WAN Link Failover & Load Balancing (ACI Mode)

Objective

Verify that the z40 device automatically manages WAN link failover and load balancing across multiple WAN interfaces, ensuring uninterrupted WAN connectivity and efficient traffic distribution as monitored via zWAN Director.

Prerequisites

• z40 device connected to multiple WAN links (e.g., WAN00, WAN01, cellular).
• Device onboarded and managed via cloud-hosted zWAN Director.
• Admin access to zWAN Director UI.
• Test client(s) connected to z40 LAN (wired LAN00 or Wi-Fi LAN05).

Test Steps

1. Login to zWAN Director UI

• Access Director UI via browser and log in with admin credentials.

2. Verify WAN Interface Status

• Navigate:
  Edge Controllers > [Your Device] > Network > Interfaces.
• Confirm each WAN interface shows a green status dot with valid IP, gateway, and DHCP info.

3. Monitor Load Balancer Status

• Navigate:
  Edge Controllers > [Your Device] > Network > Net Balancer > Branches tab.
• Confirm all WAN gateways are listed with accurate:
  • Gateway Status (Active or Fault).
  • Link Status.
  • Fault counts.
  • Uptime and last event timestamps.
• Ensure load balancing mode (e.g., Packet LBFO) is shown and gateways are enabled.

4. Generate WAN Traffic

• From LAN client, generate WAN-bound traffic (e.g., ping external IPs, browse Internet).

5. Monitor Traffic Distribution & Link Health

• Navigate:
  Edge Controllers > [Your Device] > Analytics > Statistics > Interfaces tab.
• Observe transmitted/received data rates and packets per WAN interface.
• Confirm traffic is distributed across active WAN links.

6. Simulate WAN Failover

• Disconnect primary WAN link physically (e.g., unplug WAN00).
• Confirm interface status changes to down (red dot) in Interfaces page.
• Verify traffic shifts to secondary WAN links.
• Confirm continuous WAN connectivity on LAN clients.

7. Review WAN and Tunnel Logs

• Navigate:
  Edge Controllers > [Your Device] > Analytics > Statistics > Logs and Events tab.
• Check WAN Fault/Recovered and Tunnel Fault/Recovered logs for failover events.

Validation Criteria

• WAN interfaces accurately report operational status.
• Load balancer shows correct gateway states and fault counts.
• WAN traffic is balanced across multiple active links during normal operation.
• Seamless failover occurs when a WAN link goes down.
• Logs reflect WAN failover and recovery events.
• LAN client WAN connectivity is uninterrupted during failover.

Notes

• Load balancing and failover are preconfigured for simplicity in POC deployments.
• No manual load balancing or failover configuration required.
• LAN traffic remains local; only WAN traffic is balanced across interfaces.
• Use real-world traffic patterns for best failover and load balancing test results.