Configuring the Shared Search Order - Adaptive Applications - BlueCat Gateway - 24.1

Global Server Selector Administration Guide

Locale
English
Product name
BlueCat Gateway
Version
24.1

Shared search order introduces the ability to configure one search order that can be used with multiple applications, providing a single configuration in scenarios where the same search order is required for multiple client regions. If you update a shared search order graph, all linked applications are automatically updated, reducing the required changes to add a new client region or decommission an existing client region across multiple applications.

Shared search orders are represented as an adjacency matrix or a graph representing the network links between regions. GSS uses this graph to determine the closest answer to each client region for a given application.

You can configure the order in which regions are searched for answers. Use the Shared Search Order configuration to choose which answers are presented to clients based on the client region.



To configure the shared search order:
  1. In the left navigation, click DNSTrafficSteering > Shared Search Order.
  2. Click Add to add a new shared search order.
  3. Under Name, enter the name of the search order.
  4. Under Node Name, select the search region node name and click + to add the node name.

    As you add node names, the nodes appear in an adjacency matrix table. Within the table, each row represents the client row with the respective search nodes appearing in the column. For each row, you can configure the search order by defining the priority of each region column.

    GSS checks the status of answers in each client region. If an answer becomes available that is a higher priority than other answer regions, the IP addresses of this answer are added to the RPZ zone for the client region.

    If you configure a value of 0 for a region, GSS assumes that no link exists between the two regions. You can also deselect the Enable link option when configuring a value greater than 0 to disable a link between two regions.

  5. Click Save to save the setting.

Each shared search order configuration is stored in the dedicated DNS zone <search_order_name>.search.gss.bluecat.

How the search order is evaluated

When the node is a client region managed by a Health Check region, it finds the closest Answer node as a total minimum cost value in the path. If the Answer node has been verified, it will not be verified again and the regional zone will use the closest Answer node to provide the update.

If two answer nodes have the same cost value from a node, the client node algorithm automatically decides a node to travel.

In the following example, the client node Italy checks its own zone for an Answer and none is available. The node will check the next closest Answer node for a response. In this situation, London is closest with a cost value of 1. If the answer is not available at the London node, Tokyo is checked next with a value cost of 2; followed by China with a value cost of 3, Germany with a value cost of 4, and Paris with a value cost of 5.



Viewing the shared search order

Once you have created a shared search order, you can view a graphical representation of the shared search order or the adjacency matrix.

Within the Shared Search Order page, click the name of a shared search order to view additional information.

Select the Graph tab to view a graphical representation of the shared search order.



From the graph view, click the name of a node to highlight adjacent nodes and their priority. From this view, you can also perform the following actions:
  • Click the Edit button to edit the search order.
  • If you encounter errors when updating a linked application, click the Re-apply button to retry the update.
    Once you click Re-apply, a window appears displaying the Re-apply Search Order Progress, indicating the process of reapplying or updating the linked applications.

  • Click the Delete button to delete the search order.

Select the Adjacency Matrix tab to view a table representation of the shared search order.



  • Click the Edit button to edit the search order.
  • If you encounter errors when updating a linked application, click the Re-apply button to retry the update.
    Once you click Re-apply, a window appears displaying the Re-apply Search Order Progress, indicating the process of reapplying or updating the linked applications.

  • Click the Delete button to delete the search order.

Select the Linked Applications tab to view a list of applications that use the search order.