HAProxyConf workshops

Familiarize yourself with HAProxy — the world’s fastest and most widely used software load balancer. Participants will work hands-on with HAProxy’s architecture and more to implement robust load-balancing solutions for modern applications.

First, we’ll cover the following:

• An overview of HAProxy configuration, including file structure and core sections
• Global settings that impact critical process-level directives within HAProxy
• Defaults sections with inheritable boilerplate configurations to streamline initial setup
• Frontends and Backends sections that enable HAProxy to accept incoming connections and route requests to backend pools

Next, we’ll tackle key features supporting advanced traffic management, including:

• A crash course on HAProxy ACLs (Access Control Lists) and intelligent, conditional routing rules
• Traffic transformation, data extraction via fetch methods, and converters that drive load-balancing decision-making
• Pattern matching and data persistence via simplified map file key-value pairs
• Stick table-based session data storage and compiling cluster runtime statistics

Finally, the workshop covers Variables, demonstrating how to store and manipulate data during request processing for dynamic configuration adjustments.

Participants will learn how to implement sophisticated HAProxy configurations to ensure high availability, optimal performance, and smarter traffic management for their services.

This advanced workshop builds upon foundational HAProxy knowledge, elevating participants’ expertise to implement enterprise-grade load-balancing solutions across environments. We’ll tackle deployment flexibility, advanced observability, seamless management, and modern automation techniques.

First, we’ll cover the following:

• Any form factor deployment strategies that enable HAProxy to function effectively across clouds, VMs, containers, bare-metal servers, and more (plus optimization tips)
• Advanced logging concepts and profiles that unlock better monitoring, troubleshooting, debugging, sampling, and management at scale — including modern CBOR and JSON formats.

Next, we’ll tackle the following topics:

• Lifecycle management and zero-downtime upgrades, versioning changes, interruption-free hitless reloads, state synchronization, and more between instances

Lastly, our workshop will focus on automation, including the following:

• Converting manual tasks into programmatic workflows
• Using HAProxy Runtime API and HAProxy Data Plane API for dynamic configuration changes and RESTful management, respectively
• Centrally managing massive-scale HAProxy Enterprise deployments via HAProxy Fusion Control Plane

Practical exercises and real-world scenarios will teach participants how to implement HAProxy as a mission-critical infrastructure component. You’ll learn how to design, deploy, and maintain sophisticated HAProxy configurations with unmatched performance, reliability, and efficiency.

This advanced, hands-on workshop focuses on Transport Layer Security (TLS) in HAProxy. Designed for DevOps engineers, system administrators, and security professionals, this session dives deeply into traffic security and confident certificate management.

First, we’ll cover the following:

• HAProxy’s TLS configuration options, including tips on creating and applying certificate bundles
• How to retrieve and inspect TLS session attributes in real time
• Setting up advanced TLS frontends with optimal performance and security

Next, we’ll tackle the following topics:

• Client-side TLS configurations, plus a closer look at mutual TLS (mTLS) authentication and setup
• Trusted certificate management
• Client certificate revocation for stronger security

Finally, we’ll explore how to decipher HTTPS traffic for debugging and compliance using built-in HAProxy capabilities and external tools — all while maintaining best practices.

Whether you’re deploying HAProxy in production or looking to enhance your TLS expertise, this session will give you the tools to implement robust, secure, and flexible TLS strategies.

Don’t miss this chance to elevate your HAProxy skills and take control of your encrypted traffic.

This workshop is perfect for users with a working knowledge of HAProxy configurations and an interest in advanced security. We’ll teach you how to use stick tables with HAProxy Enterprise’s Global Profiling Engine (GPE) to boost protection.

First, we’ll cover the following:

• An overview of stick tables — including tracking and combining identifiers, monitoring IP-based URL and API access, plus identifying actionable, suspicious client behavior
• GPE’s role in gathering cluster runtime data spread across data centers and providing real-time client intelligence, regardless of changing geography

Lastly, we’ll demonstrate how Global Profiling Engine combines compiled data into statistics over time. You can use these stats to compare current requests against past activity — and act accordingly based on client behavioral changes.

Multiple examples will help prepare you to adapt and actively deploy these strategies to reduce resource use and quickly, accurately fend off attacks.