.log("\nUpdating member ...")
	var params = {
	loadBalancerId: lbId,
	poolId: poolId,
	id: memberId,
	port: 9090,
	weight: 80
	}
	try {
	var member = await vpcService.updateLoadBalancerPoolMember(params);
	console.log(member)
	} catch(e) {
	console.log(e.message)
	throw 500
	}
	console.log("Update member request sent.")
	}

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DELETE Load Balancer:

	async function deleteLb(lbId) {
	console.log("Updating member ...")
	var params = {
	id: lbId
	}
	try {
	var resp = await vpcService.deleteLoadBalancer(params);
	console.log("status: " + resp.status.toString())
	} catch(e) {
	console.log(e.message)
	throw 500
	}
	console.log("Delete NLB request sent.")
	}

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DELETE Load Balancer Listener:

	async function deleteListener(lbId, listenerId) {
	console.log("\nDeleting listener " + listenerId + " ...");
	var params = {
	loadBalancerId: lbId,
	id: listenerId
	};
	try {
	var resp = await vpcService.deleteLoadBalancerListener(params);
	console.log("status: " + resp.status.toString())
	} catch(e) {
	console.log(e.message)
	throw 500
	};
	console.log("Delete listener request sent.")
	}

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DELETE Load Balancer Pool:

	async function deletePool(lbId, poolId) {
	console.log("\nDeleting pool " + poolId + "...");
	var params = {
	loadBalancerId: lbId,
	id: poolId
	}
	try {
	var resp = await vpcService.deleteLoadBalancerPool(params);
	console.log("status: " + resp.status.toString())
	} catch(e) {
	console.log(e.message)
	throw 500
	}
	console.log("Delete pool request sent.")
	}

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DELETE Load Balancer Pool Member:

	async function deleteMember(lbId, poolId) {
	var params = {
	loadBalancerId: lbId,
	id: poolId
	}
	var pools = await vpcService.getLoadBalancerPool(params)
	var memberId = pools.result.members.pop().id
	console.log("\nDeleting member " + memberId + " of pool " + poolId + "...");
	var params = {
	loadBalancerId: lbId,
	poolId: poolId,
	id: memberId
	}
	try {
	var resp = vpcService.deleteLoadBalancerPoolMember(params);
	console.log("status: " + (await resp).status.toString())
	} catch(e) {
	console.log(e.message)
	throw 500
	}
	console.log("Delete member request sent.")
	}

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Putting all the functions together and run it:

	async function test_node_sdk_lb() {
	await listLbs();
	var lb = await createNlb();
	await checkLbActive(lb.id);
	var listener = lb.listeners.pop()
	await deleteListener(lb.id, listener.id);
	await checkLbActive(lb.id);
	var pool = lb.pools.pop()
	await deleteMember(lb.id, pool.id);
	await checkLbActive(lb.id);
	await deletePool(lb.id, pool.id);
	await checkLbActive(lb.id);
	var poolId = await createPool(lb.id);
	await checkLbActive(lb.id);
	var memberId = await createMember(lb.id, poolId);
	await checkLbActive(lb.id);
	var listenerId = await createListener(lb.id, poolId)
	await checkLbActive(lb.id);
	await updateListener(lb.id, listenerId)
	await checkLbActive(lb.id);
	await updatePool(lb.id, poolId)
	await checkLbActive(lb.id);
	await updateMember(lb.id, poolId, memberId)
	await checkLbActive(lb.id);
	deleteLb(lb.id);
	}

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Github Repo that has all the code above: gugucode/ibm-vpc-nlb-nodejs-test

Some references:

Node.js SDK version: https://www.npmjs.com/package/ibm-vpc
Node.js SDK Github repo: https://github.com/IBM/vpc-node-sdk#using-the-sdk/