How to redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS with GCP Load Balancer

Question

I'm using L7 HTTP Load Balancer. I want to redirect from HTTP requests to HTTPS. This is the part of my nginx config. It works when I access to my web server without Load Balancer. But it does not work with Load Balancer. 404 error is returned.

How can I fix it?

I'm using nginx

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;
    return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    ...
}

HTTP Response

HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
Server: Google Frontend

I found this issue below and I added $http_x_forwarded_proto check. But the result did not change.

Issue 255: Redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS when using the HTTP(S) Load Balancer https://code.google.com/p/google-compute-engine/issues/detail?id=255&thanks=255&ts=1446612833

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;
    if ($http_x_forwarded_proto = "http") { 
       return 301 https://$host$request_uri; 
    }
}

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    ...
}

Update 1

I found that my load balancer has only HTTPS protocol end-point config. I think I need HTTP port end-point setting.

This post below would be helpful.

GCE Load Balancer HTTPS and HTTP IP

Were you ever able to solve this issue? If so please consider posting a self-answer so the community can benefit. — Faizan

willbattel willbattel · Accepted Answer · 2017-08-27T18:19:42

Since the load balancer is only sending traffic on 443, your server block for 80 is never used. In other words: all incoming connections to the load balancer, on both port 80 and 443, and being sent through just 443 in the backend, even if they are not HTTPS connections.

Solution is to redirect to HTTPS while maintaining SSL security throughout the backend. On the front end of your load balancer, open ports 80 and 443, and on the backend send it all through HTTPS. Then put the X_Forwarded_Proto conditional in the SSL server block.

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    ...
    if ($http_x_forwarded_proto = "http") { 
        return 301 https://$host$request_uri; 
    }
    ...
}

EDIT: Check this out as well. Google is tracking this feature request. https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/35904733

How to redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS with GCP Load Balancer

1 Answers