sapcc-loadbalancer

name	sapcc-loadbalancer
description	Load balancer operations via Octavia. Triggers: load balancer, lb, listener, pool, vip, octavia, l7. NOT for: network ports or security groups (use sapcc-networking).
version	1.0.0
metadata	{"service":["octavia"],"task":["manage","inspect","debug"],"persona":["developer","platform-engineer"]}

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 *_id parameters validated
• Confirmation required: Write tools return preview unless confirmed=true
• Cascade delete: octavia_delete_loadbalancer with cascade=true deletes ALL child resources (listeners, pools, members, monitors)

Gotchas

1. Two status fields: provisioning vs operating. provisioning_status tracks the API/control plane state (ACTIVE, PENDING_CREATE, ERROR). operating_status tracks the data plane (ONLINE, DEGRADED, ERROR, NO_MONITOR). A LB can be ACTIVE provisioning but DEGRADED operating.

2. Immutable during PENDING states. When provisioning_status is any PENDING_* value, no mutations are allowed on the LB or its children (listeners, pools). Wait for ACTIVE before making changes.

3. Listener protocol determines TLS handling. TERMINATED_HTTPS means TLS terminates at the LB (requires certificate). HTTPS means passthrough — the LB forwards encrypted traffic without inspecting it. Do not confuse these.

4. 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.

5. loadbalancer_id filter on listeners/pools is optional. Without it, you get all listeners/pools in the project. Always filter by loadbalancer_id when investigating a specific LB to avoid confusion.

6. VIP address is on a subnet. The vip_address is allocated from vip_subnet_id. If you need the network context, look up the subnet in Neutron.

7. Topology: LB -> Listeners -> Pools -> Members. Members are not exposed via MCP tools. You can see default_pool_id on listeners to trace which pool handles traffic.

Common Workflows

Map Full LB Topology

1. octavia_get_loadbalancer with loadbalancer_id — note the VIP, status, and provider.
2. octavia_list_listeners with loadbalancer_id=<uuid> — see all frontend listeners (protocol + port).
3. octavia_list_pools with loadbalancer_id=<uuid> — see all backend pools and their algorithms.
4. Match default_pool_id from listeners to pool IDs to understand traffic flow.

Diagnose LB in ERROR State

1. octavia_get_loadbalancer — check provisioning_status and operating_status.
2. If provisioning ERROR: the control plane failed (network issue, quota, amphora boot failure). Check hermes_list_events.
3. If operating ERROR/DEGRADED: backend members are unhealthy. Pool health monitors are detecting failures.

Find LB by VIP Address

1. octavia_list_loadbalancers with vip_address=<ip> — returns the matching LB.
2. 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