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CDN and Load Balancer

The Load Balancer and the CDN add a Google Cloud layer between your visitors and your server. The Load Balancer points your domain at a Google load balancer, which is where Cloud Armor runs. The CDN caches and delivers your site's content so it loads faster.

Access

Settings › Integrations › Services, the CDN and Load Balancer cards. Available to the project's Super Admin and Admin roles. Both services apply to the production branch.

Choose between CDN and Load Balancer​

The CDN and the Load Balancer both point your domain at a load balancer, so they cannot each run on their own at the same time. The only possible combination is the CDN added on an active Load Balancer.

SetupPossibleNote
Load Balancer aloneYesCloud Armor can be activated. Projects on a dedicated Google Cloud server only.
CDN aloneYesThe CDN has its own load balancer; Cloud Armor can be activated.
CDN on an active Load BalancerYesThe CDN is added to the existing Load Balancer.
CDN alone, then Load BalancerNoDeactivate the CDN first (see below).
Dedicated server required for the Load Balancer

The Load Balancer is only available for projects hosted on a dedicated Google Cloud server. Otherwise, activation is refused with The load balancer is only available for projects on a dedicated Google Cloud server.

Activate the Load Balancer​

  1. Open the Load Balancer card.
  2. Click Activate Now. The operation runs in the background; the page updates when it is done.
  3. Once active, the Load Balancer is Active panel offers the Configure Cloud Armor → link to set up the firewall.
The active Load Balancer, with the link to Cloud Armor
The active Load Balancer, with the link to Cloud Armor
Direct access by IP address

Requests sent straight to your server's IP address do not go through the load balancer, and therefore not through Cloud Armor.

Activate the CDN​

  1. Open the CDN card.
  2. Click Activate Now. The operation runs in the background; the panel then shows CDN Service is Active.

If the Load Balancer is active, the CDN is added to it. Otherwise, the CDN runs on its own, with its own load balancer.

Move from a standalone CDN to a CDN on the Load Balancer​

If the CDN is already active on its own, the Load Balancer's Activate Now button is disabled and a message explains what to do:

  1. Deactivate the CDN and wait for it to finish.
  2. Activate the Load Balancer and wait for it to finish.
  3. Activate the CDN again: it is then added to the Load Balancer.

While one of the two services is changing, the other cannot be activated (… is still changing on this project …). Wait for the current operation to finish.

Deactivate the CDN or the Load Balancer​

Click Deactivate in the service panel, then confirm. If the button is not shown, contact your Karizma representative. The effect depends on your setup:

You deactivateEffect
The CDN (alone)Your domain points straight back at your server. If Cloud Armor is on, it pauses until a load balancer is active again; its rules are kept.
The CDN (on the Load Balancer)The CDN comes off the Load Balancer. Your domain stays on the Load Balancer and Cloud Armor keeps running.
The Load BalancerYour domain points straight back at your server. The CDN running on the Load Balancer is turned off with it, and Cloud Armor pauses (rules kept).
The active CDN panel and its Deactivate button
The active CDN panel and its Deactivate button
Paused Cloud Armor

Once paused, Cloud Armor resumes automatically with its rules as soon as a Load Balancer or a CDN is active again. See Cloud Armor.

Change domains while the CDN is active​

If you change the project's Karizma subdomain while the CDN is active, Karizma One temporarily turns the CDN off, applies the domain change, then turns the CDN back on. The production branch shows pending during the operation.

See also​