How do I understand the impact of changing a profile before I change it ("Used in")?

Short answer

The Used in tab of the preview that opens when a row is clicked in the profile list lists the records that use the profile by their types; the badge shows the usage count, and if the profile is not used anywhere, the tab does not appear at all. Indirect usages are also shown as a chain (e.g. for a health check profile, the Backend Service that uses it and the vService to which that Backend Service is linked). To filter the list by usage, the Used in card in the Filter panel or the Usage Filter is used; those not used at all are found with Unused Entries. A profile change is applied to all the linked vServices right after saving, and the delete confirmation does not show the usage locations; that is why Used in is checked before both operations.

Problem: A Change to a Shared Profile Affects Unexpected Services

Profiles are shared by multiple vServices; a change made in a profile is applied to all the vServices that use it right after saving (When does a change I make take effect; does it go live as soon as I save it?). A profile in use can also be deleted; for example, the vServices that use a deleted vService Limits profile return to the values of the built-in Default profile (vService Limits · Delete). Changing some fields restarts the vService: the Max. Connections/s, Max. Session Rate/s, Max. Total SSL Connections, Max. SSL Connections/s and Buffer Size(kB) values in the vService Limits profile and the Compression Level value in the Compression profile require the vService to be restarted on saving, and open connections drop (vService Limits · Profile Add Form; all the settings that cause a restart: When does a change I make take effect; does it go live as soon as I save it?). Before a change or deletion, it must be known which vServices will be affected.

Solution: Three Methods

The first two methods make it possible to see the impact, and the third to limit it; they can be used together.

Your situation	Suitable method
The usage locations of a single profile	Method 1: Preview → Used in
Filtering the list by usage	Method 2: Filter → Used in · Usage Filter
I don't want to spread the change to all vServices at once	Method 3: New profile and gradual transition

Method 1: Preview → Used in Recommended

• How it works The Used in tab lists the records that use the profile directly and indirectly in groups by their types; when a record is clicked, that record is opened.
• Where it is opened Profile list → row → right panel → Used in
• Requirement The profile must be used in at least one place; if it is not used, the tab does not appear.
• Scope All profile, action, condition and Backend Service lists

Step-by-Step Configuration

1

Adım 1 Open the profile list

The related profile screen is opened from the Configuration Menu → Load Balancer → Profiles (L4-L7 Behavior Sets) group (e.g. Compression).

2

Adım 2 Click the profile

The row of the profile to be changed is clicked; the preview of the profile opens on the right.

3

Adım 3 Read the Used in tab

The Used in tab in the preview is clicked. The badge shows the usage count; the records are grouped by their types (vServices first). For health check profiles, the Backend Services that use it and the vServices to which these Backend Services are linked are listed (If I change a health check profile, which Backend Services are affected?). For Content Pages, only action usages appear; WAF, Bot/DDoS and AGS usages are not included in this tab (Content Pages · Used in).

4

Adım 4 Go to the affected record

By clicking the name of a vService in the list, that vService is opened and how the profile is used there is seen.

Verification

1TabTR7 side

The number on the Used in badge is compared with the number of vServices seen for the same profile on the Used in card in Method 2.

ExpectedBadge = number of records that use the profile

Method 2: Filter → Used in and Usage Filter

• How it works The list is filtered to the records used in the selected vServices or to those not used at all.
• Where it is opened Profile list → Filter → Used in card · Usage Filter next to the search box
• Requirement No additional setting is required.
• Scope All profile, action, condition and Backend Service lists

Step-by-Step Configuration

1

Adım 1 Open the Filter panel

The Filter button in the toolbar of the profile list is clicked.

2

Adım 2 Select on the Used in card

The Used in card is clicked; one or more vServices, or Unused Entries, are selected. The list narrows to the profiles used in the selected vServices or to those not used anywhere.

3

Adım 3 Filter with Usage Filter if needed

The same filtering is also done with the Usage Filter next to the search box; while it is on, the RegExp search button is hidden. The same method on the Backend Service list: How do I see which vServices use a Backend Service ("Used in")?

Verification

1ListTR7 side

In the filtered list, a profile is clicked and the Used in tab is checked.

ExpectedThe selected vService is in the Used in list of the profile

Method 3: New Profile and Gradual Transition

• How it works So that the change does not go to all vServices at the same time, a separate profile is created with the new settings and the vServices are moved to this profile one by one.
• Where it is opened Profile list → Add · vService edit form → Details
• Requirement Write permission in the Load Balancer area.
• Scope Profiles assigned to the vService from the Details panel

Step-by-Step Configuration

1

Adım 1 Add the new profile

On the same profile screen, the Add button is clicked; the new settings are entered without changing the existing profile, and the form is saved with the Add button.

2

Adım 2 Open the form of a vService

On the Load Balancer → Load Balancer vService List screen, the first vService to be tried is selected and the Edit button is clicked.

3

Adım 3 Select the new profile

In the related box in the Details panel (e.g. Compression), the new profile is selected.

4

Adım 4 Save

The Save button is clicked; the behavior of the vService is monitored from the Dashboard and the logs. If there is no problem, steps 2–4 are repeated for the other vServices. When the Used in tab of the old profile becomes empty, the profile can be deleted.

Verification

1SwitchoverTR7 side

The Used in tabs of the new and the old profile are checked.

ExpectedThe moved vServices are only in the Used in list of the new profile

Common Mistakes

• Thinking the profile is broken because the Used in tab does not appear. The tab appears only if the profile is used somewhere.
• Expecting the delete confirmation to list the usage locations. The confirmation window does not show the usage locations; a profile in use can also be deleted.
• Assuming that Used in shows every usage. The WAF, Bot/DDoS and AGS usages of Content Pages do not appear in this tab.
• Thinking that the change waits for the next reload. The save is applied immediately; in a cluster setup, the change also passes to the peer device with the default automatic synchronization, and if Manual Sync Mode is on, it is sent with Synchronize.

How it is done in the documentation

• Compression · The "Used in" tab must be checked
• Compression · Usage Filter
• Health Checks · The "Used in" tab must be checked
• vService Limits · Profile Add Form

Related questions

• How do I see which vServices use a Backend Service ("Used in")?
• When I change a condition or an action, which vServices are affected?
• If I change a health check profile, which Backend Services are affected?