Netscaler part 4: Redirect HTTP to HTTPS

I'm writing series of blog posts about Netscaler configuration, concentrating on Content Switching feature. Main target is to show how to use one VIP-address with multiple back-end servers.

On this fourth part, we direct all HTTP requests our Content Switching VIP to HTTPS.

So, log in to you Netscaler and go to:
Traffic Management ->  Content Switching -> Virtual Servers
Click 'Add' button, to add new Content Switching Virtual Server (CSVS)

I'll name it: 'ContentSwitch-VIP HTTP-to-HTTPS'

Protocol: HTTP

And use same IP address as we used in part 1

Click 'OK'

Click 'OK'

Click 'Policies' on right side.

Click '+' icon on 'Policies'

Under 'Choose Policy', select 'Responder'

Click 'Continue'

Under 'Policy Binding', click on '+' Icon

Click '+' icon right to 'NOOP'

Name: 'responder_action_http-to-https'
Type: Redirect

Expression: "https://"+HTTP.REQ.HOSTNAME+HTTP.REQ.URL

Check 'Bypass Safety Check'

Click 'Create'

Name: 'responder_policy_http-to-https'

Expression: 'true'

Click 'Create'

Click 'Bind'

And click 'Done'

And there it is:

Now, when client connects to VIP-address listening on port 80, it will automatically redirect to HTTPS port 443.

To do this with CLI:

add cs vserver "ContentSwitch-VIP HTTP-to-HTTPS" HTTP 192.168.86.3 80 -cltTimeout 180 -Listenpolicy None
add responder action responder_action_http-to-https redirect "\"https://\"+HTTP.REQ.HOSTNAME+HTTP.REQ.URL" -bypassSafetyCheck YES
add responder policy responer_policy_http-to-https true responder_action_http-to-https
bind cs vserver "ContentSwitch-VIP HTTP-to-HTTPS" -policyName responer_policy_http-to-https -priority 100 -gotoPriorityExpression END -type REQUEST

This was fourth part of Netscaler blog series.
There might be more to come in the future on same topic.