Configuring cookie based sticky on ACE

Question

I have an ACE and I am trying to setup stickiness based on HTTP cookies. My objective is to stick a client to one of the real servers in the server farm until the the cookie expires. I am using the same COOKIE name for all three servers but using different values that are unique to each server. On testing I discovered that each client request when stuck to the same real server always uses the same sticky database entry and a browser refresh updates the same entry...what am I doing wrong?
My config is as follows:
context Admin
member STICKY
access-list ALL line 8 extended permit ip any any
rserver host SERVER1
description content server 1
ip address 134.178.51.17
inservice
rserver host SERVER2
description content server 2
ip address 134.178.51.18
inservice
rserver host SERVER3
description content server 3
ip address 134.178.51.19
inservice
serverfarm host SFARM1
predictor leastconns
rserver SERVER1
inservice
rserver SERVER2
inservice
rserver SERVER3
inservice
sticky http-cookie MYCOOKIE STICKYGroup
timeout 4
serverfarm SFARM1
class-map type http loadbalance match-any L7CLASS6
2 match http cookie MYCOOKIE cookie-value "123456"
3 match http cookie MYCOOKIE cookie-value "56789"
policy-map type loadbalance first-match L7POLICY6
class L7CLASS6
sticky-serverfarm STICKYGroup
class class-default
serverfarm SFARM1
class-map match-all V1L4VIPCLASS
2 match virtual-address 134.178.51.10 tcp eq www
policy-map multi-match V1L4SLBPOLICY
class V1L4VIPCLASS
loadbalance vip inservice
loadbalance policy L7POLICY6

Answer 1

Cookie values are learned dynamically by ACE and sticky entries are created.So you do not need to match cookie values.
With Sticky group configuration you tell ACE which Cookie-name to look for in the HTTP traffic passing through ACE.
So following should be sufficient
sticky http-cookie MYCOOKIE STICKYGroup
timeout 4
serverfarm SFARM1
policy-map type loadbalance first-match L7POLICY6
class class-default
sticky-serverfarm STICKYGroup
Lets assume your Server1 is setting cookie value 123456 by using "SET-Cookie:MYCOOKIE=123456" & Server2 is sending ""SET-Cookie:MYCOOKIE=56789" the flow will be as follows
1. If a new client hits the VIP on ACE with no cookie set then ACE will select a Sever from the server farm as per the LB algo and forward the HTTP request to the selected server. Lets suppose ACE selects Server1.
3. Server1 will send "SET-Cookie:MYCOOKIE=123456" in the HTTP response to the client.
4. ACE on getting this response from Server1 will dynamically learn that Server1 is setting up cookie value 123456 and will create a sticky entry in the database.
(Due to this sticky db entry any subsequent http requests with "Cookie:MYCOOKIE=123456" will be directly forwarded to Server1.
5. This sticky entry in ACE sticky DB will only time out if "timeout in minutes" configured under sticky group elapses and no active conns are using this entry.With every new http request matching the sticky entry this timeout is initialized.
6. If a new client come with no cookie set in the Http request then ACE will select a server using LB logic and will learn the cookie value & will create appropriate sticky entry.
7. If a client sends a request with cookie value present then ACE will simply look into the sticky db and forward the request to the appropriate server.
HTH
Syed Iftekhar Ahmed