notque SAP CC Load Balancer (Octavia)
Manage Octavia load balancers: list/inspect LBs, listeners, and pools. Understand the LB topology and troubleshoot provisioning issues.
MCP Tools
Read Tools
| Tool | Purpose | Key Parameters |
|---|---|---|
octavia_list_loadbalancers |
List load balancers | name, provisioning_status, vip_address, operating_status, vip_subnet_id, provider |
octavia_get_loadbalancer |
Full LB detail by UUID | loadbalancer_id (required) |
octavia_list_listeners |
List listeners | name, protocol (TCP/HTTP/HTTPS/TERMINATED_HTTPS/UDP/SCTP), loadbalancer_id, protocol_port |
octavia_list_pools |
List backend pools | name, protocol, loadbalancer_id, lb_algorithm (ROUND_ROBIN/LEAST_CONNECTIONS/SOURCE_IP) |
octavia_list_members |
List pool members | pool_id (required), name, address |
octavia_list_healthmonitors |
List health monitors | pool_id, type (HTTP/HTTPS/PING/TCP/TLS-HELLO/UDP-CONNECT) |
octavia_list_l7policies |
List L7 routing policies | listener_id, name |
octavia_list_l7rules |
List rules for L7 policy | l7policy_id (required) |
Write Tools (requires MCP_READ_ONLY=false)
| Tool | Purpose | Key Parameters |
|---|---|---|
octavia_create_loadbalancer* |
Create a new load balancer | name (required), vip_subnet_id (required), description, confirmed |
octavia_delete_loadbalancer* |
Delete a load balancer | loadbalancer_id (required), cascade (bool, deletes children), confirmed |
Admin Tools (requires MCP_ADMIN_TOOLS=true)
| Tool | Purpose | Key Parameters |
|---|---|---|
octavia_list_amphorae† |
List amphora instances | loadbalancer_id, status |
Guardrails
- UUID validation: All
*_idparameters validated - Confirmation required: Write tools return preview unless
confirmed=true - Cascade delete:
octavia_delete_loadbalancerwithcascade=truedeletes ALL child resources (listeners, pools, members, monitors)
Gotchas
Two status fields: provisioning vs operating.
provisioning_statustracks the API/control plane state (ACTIVE, PENDING_CREATE, ERROR).operating_statustracks the data plane (ONLINE, DEGRADED, ERROR, NO_MONITOR). A LB can be ACTIVE provisioning but DEGRADED operating.Immutable during PENDING states. When
provisioning_statusis any PENDING_* value, no mutations are allowed on the LB or its children (listeners, pools). Wait for ACTIVE before making changes.Listener protocol determines TLS handling.
TERMINATED_HTTPSmeans TLS terminates at the LB (requires certificate).HTTPSmeans passthrough — the LB forwards encrypted traffic without inspecting it. Do not confuse these.Pool lb_method values are algorithm names. Common values:
ROUND_ROBIN,LEAST_CONNECTIONS,SOURCE_IP. These are not free-text — use the exact enum values.loadbalancer_id filter on listeners/pools is optional. Without it, you get all listeners/pools in the project. Always filter by
loadbalancer_idwhen investigating a specific LB to avoid confusion.VIP address is on a subnet. The
vip_addressis allocated fromvip_subnet_id. If you need the network context, look up the subnet in Neutron.Topology: LB -> Listeners -> Pools -> Members. Members are not exposed via MCP tools. You can see
default_pool_idon listeners to trace which pool handles traffic.
Common Workflows
Map Full LB Topology
octavia_get_loadbalancerwithloadbalancer_id— note the VIP, status, and provider.octavia_list_listenerswithloadbalancer_id=<uuid>— see all frontend listeners (protocol + port).octavia_list_poolswithloadbalancer_id=<uuid>— see all backend pools and their algorithms.- Match
default_pool_idfrom listeners to pool IDs to understand traffic flow.
Diagnose LB in ERROR State
octavia_get_loadbalancer— checkprovisioning_statusandoperating_status.- If provisioning ERROR: the control plane failed (network issue, quota, amphora boot failure). Check
hermes_list_events. - If operating ERROR/DEGRADED: backend members are unhealthy. Pool health monitors are detecting failures.
Find LB by VIP Address
octavia_list_loadbalancerswithvip_address=<ip>— returns the matching LB.- If no results, the IP may be a floating IP mapped to the VIP — check
neutron_list_floating_ips.
Cross-Service References
| Need | Service | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Subnet details for VIP | Neutron | neutron_list_subnets(<vip_subnet_id>) |
| Who created/modified the LB | Hermes | hermes_list_events(target_type=loadbalancer) |
| LB quota for the project | Limes | limes_get_project_quota(service=network) |
| Server behind a pool member | Nova | nova_get_server(<member_server_id>) |
| Floating IP pointing to VIP | Neutron | neutron_list_floating_ips |