Azure Application Gateway Tutorial

Introduction

Azure Application Gateway is a web traffic load balancer that enables you to manage traffic to your web applications. It operates at Layer 7 (Application Layer) and allows you to define routing rules based on HTTP/S. This tutorial will guide you through the steps to set up and configure an Azure Application Gateway from start to finish.

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure you have the following:

• An active Azure subscription
• Basic understanding of Azure services
• Access to Azure Portal

Step 1: Create an Application Gateway

Follow these steps to create an Application Gateway:

1. Go to the Azure Portal.
2. In the left-hand menu, select Create a resource.
3. Search for Application Gateway and select it.
4. Click Create.
5. Fill in the required details:
   • Subscription: Select your subscription.
   • Resource Group: Create a new resource group or select an existing one.
   • Region: Choose the region closest to your users.
   • Name: Enter a name for your Application Gateway.
6. Click Next: Frontends to configure frontend settings.

Step 2: Configure Frontend IP

In the Frontends tab, you can configure the frontend IP address:

1. Select Frontend IP configuration.
2. Click Add new.
3. Choose Public or Private based on your requirements.
4. If you select Public, create a new public IP address or use an existing one.
5. Click Add.

Step 3: Configure Backend Pools

In the Backend pools tab:

1. Click Add backend pool.
2. Enter a name for the backend pool.
3. Add the IP addresses or FQDN of your backend servers.
4. Click Add.

Step 4: Configure Routing Rules

In the Routing rules tab:

1. Click Add a rule.
2. Enter a name for the routing rule.
3. Select the appropriate listener and backend pool.
4. Configure HTTP settings as required.
5. Click Add.

Step 5: Review and Create

After configuring all the settings, click Review + create. Review your settings and click Create to deploy the Application Gateway.

Step 6: Monitoring and Diagnostics

Once the Application Gateway is deployed, you can monitor its performance and diagnose issues using the following tools:

• Metrics: Monitor metrics like throughput, latency, and failed requests.
• Logs: Enable diagnostic logs to capture detailed information.
• Alerts: Set up alerts to notify you of critical conditions.

Example: Configuring a Basic Rule

Backend Pool: 
- VM1: 10.0.0.4 
- VM2: 10.0.0.5

Routing Rule:
- Listener: HTTP (Port 80)
- Backend Pool: VM1, VM2
- HTTP Settings: Basic settings
                

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you've learned how to set up and configure an Azure Application Gateway. You now have the knowledge to create and manage web traffic load balancing for your applications using Azure Application Gateway. Remember to monitor your gateway regularly to ensure optimal performance and reliability.