Varnish help on setting up for multiple internal webservers

[Landmine]

Correction, it was working. I didnt change anything and I'm getting the 503 errors again  :(

–---------- Update ------------

I only get the 503 error on 1 of the 2 domains.

------------ Update ------------

Removing the Backend mapping with the http:// on it seemed to fix the issue.

------------ Update ------------

Down again after about 30 seconds.  >:(

[marcelloc]

That's probably a backend health url check problem.

Add varnish widget to dashboard to see backend status.

The 503 error means could not find any available backend.

Also try to see backend configuration file on view configuration.

[Landmine]

Here is my config

# Varnish configuration file
# Automatically generated by the pfSense package system

# This file is located in /var/etc/default.vcl

sub vcl_error {
		if (obj.status == 503 && req.restarts < 1) {
			restart;
		}

	set obj.http.Content-Type = "text/html; charset=utf-8";
	synthetic {"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">

<title>"} obj.status " " obj.response {"</title>

 **We are very sorry but an error occurred during this request.** 

Please press refresh in your browser to try again.

Varnish Error "} obj.status " " obj.response {"

"} obj.response {"

### Guru Meditation:

XID: "} req.xid {"

"};
	return(deliver);

}

backend MinecraftBACKEND {
	# used in catch_all 
	.host = "10.0.0.50";
	.port = "80";
	.first_byte_timeout = 300s;
	.connect_timeout = 25s;
	.probe = {
		.url = "/index.php";
		.interval = 5s;
		.timeout = 3s;
		.window = 5;
		.threshold = 3;
	}
}

sub vcl_recv {

	#BASIC VCL RULES SETTING
	#Fix gzip compression
	if (req.http.Accept-Encoding) {
	if (req.url ~ "\.(gif|jpg|jpeg|bmp|png|ico|img|tga|wmf|gz|tgz|bz2|tbz|mp3|ogg)$") {
		unset req.http.Accept-Encoding;
		}
	else if (req.http.Accept-Encoding ~ "gzip") {
		set req.http.Accept-Encoding = "gzip";
		}
	else if (req.http.Accept-Encoding ~ "deflate") {
		set req.http.Accept-Encoding = "deflate";
		}
	else	{
		unset req.http.Accept-Encoding;
		}
	}
	#set client balance identity
	set client.identity = client.ip;

	#set X-forward
	set req.http.X-Forwarded-For = client.ip;

	if (req.http.host == "minecraft.domain.com") {
		set req.backend = MinecraftBACKEND;
	} 

	#respect client wish to refresh the page
	if (req.http.Pragma ~ "no-cache")
		{
		return(pass);
		}

	#BASIC VCL RULES ACTIONS
	#Disable post cache
	if (req.request == "POST") {
		return(pass);
		}
	#Enable static cache
	if (req.request=="GET" && req.url ~ "\.(css|js|txt|zip|rtf|flv|swf|html|htm)$") {
		return(pass);
		}
	if (req.request=="GET" && req.url ~ "\.(gif|jpg|jpeg|bmp|png|ico|img|tga|wmf|mp3|ogg)$") {
		return(pass);
		}
	#Disable session cache
	if (req.http.Cookie && req.http.Cookie ~ "(PHPSESSID|phpsessid)") {
		return(pass);
		}
	if (req.http.Cookie && req.http.Cookie ~ "(JSESSION|jsession)") {
		return(pass);
		}
	if (req.http.X-Requested-With == "XMLHttpRequest" || req.url ~ "nocache") {
		return(pass);
		}
	#Be rfc2616 compliant
	if (req.request ~ "^(GET|HEAD|PUT|POST|TRACE|OPTIONS|DELETE)$") {
		return(lookup);
		}
	else	{
		return(pipe);
		}

	return(lookup);
}

sub vcl_pipe {

	# If we don't set the Connection: close header, any following
	# requests from the client will also be piped through and
	# left untouched by varnish. We don't want that.
	set req.http.connection = "close";
	# Note: no "pipe" action here - we'll fall back to the default
	# pipe method so that when any changes are made there, we
	# still inherit them.

}

sub vcl_fetch {

	#Disable cache when backend is starting a session
	if (beresp.http.Set-Cookie && beresp.http.Set-Cookie ~ "(PHPSESSID|phpsessid)") {
		return(pass);
		}
	if (beresp.http.Set-Cookie && beresp.http.Set-Cookie ~ "(JSESSION|jsession)") {
		return(pass);
		}
	if (beresp.http.X-Requested-With == "XMLHttpRequest" || req.url ~ "nocache") {
		return(pass);
		}

	# Varnish respects the wishes of the backend application.
	if (beresp.http.Pragma ~ "no-cache" || beresp.http.Cache-Control ~ "(no-cache|no-store|private)") {
	return(pass);
	}
    ## If the request to the backend returns a code other than 200, restart the loop
    ## If the number of restarts reaches the value of the parameter max_restarts,
    ## the request will be error'ed.  max_restarts defaults to 4.  This prevents
    ## an eternal loop in the event that, e.g., the object does not exist at all.
    if (beresp.status != 200 && beresp.status != 403 && beresp.status != 404 && 
    	beresp.status != 303 && beresp.status != 302 && beresp.status != 301 && beresp.status != 401 ) {
		restart;
        }

	return(deliver);
}

sub vcl_deliver {
	##set resp.http.X-Served-By = server.hostname;
  	if (obj.hits > 0) {
    	set resp.http.X-Cache = "HIT";	
    	set resp.http.X-Cache-Hits = obj.hits;
  	} else {
    	set resp.http.X-Cache = "MISS";	
  	}
	return(deliver);
}

[marcelloc]

can you try to access backend test url?

http://10.0.0.50/index.php

Also, what you get on dashboard varnish widget?

[Landmine]

The URL works get when I'm at home and here is a pic of what the widget looks like.

Thank you for taking the time to help me.

[marcelloc]

Varnish could not get this url from your web server.

Can you try an static html, a full http request or something else?

[Landmine]

So far so good. Now if I wanted to add more servers to the list, I'd basically copy the settings and just change the Backend name, IP and Mapping?

[marcelloc]

Yes.  :)

Just don't forget to check backend status on Dashboard.

[normtodd]

im having a strange issue that im sure is something easy that im not doing - im pretty sure everthing is working vis a vis varnish, but i am not getting any data on the varnish widget except that the backend is up and running - everything else (cache hits, cache hits pass, cache missed, conn accepted, req. received, and uptime) are empty.  ive attached a picture of the widget from the dashboard to illustrate.

right now i only have one machine (an atmail mail server) behind pfsense/varnish and want to confirm that everything is working before i deploy more machines behind pfsense.

here is my varnish config -

# Varnish configuration file
# Automatically generated by the pfSense package system

# This file is located in /var/etc/default.vcl

sub vcl_error {
		if (obj.status == 503 && req.restarts < 1) {
			return(restart);
		}

	set obj.http.Content-Type = "text/html; charset=utf-8";
	synthetic {"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">

<title>"} + obj.status + " " + obj.response + {"</title>

# Error "} + obj.status + " " + obj.response + {"

"} + obj.response + {"

### Guru Meditation:

XID: "} + req.xid + {"

* * *

Varnish cache server

138	"};
	return(deliver);

}

backend atmailBACKEND {
	# used in catch_all 
	.host = "192.168.20.5";
	.port = "80";
	.first_byte_timeout = 300s;
	.connect_timeout = 25s;
	.probe = {
		.url = "/";
		.interval = 5s;
		.timeout = 1s;
		.window = 5;
		.threshold = 3;
	}
}

sub vcl_recv {

	#BASIC VCL RULES SETTING
	#Fix gzip compression
	if (req.http.Accept-Encoding) {
	if (req.url ~ "\.(gif|jpg|jpeg|bmp|png|ico|img|tga|wmf|gz|tgz|bz2|tbz|mp3|ogg)$") {
		unset req.http.Accept-Encoding;
		}
	else if (req.http.Accept-Encoding ~ "gzip") {
		set req.http.Accept-Encoding = "gzip";
		}
	else if (req.http.Accept-Encoding ~ "deflate") {
		set req.http.Accept-Encoding = "deflate";
		}
	else	{
		unset req.http.Accept-Encoding;
		}
	}
	#set client balance identity
	set client.identity = client.ip;

	#set X-forward
	set req.http.X-Forwarded-Varnish = client.ip;

	if (req.http.host == "www.coldhardmath.com") {
		set req.backend = atmailBACKEND;
	} 

	#respect client wish to refresh the page
	if (req.http.Pragma ~ "no-cache")
		{
		return(pass);
		}

	#BASIC VCL RULES ACTIONS
	#Disable post cache
	if (req.request == "POST") {
		return(pass);
		}
	#Disable session cache
	if (req.http.Cookie && req.http.Cookie ~ "(PHPSESSID|phpsessid)") {
		return(pass);
		}
	if (req.http.Cookie && req.http.Cookie ~ "(JSESSION|jsession)") {
		return(pass);
		}
	if (req.http.X-Requested-With == "XMLHttpRequest" || req.url ~ "nocache") {
		return(pass);
		}
	#Enable static cache
	if (req.request=="GET" && req.url ~ "\.(css|js|txt|zip|pdf|rtf|flv|swf|html|htm)$") {
		unset req.http.cookie;
		return(lookup);
		}
	if (req.request=="GET" && req.url ~ "\.(gif|jpg|jpeg|bmp|png|ico|img|tga|wmf|mp3|ogg)$") {
		unset req.http.cookie;
		return(lookup);
		}
	#Be rfc2616 compliant
	if (req.request ~ "^(GET|HEAD|PUT|POST|TRACE|OPTIONS|DELETE)$") {
		return(lookup);
		}
	else	{
		return(pipe);
		}

	return(lookup);
}

sub vcl_pipe {

	# If we don't set the Connection: close header, any following
	# requests from the client will also be piped through and
	# left untouched by varnish. We don't want that.
	set req.http.connection = "close";
	# Note: no "pipe" action here - we'll fall back to the default
	# pipe method so that when any changes are made there, we
	# still inherit them.

}
sub vcl_hit {
	return (deliver);
}

sub vcl_miss {
	return (fetch);
}

sub vcl_fetch {
	set beresp.do_stream = true;

	#Disable cache when backend is starting a session
	if (beresp.http.Set-Cookie && beresp.http.Set-Cookie ~ "(PHPSESSID|phpsessid)") {
		return(hit_for_pass);
		}
	if (beresp.http.Set-Cookie && beresp.http.Set-Cookie ~ "(JSESSION|jsession)") {
		return(hit_for_pass);
		}
	if (beresp.http.X-Requested-With == "XMLHttpRequest" || req.url ~ "nocache") {
		return(hit_for_pass);
		}

	# Varnish respects the wishes of the backend application.
	if (beresp.http.Pragma ~ "no-cache" || beresp.http.Cache-Control ~ "(no-cache|no-store|private)") {
	return(hit_for_pass);
	}
    ## If the request to the backend returns a code other than 200, restart the loop
    ## If the number of restarts reaches the value of the parameter max_restarts,
    ## the request will be error'ed.  max_restarts defaults to 4.  This prevents
    ## an eternal loop in the event that, e.g., the object does not exist at all.
    if (beresp.status != 200 && beresp.status != 403 && beresp.status != 404 && 
    	beresp.status != 303 && beresp.status != 302 && beresp.status != 301 && beresp.status != 401 ) {
		return(restart);
        }

	set beresp.grace = 60s;
		return(deliver);
}

sub vcl_deliver {
	##set resp.http.X-Served-By = server.hostname;
  	if (obj.hits > 0) {
    	set resp.http.X-Cache = "HIT";	
    	set resp.http.X-Cache-Hits = obj.hits;
  	} else {
    	set resp.http.X-Cache = "MISS";	
  	}
	return(deliver);
}

sub vcl_init {
	return (ok);
}

sub vcl_fini {
	return (ok);
}	

im sure there is something very simple that im missing and ive been staring at this so long im missing the forest staring at the trees.

anyone have any ideas?

all the best and thanks in advance
NT


[marcelloc]

Are you sure you do not have any nat or pfsense gui on port 80?

[normtodd]

thanks marcelloc for responding and for all of your wonderful work on pfsense

pfsense gui is on :81 and i removed the nat forwarding to port 80, just adding a rule on the wan opening port 80 (toward varnish)

[marcelloc]

@normtodd:

just adding a rule on the wan opening port 80 (toward varnish)

Without this rule, varnish will get no traffic.  :)

[normtodd]

i apologize - i think im getting mixed up ! :)

per this thread, i removed the nat rule (which i previously had configured prior to installing varnish) for port 80

in order to have port 80 open (in order for traffic to reach varnish), i added a firewall rule on the wan for port 80 to be open

isnt this the correct config? :)

all the best and thanks for all

[marcelloc]

Yes, the setup is this way.

Are you sure it's working through varnish?

[normtodd]

i assume that varnish listens on port 80 and the wan firewall rule would allow access?

how would i confirm that its working through varnish?

[marcelloc]

Well, widget should show it to you but you can try to stop varnish and see if you can access internal server or if publishing has stopped.

[normtodd]

per your suggestion i stopped varnish which made the website unreachable/not accessible

is this the expected result?

original problem of nonupdating widget remained when i restarted varnish (in case you were curious)

all the best and thanks in advance

[marcelloc]

@normtodd:

per your suggestion i stopped varnish which made the website unreachable/not accessible

is this the expected result?

Yes.

@normtodd:

original problem of nonupdating widget remained when i restarted varnish (in case you were curious)

I have no idea how to help you right now.

[normtodd]

as a last ditch i uninstalled and resinstalled varnish.

this is the part where i hang my head in shame for not doing proper troubleshooting before posting.

[shame]

i had installed and was working from the varnish3 package.  that was the package that was not populating the widget.  i uninstalled varnish3, installed varnish and it works great, which the widget updating as it should.

[/shame]

so that was the issue.

thank you marcelloc for all of your work

best
BT

[marcelloc]

@normtodd:

I uninstalled varnish3, installed varnish and it works great, which the widget updating as it should.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll check if varnish3 changed something that widget can't read.