What does creating a vService in the Disabled state mean, and when is it used?

Short answer

The configuration of a vService in the Disabled state is saved but not run: it does not receive traffic, and the Status circle in the list appears gray. It is used to prepare the configuration before taking it live, or to stop a vService temporarily without deleting it; when it is ready, it is put into service in a single step with Enable. The frontend IP addresses selected by the vService are not disabled in the Disabled state; the IP continues to respond on the network, and the other vServices that use the same IP keep running. To turn off the IP completely, the IP is right-clicked on the Network → Interfaces screen and Disable for [Hostname] is selected. The IP:port of the Disabled vService also stays reserved; it cannot be given to another vService.

How Does It Work?

There are three options in the Status field at the top of the vService form:

Status	What happens
Enabled (default)	When the vService is saved, it runs and receives traffic.
Disabled	The configuration is kept, and the vService is not run; it does not receive traffic.
Debug Mode	The vService runs, and a detailed Debug Mode Logs record is kept for each request. It appears only in the HTTP vService (What does a vService started in Debug Mode do; why is it only available in the HTTP vService, and what is the downside of leaving it on in production?).

The Disabled state affects only the vService; the objects the vService uses (IP addresses, Backend Services, profiles, certificates) stay in place.

What Happens to the Frontend IP?

On TR7, IP addresses are device resources defined under Network → Interfaces, independent of the vService; the vService selects an IP only as a listening point (Profile-Based IP Model). For this reason:

	vService Disabled	IP Disable for [Hostname]
Traffic of the vService	Not received; the vService does not run	Not received; since the IP is not applied to the system, that address cannot be reached
IP address on the network (ARP, ping)	Continues to respond	Does not respond
Other vServices that use the same IP	Continue to run	They also cannot be reached from this IP
Configuration	Kept; comes back with Enable	Kept; comes back with Enable for [Hostname]

To turn off the IP, the IP address is right-clicked on the Network → Interfaces screen and Disable for [Hostname] is selected; the IP appears faded and struck through in the list (Interfaces List · Right-Clicking an IP Address). In a cluster, the operation is done separately for each device (Disable for this device / the peer device). For permanent removal, Delete IP is used. An IP defined in the device's management access lists (HTTP, HTTPS, SSH, SNMP) cannot be disabled this way, and the "is protected" error is received.

When Is It Used?

Situation	Why Disabled
A new publication is being prepared; DNS has not been pointed yet	The configuration is completed step by step; in its half-finished state, it does not receive traffic
A vService will be stopped temporarily during maintenance or a migration	It is stopped without being deleted; the settings are not lost, and it comes back with Enable
The old and new configurations will be kept side by side	The backup vService waits ready and is put into service when needed

In TR7

• While creating: Disabled is selected in the Status field of the form and the Save button is clicked.
• Afterwards: On the Load Balancer → Load Balancer vService List screen, one or more vServices are selected and the Disable / Enable buttons in the toolbar are used; the operation can be done in bulk, and no confirmation is requested. The same operations are also in the row's right-click menu and in the ⋮ menu in the preview panel. In a Disabled vService, Reload is inactive.
• Monitoring: The Status circle in the list appears gray; in a cluster, the circle is split in two for the status of each device.
• Cluster: A Status change is a configuration change; it is also transferred to the peer device with the default auto-sync, and if Manual Sync Mode is on, it is sent manually with Synchronize.

Common Misconceptions

• "When the vService is disabled, the IP is also turned off." The IP address is not disabled and continues to respond on the network; to turn off the IP, Disable for [Hostname] is used in Network → Interfaces.
• "I can use the IP:port of a Disabled vService in another vService." The IP:port stays reserved; if it is to be used in another vService, this vService is deleted or its frontend port is changed.
• "Disable preserves open connections." The disabled vService stops, and the open connections on it end; the operation is done in a maintenance window.
• "A Disabled vService continues to produce logs and statistics." Since the vService does not run, it produces no traffic, logs or statistics.

How it is done in the documentation

• HTTP (L7) vService · Status
• vService · Disable
• vService · vService Status
• Interfaces List · Right-Clicking an IP Address
• Add IP Address · The Profile-Based IP Model

Related questions

• What is the difference between temporarily disabling a vService and deleting it?
• Can I enable, disable or delete multiple vServices at the same time?
• What does a vService started in Debug Mode do; why is it only available in the HTTP vService, and what is the downside of leaving it on in production?