How to Set Weight 0 on real-server Keepalived

New keepalived version has a limitation of set weight 0 on real-server. As per most of the forums, there is no proper solution for this. (https://githubmemory.com/repo/acassen/keepalived/issues/1757)

Most people use this option to offload the traffic for real-server. 

In this blog I am going to show workaround for this limitation.

I am having keepalived version v2.1.5

Configuration Steps

• Create a folder call "status" inside the "/etc/keepalived" folder.

• Create two files "active" and "passive"

• Content inside the active file should be "0". Content inside passive file should be non-zero.

• Apply the keepalived configurations as follow.

• We have to define two track file. One for active. Other one for passive.  

track_file _active {

file /etc/keepalived/status/active

weight 1

}

track_file _passive {

        file /etc/keepalived/status/passive

        weight 0

}

•  Include this track file to real_server

real_server 5.79.56.40 9006 {

weight 1

TCP_CHECK {

        connect_port 9006

        connect_timeout 3

        retry 3

        delay_before_retry 2

        }

FILE_CHECK {

track_file _active

#track_file _passive

}

}

Full configuration 

global_defs {

router_id TestQS

}

vrrp_instance Float_QS_Test {

    state BACKUP

    interface enp0s3

    virtual_router_id 66

    priority 101        # 101 on master, 100 on backup

    advert_int 1

    nopreempt

    smtp_alert

    virtual_ipaddress {

        192.168.8.201/24        #data.directfn.com

    }

}

track_file _active {

file /etc/keepalived/status/active

weight 1

}

track_file _passive {

        file /etc/keepalived/status/passive

        weight 0

}

virtual_server 192.168.8.201 9006 {

        lvs_sched rr

        lvs_method DR

        protocol TCP

inhibit_on_failure

        real_server 5.79.56.40 9006 {

weight 1

        TCP_CHECK {

                connect_port 9006

                connect_timeout 3

                retry 3

                delay_before_retry 2

                }

FILE_CHECK {

track_file _active

#track_file _passive

}

        }

        real_server 78.136.25.234 9006 {

weight 1

        TCP_CHECK {

                connect_port 9006

                connect_timeout 3

                retry 3

                delay_before_retry 2

                }

        FILE_CHECK {

                track_file _active

                #track_file _passive

                }

        }

}