Associate Port List to virtual server (REST API)

[cbioley]

Hello,

We would like to take advantage of the BIG-IP `Port List` feature to reduce the number of virtual servers.

Unfortunately I couldn’t find a way to associate an existing `Port List` with a virtual server through the REST API.

Could someone point me to the right endpoint?

[crodriguez]

I'm not a REST API expert but I did some experimenting by creating a virtual server that uses a port list. The virtual server's definition looks like this when extracted via a REST API call, as follows (look for the start and end of "IMPORTANT STUFF"):

curl -sku admin:f5trn4 https://X.X.X.X/mgmt/tm/ltm/virtual/https_vs
 
{
    "kind":"tm:ltm:virtual:virtualstate",
    "name":"https_vs",
    "fullPath":"https_vs",
    "generation":884,
    "selfLink":"https://localhost/mgmt/tm/ltm/virtual/https_vs?ver=14.1.0",
    "addressStatus":"yes",
    "autoLasthop":"default",
    "cmpEnabled":"yes",
    "connectionLimit":0,
    "creationTime":"2020-12-18T17:30:42Z",
    "destination":":0",
    "enabled":true,
    "gtmScore":0,
    "ipProtocol":"tcp",
    "lastModifiedTime":"2021-02-08T23:31:41Z","mask":"255.255.255.255",
    "mirror":"disabled",
    "mobileAppTunnel":"disabled",
    "nat64":"disabled",
    "pool":"/Common/https_pool",
    "poolReference":{
        "link":"https://localhost/mgmt/tm/ltm/pool/~Common~https_pool?ver=14.1.0"
    },
    "rateLimit":"disabled",
    "rateLimitDstMask":0,
    "rateLimitMode":"object",
    "rateLimitSrcMask":0,
    "serviceDownImmediateAction":"none",
    "source":"0.0.0.0/0",
    "sourceAddressTranslation":{
        "type":"automap"
    },
    "sourcePort":"preserve",
    "synCookieStatus":"not-activated",
 
******* START IMPORTANT STUFF *******
    "trafficMatchingCriteria":"/Common/https_vs_VS_TMC_OBJ",
    "trafficMatchingCriteriaReference":{
        "link":"https://localhost/mgmt/tm/ltm/traffic-matching-criteria/~Common~https_vs_VS_TMC_OBJ?ver=14.1.0"
    },
******* END IMPORTANT STUFF *******
 
    "translateAddress":"enabled",
    "translatePort":"enabled",
    "vlansDisabled":true,"vsIndex":4,
    "policiesReference":{
        "link":"https://localhost/mgmt/tm/ltm/virtual/~Common~https_vs/policies?ver=14.1.0",
        "isSubcollection":true
    },
    "profilesReference":{
        "link":"https://localhost/mgmt/tm/ltm/virtual/~Common~https_vs/profiles?ver=14.1.0",
        "isSubcollection":true
    }
}

The key seems to be the traffic-matching-criteria option on the virtual server's configuration and also the fact that the virtual server's destination setting has no IP address and port is any.

I checked the reference link on the traffic-matching-criteria and came up with the following:

curl -sku admin:f5trn4 https://X.X.X.X/mgmt/tm/ltm/traffic-matching-criteria/~Common~https_vs_VS_TMC_OBJ?ver=14.1.0
 
{
    "kind":"tm:ltm:traffic-matching-criteria:traffic-matching-criteriastate",
    "name":"https_vs_VS_TMC_OBJ",
    "partition":"Common",
    "fullPath":"/Common/https_vs_VS_TMC_OBJ","generation":884,
    "selfLink":"https://localhost/mgmt/tm/ltm/traffic-matching-criteria/~Common~https_vs_VS_TMC_OBJ?ver=14.1.0",
 
******* START IMPORTANT STUFF *******
    "destinationAddressInline":"10.10.4.100",
    "destinationPortInline":"0",
    "destinationPortList":"/Common/my_port_list",
    "destinationPortListReference":{
        "link":"https://localhost/mgmt/tm/net/port-list/~Common~my_port_list?ver=14.1.0"},
******* END IMPORTANT STUFF *******
    "protocol":"any",
    "routeDomain":"any",
    "sourceAddressInline":"0.0.0.0",
    "sourcePortInline":0
}

One last thread to follow, and that's the referenced port list:

curl -sku admin:f5trn4 https://X.X.X.X/mgmt/tm/net/port-list/~Common~my_port_list?ver=14.1.0
 
{
    "kind":"tm:net:port-list:port-liststate",
    "name":"my_port_list",
    "partition":"Common","fullPath":"/Common/my_port_list",
    "generation":882,
    "selfLink":"https://localhost/mgmt/tm/net/port-list/~Common~my_port_list?ver=14.1.0",
    "ports":[{
        "name":"443"},{"name":"8443"
    }]
}

I hope this helps point you in the right direction.

[cbioley]

Dear Cathy,

You know what? For what it's worth, I declare you are a REST expert now 🙂

I wasn't expecting the config to be buried so deep and since it was my first day with the product, I reckon `vs_tmc_obj` ring no bell at all (but who am I to judge, right?)

Anyway, thank you very much!