Using VRs comes with certain limitations. There are no Command Line Interface (CLI) tools, no Web User Interface (UI), and no Application Programming Interface (API) available for managing the VRs. Additionally, VRs lack support for some services that users may require, such as OpenVPN and Dynamic Routing. VNF (Virtual Network Function) Templates and VNF Appliances are available. These allow you to create VNF appliances and deploy them into Networks as an alternative to using CloudStack’s Virtual Routers (VRs). This provides a way to deliver network services to the Instances within those Networks. You must have the resources purchased to run the VNF appliance.
Deploying a VNF Appliance: You can deploy a VNF Appliance according to this Template. pfSense offers capabilities to link instances across various networks, enabling functionalities like routing, firewall, VPN, and many other network services.
Step 1: To deploy a VNF Appliance, first, log into the CloudStack UI either as an admin or as a regular user, navigate to the ‘Network’ section from the left-hand menu and select ‘VNF Appliances’. Finally, click on the ‘Add VNF Appliance’ button to initiate the VNF creation wizard.
Step 2: Select a VNF Template and a Service Offering, and choose the Networks you want to add to the VNF Appliance.
Step 4: For public access, please select "Public Internet" and then the other internal networks you wish to attach.
Step 5: For the Public network, leave this blank, and it will assign you an IP from your pool. You must use the address that you have been allocated in the VNF. Trying to use any other will not work.
Step 6: In the ‘VNF NICs’ section, select the appropriate network for each VNF NIC to use. Now, proceed by clicking the ‘Launch VNF Appliance’ button. Upon successful deployment of the VNF appliance, it will be visible on the ‘VNF Appliances’ page.