5.2 KiB
KeepAliveD-Generator
This project is a Bash-based automation tool for generating a complete High Availability (HA) setup using Keepalived VRRP. It supports multiple backup nodes, multiple VIP instances, Systemd service creation, and automatic topology diagram generation.
Overview
The script interactively builds a full HA stack for a generic service (DNS, API, load balancer, etc.) by generating:
- Keepalived configuration files (MASTER + multiple BACKUP nodes)
- Systemd service unit file
- A Mermaid-based HA topology diagram
It is designed to reduce manual configuration errors and speed up HA deployments.
Features
Keepalived Configuration Generator
- Generates VRRP instances for multiple VIPs/services
- Supports 1 MASTER + N BACKUP nodes
- Uses unicast VRRP for compatibility across routed networks
- Optional health-check script integration
- Automatic priority assignment for backups
Systemd Integration
- Creates a ready-to-use
keepalived.service - Enables auto-start on boot
- Ensures service restart on failure
Architecture Diagram Generator
- Produces a Mermaid diagram (
.md) - Visualizes:
- MASTER node
- BACKUP nodes
- VIP failover flow
- Compatible with GitHub, Obsidian, and Mermaid Live Editor
Supported Use Cases
This generator is service-agnostic and can be used for:
- DNS failover (AdGuard, Unbound, Bind)
- Reverse proxies (Nginx, HAProxy)
- APIs and microservices
- Database VIP failover (MySQL, PostgreSQL)
- Any Linux-based floating IP service
Requirements
- Linux system (Debian/Ubuntu recommended)
- Bash shell
- Keepalived installed (
keepalived) - Root or sudo access
Install Keepalived:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install keepalived -y
Usage
-
- Make script executable
chmod +x generate-keepalived.sh
-
- Run the generator
./generate-keepalived.sh
What You Will Be Asked
The script interactively prompts for:
- Service name
- MASTER node details
- Number of BACKUP nodes
- BACKUP node IPs and IDs
- Number of VIP instances
- Interface names
- VIP addresses
- VRRP IDs
- Authentication passwords
- Optional health-check script
Output Files
After execution, the script generates:
Keepalived configs
- keepalived--.conf
- keepalived--backupX.conf
Systemd service
- systemd-/keepalived.service
Diagram
- -ha-diagram.md
Example Architecture
Clients
│
▼
Virtual IP (VIP)
│
┌───────────────┐
│ MASTER NODE │
│ BACKUP NODE 1 │
│ BACKUP NODE 2 │
└───────────────┘
Health Check (Optional)
If enabled, the script integrates a custom health check:
Used to detect service failure
- Automatically reduces VRRP priority Triggers failover to backup nodes
Notes
- VRRP uses unicast mode (no multicast dependency)
- Each VIP instance must have a unique VRID
- BACKUP priorities are automatically reduced per node
- Designed for simplicity, scalability, and repeatability
Limitations
- Does not automatically install Keepalived
- Does not configure network interfaces (VLANs must exist beforehand)
- Requires manual deployment of generated files
Future Enhancements
Planned or possible upgrades:
- YAML-based configuration input
- Ansible automation support
- Firewall rule generation (VRRP + unicast)
- Prometheus monitoring integration
- Kubernetes-style VIP abstraction layer
License
This script is intended for internal infrastructure automation and can be adapted freely.
Disclaimer
This tool is provided for infrastructure automation and educational purposes only.
It generates configuration files for Keepalived VRRP, Systemd services, and network high-availability setups based on user input. While it is designed to reduce manual configuration errors, it does not guarantee correctness, security, or suitability for any specific production environment.
Responsibility
- You are solely responsible for reviewing, testing, and validating all generated configurations before deployment.
- Incorrect network or VRRP configurations may result in service downtime, split-brain scenarios, or network instability.
- Always test in a staging or lab environment before applying to production systems.
No Warranty
This software is provided “as is”, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to:
- Fitness for a particular purpose
- Merchantability
- Non-infringement
- Availability or reliability in production environments
Network & Security Considerations
- VRRP configurations affect network routing and failover behavior.
- Misconfigured priorities, IPs, or authentication values may lead to unintended failovers.
- Health-check scripts executed via Keepalived run with elevated privileges and should be carefully reviewed.
Liability
The author(s) of this tool are not liable for any damages, outages, data loss, or security incidents resulting from its use or misuse.
Recommended Practice
- Always review generated configuration files before deployment.
- Use version control (e.g., Git) to track changes.
- Validate configurations in a controlled environment before production rollout.
- Monitor systems after deployment to ensure expected failover behavior.