AppWorld Berlin iRules Contest!
Hey there, community, iRules Contest here...did you make it to Vegas? No? Well I’m back for round two this fine year of 2026 for AppWorld 2026 Berlin! We’re challenging DevCentral community members who will attend AppWorld in Berlin to design and build innovative iRules that solve real-world problems, improve performance, and enhance customer experiences. Whether you’re a seasoned iRules veteran or just getting started, we can’t wait to see what you create. The Vegas winners delivered the goods in a very short timeframe! The twist this time? The contest takes place, effective NOW, ahead of AppWorld altogether. Details below, read on. Note: participation in this edition of the iRules Contest is limited to AppWorld 2026 Berlin attendees. But fear not! We’re hitting the road this year as well. The Challenge Plan out and write an iRule that go beyond BIG-IP’s built-in capabilities. Think of the future: the possibilities are wide open. Whereas you can write and submit an iRule focused on solving ANY problem, the theme and required elements (see below in the rubric) counts toward 10% of the overall score. $2500 Grand Prize; 8 Prize Opportunities Total prize money is $5,000, with the other $2500 distributed across 2nd place, 3rd place, and five category awards. Place Prize Grand Prize $2500 2nd Place $1250 3rd Place $750 Five Category Awards $100/ea What Makes for a Winning Entry? The 100-point scale judging criteria for submissions is defined below across five categories: Technical Excellence (40 points) Is it well-built and production-ready? Consider: Works correctly and handles edge cases Performance-conscious (efficient, minimal resource impact) Follows security best practices Clean, readable code Business Impact (25 points) Would customers actually use this? Consider: Solves a real operational problem or customer need Practical applicability and potential adoption Clear business value Innovation & Creativity (25 points) Does this solution show original thinking? Consider: Novel use of iRule features or creative problem-solving Fresh perspective on common challenges Unique approach that stands out from typical solutions Theme & Requirements Alignment (10 points) Does it deliver an impactful iRules solution using WebSockets or the Message Routing Framework (MRF)? Consider: Meaningful use of WebSockets or MRF as a core part of the solution (not bolted on) How well the chosen technology fits the problem being solved Depth of engagement with the technology's capabilities Required to compile successfully on TMOS v21.x. For additional points, use one or more of these elements as core functionality in your solution: procedures, bandwidth controllers, sideband connections. Important Dates Contest Opens: 6:00AM Pacific Time APRIL 21, 2026 Submission Deadline: 11:59PM Pacific Time APRIL 27, 2026 Winners Announced: MAY 6, 2026 during general sessions How to Enter Register for AppWorld Berlin — You must be a registered attendee. See official rules for more details. Build and submit before 11:59PM Pacific Time APRIL 27, 2026. Edit your draft entry as much as you like, but once you submit, that’s what we’ll review. There is an example entry pinned at the top of the Contest Entries page you should follow. Make sure to add these tags to your entry: "appworld 2026", "berlin", and "irules" as shown on that example. This contest is BYOD. Bring your own device to develop and submit your iRules submission. New to iRules? No problem. We welcome participants at all skill levels. If you’re just getting started, check out our Getting Started with iRules: Basic Concepts guide. This contest is a great opportunity to learn by doing. Also, feel free to bring your favorite AI buddy with you to help craft your entry. The goal is innovation and impact, not syntax expertise. Final Thoughts Post any and all of your contest-related questions in comments below. The iRules Contest has a history of surfacing creative solutions from the community. Some of the best ideas we’ve seen came from people who approached problems differently, and we’re looking forward to seeing what you build this year. Register. Prepare. Compete. See you at AppWorld Berlin!iRules Contest Entry Example
Problem Clearly state the problem you are trying to solve and why iRules are used as a solution. Provide as much context as you want to make sure the problem is well understood by the judges. Solution Give a high level solution guide here, including any workflow or diagrams that would help the judges walk through your code. Impact This section is for fleshing out the business value of your solution Code PLEASE use a code block to wrap your code. The {;} icon on the second row of the toolbar is your friend. It should look like this before you submit: when RULE_INIT { log local0. "my code is so much easier to read in this code block!" } Demo If you want to record a video to demo your solution, you can throw upload or link from youtube in the toolbar. Make sure to tag your entry with APPWORLD2026, IRULES, and BERLIN, and make sure to submit your entry when done editing drafts.
