Create a Traffic Controller Pool for an A Record in UltraDNS

This article explains how to create a Traffic Controller pool for an A record in UltraDNS, including how to configure HTTP probes and email notifications.

Use this article when you want to configure load balancing, monitoring, and failover behavior for an IPv4 hostname.

When to Use This Article

• You need to configure load balancing using a Traffic Controller pool.
• You want to add monitoring and failover behavior to an A record hostname.
• You need to configure HTTP probes and notification email addresses for the pool.

Before You Begin

• You must have access to the domain where the Traffic Controller pool will be created.
• This article applies to an A record Traffic Controller pool.
• Traffic Controller pools cannot contain both A and AAAA records. Create a separate pool if IPv6 answers are required.
• The first pool record must use a valid IPv4 address in the Points To field.

Create the Traffic Controller Pool

1. Log in to the UltraDNS Managed Services Portal.
2. Select Domains.
3. Select the domain where you want to create the Traffic Controller pool.
4. Under A Records, select Add Pool.
5. In the Host field, enter the hostname for the pool.
6. In the Points To field, enter the IPv4 address for the first pool record.
7. From Pool Type, select Traffic Controller.
8. Select Save.

If the hostname already exists, the portal may indicate that you are adding a new A record for a hostname that already exists. Select Traffic Controller as the pool type and save the change to continue.

Add an HTTP Probe

An HTTP probe checks whether the configured URL returns the response that should be treated as healthy.

1. Open the Traffic Controller pool.
2. Select Probe Definitions.
3. Select Add Probe.
4. From Probe Type, select HTTP.
5. For Host, select Pool to create a pool-level probe, or select a specific pool record if the probe should apply only to that record.
6. Select the probing regions. A maximum of four regions can be selected.
7. Select the Region Threshold and Probe Interval.
8. Under HTTP Probe Transactions, select Add.
9. In the URL field, enter the URL that should be monitored. For example, enter http://example.com.
10. Select whether the probe should follow redirects.
11. Select the expected HTTP response, such as 2XX or 3XX, based on the response that should be treated as healthy.
12. Select Done.
13. Select Save Probe.

Add Notifications

Notifications allow selected email addresses to receive Traffic Controller pool events, such as probe, record, or scheduled event notifications.

1. Open the Traffic Controller pool.
2. Select Notifications.
3. In the Email List field, enter the email address that should receive notifications.
4. To add multiple email addresses, separate each email address with a comma or a space.
5. Select the notification events that should be sent for the applicable records, such as Probe Event, Record Event, or Scheduled Event.
6. Select Save.

Verification

After completing the setup, confirm the following:

• The Traffic Controller pool appears under the domain’s A Records.
• The HTTP probe is listed under Probe Definitions.
• Notification email addresses are listed under Notifications.

Important Notes

• This process creates a Traffic Controller pool. It does not convert the existing record object in place.
• Traffic Controller pools cannot contain both A and AAAA records.
• HTTP probes only work correctly when the monitored server supports the configured HTTP protocol version. If the server does not support the configured HTTP protocol version, the probe fails.
• The expected HTTP response should match the response that indicates the monitored endpoint is healthy.

Related Articles

• What Is a Traffic Controller Weight in UltraDNS?
• How to Allow Redirects in SiteBacker Probes in UltraDNS
• “Data Error” for SiteBacker or Traffic Controller Alerts in UltraDNS