Create your first HTTP load balancer and origin

Create a load balancer and an upstream group, then add the origin that serves your application.

Before you start

You need an account-context API key with write access and a public origin hostname. Replace example.com with that origin hostname. Keep the returned resource identifiers for later requests.

Use https://<your-api-host> as your API base URL. The host is shown in the Balancer portal. Examples use $BALANCER_API_KEY for an existing credential with the required access.

Create the resources

1. Create the HTTP load balancer:

curl --fail-with-body -sS -X POST "https://<your-api-host>/http-loadbalancers" \
  -H "x-api-key: $BALANCER_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{"name":"first-site"}'

API reference: Creates a new HTTP load balancer

Expect HTTP 200 with data.httpLbId. Set HTTP_LB_ID to that returned identifier.

2. Create the upstream group:

curl --fail-with-body -sS -X POST "https://<your-api-host>/upstream-groups" \
  -H "x-api-key: $BALANCER_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{"name":"first-origin"}'

API reference: Creates a new upstream group (backend pool)

Expect HTTP 200 with data.upstreamGroupId. Set UPSTREAM_GROUP_ID to that returned identifier.

3. Add the origin hostname:

curl --fail-with-body -sS -X POST "https://<your-api-host>/upstream-groups/$UPSTREAM_GROUP_ID/upstreams" \
  -H "x-api-key: $BALANCER_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{"targetType":"domain","domain":"example.com"}'

API reference: Adds a backend target to an upstream group

Expect HTTP 200 with data.upstreamId. Provide either domain or address, never both.

4. Read the upstreams to verify that your hostname was saved:

curl --fail-with-body -sS -X GET "https://<your-api-host>/upstream-groups/$UPSTREAM_GROUP_ID/upstreams" \
  -H "x-api-key: $BALANCER_API_KEY"

API reference: List upstreams (backend servers) in an upstream group

Expect HTTP 200 and the upstream list. Verify the origin hostname, then create a group and route. Saving these resources does not establish that traffic is active at the edge.

Setting	Default
http2Enabled	true
http3Enabled	false
Upstream connectTimeoutMilliseconds	5000 ms
Upstream healthyPanicThreshold	50 percent

API reference

• List upstreams (backend servers) in an upstream group

• Creates a new HTTP load balancer

• Creates a new upstream group (backend pool)

• Adds a backend target to an upstream group

• HTTP Load Balancers

• Upstream Groups

Need Help?

Contact your NetActuate account manager.