Multiple websites in NLB environment

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

d***@gmail.com

2006-11-06 18:24:31 UTC

I am running a NLB cluster using Windows 2003 Server in unicast mode.
Each node has one NIC for clustering and one for communication between
the nodes (10.0.0.0 addresses). Currently, there is only one website
running on the cluster in IIS. This means each identical node, has one
website.

The current setup is:

app.mysite.com (the cluster address)
app1.mysite.com (node 1 of the cluster)
app2.mysite.com (node 2 of the cluster)

App1 and app2 refer to each node's dedicated IP address, which can be
used to access each cluster node individually from the outside world.
Now, I am adding an additional website in IIS and need it clustered as
well.

anotherapp.mysite.com (the cluster address)
anotherapp1.mysite.com (node 1 of the cluster)
anotherapp2.mysite.com (node 2 of the cluster)

I need to access anotherapp1 and anotherapp2 individually from the
outside world, as well as using the anotherapp as the cluster IP. How
can it be setup? Does this require an additional NIC in each node or
can I bind more IP addresses to the current NICs?

In other words, we want Network Load Balancing of multihomed web
servers.

Chuck Timon [Microsoft]

2006-11-07 03:37:33 UTC

Permalink

Any IP secondarily bound to the NLB NIC will be load balanced. Only the
dedicated IP addresses will not be. Assign the IPs, configure the websites
inside IIS Admin to listen on the appropriate IP addresses and then update
DNS accordingly.

I am not sure why you say you have a second NIC for communications between
nodes....this is not failover clustering.....all communications between
nodes in an NLB cluster occur over the NLB NIC.

You can, however, use that NIC to administer the NLB cluster if you like. I
just hope you have not configured the link using a crossover cable.
Crossover cables do not help you in NLB clusters

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3b%5bLN%5d%3b242248
--
Chuck Timon, Jr.
Microsoft Corporation
Longhorn Readiness Team
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no
warranties, and confers no rights.

Post by d***@gmail.com
I am running a NLB cluster using Windows 2003 Server in unicast mode.
Each node has one NIC for clustering and one for communication between
the nodes (10.0.0.0 addresses). Currently, there is only one website
running on the cluster in IIS. This means each identical node, has one
website.
app.mysite.com (the cluster address)
app1.mysite.com (node 1 of the cluster)
app2.mysite.com (node 2 of the cluster)
App1 and app2 refer to each node's dedicated IP address, which can be
used to access each cluster node individually from the outside world.
Now, I am adding an additional website in IIS and need it clustered as
well.
anotherapp.mysite.com (the cluster address)
anotherapp1.mysite.com (node 1 of the cluster)
anotherapp2.mysite.com (node 2 of the cluster)
I need to access anotherapp1 and anotherapp2 individually from the
outside world, as well as using the anotherapp as the cluster IP. How
can it be setup? Does this require an additional NIC in each node or
can I bind more IP addresses to the current NICs?
In other words, we want Network Load Balancing of multihomed web
servers.

David K Allen

2006-11-08 20:26:02 UTC

Permalink

Thanks for the prompt response.
See my responses and questions below.
By the way, I'm working with the author of the original email,
so if it sounds like we are working on the same problem, it is because we
are.

Post by Chuck Timon [Microsoft]
Any IP secondarily bound to the NLB NIC will be load balanced. Only the
dedicated IP addresses will not be. Assign the IPs, configure the websites
inside IIS Admin to listen on the appropriate IP addresses and then update
DNS accordingly.

Does this mean we cannot add secondary IP addresses the the NLB NIC which
are intended to be used as unique IP addresses on that node? These are NOT
IPs intended for cluster addresses.
We want to add unique IP addresses so that we can browse to the web sites
directly on a specific node (for testing) in addition
to accessing those second web sites via their load balanced IP.

Does the NLB "take over" the primary NIC to which it is attached?

If so, can we add those unique IP address
to the 2nd NIC and use that to add as many unique IP addresses as we want to
directly
address the individual web sites on each node?

Post by Chuck Timon [Microsoft]
I am not sure why you say you have a second NIC for communications between
nodes....this is not failover clustering.....all communications between
nodes in an NLB cluster occur over the NLB NIC.
You can, however, use that NIC to administer the NLB cluster if you like. I
just hope you have not configured the link using a crossover cable.
Crossover cables do not help you in NLB clusters

The 2nd NIC is currently connected to the other 2nd NICS with IPs like
10.0.0.1, 10.0.0.2, etc...
and enhanced the NLB Management interface. Without it, we must log onto each
node separately to change node properties.
Is that what you were saying?

But if the earlier conversation above is as I described, then we will have a
much more useful function for that 2nd NIC
and we'll hook it directly to the shared network, rather than merely having
a private network as it currently does.

Post by Chuck Timon [Microsoft]
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3b%5bLN%5d%3b242248
--
Chuck Timon, Jr.
Microsoft Corporation
Longhorn Readiness Team
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no
warranties, and confers no rights.

---------------------------
David Kreth Allen
Software Developer
Office of Information Technology
Carlson School of Management
University of Minnesota
612-625-0386
***@csom.umn.edu

"Deliver Business Value, Not Features" - Chris Matts and Andy Pols

Chuck Timon [Microsoft]

2006-11-09 13:09:31 UTC

Permalink

See inline...

Post by David K Allen
Thanks for the prompt response.
See my responses and questions below.
By the way, I'm working with the author of the original email,
so if it sounds like we are working on the same problem, it is because we
are.

All secondarily bound IP addresses on a NIC that has NLB enabled will be
load balanced. The only way to ensure you get connected to the correct node
is to either use the 'dedicated' IP address or the IP address of a second
non-NLB NIC used for administering the node.

Post by David K Allen
Does the NLB "take over" the primary NIC to which it is attached?

I am not sure what you mean by 'take over' but enabling NLB on the interface
will insert a driver layer that intercepts all incoming communication
packets to determine if it needs to handle them or not.

Post by David K Allen
If so, can we add those unique IP address
to the 2nd NIC and use that to add as many unique IP addresses as we want to
directly
address the individual web sites on each node?

That is how it works with load balancing websites....you bind the IP
addresses to the NLB NIC and then in IIS Admin, configure the individual
websites to listen on their IP address and then you make the appropriate DNS
entries for name resolution.

Post by David K Allen

Post by Chuck Timon [Microsoft]
I am not sure why you say you have a second NIC for communications between
nodes....this is not failover clustering.....all communications between
nodes in an NLB cluster occur over the NLB NIC.
You can, however, use that NIC to administer the NLB cluster if you like.
I
just hope you have not configured the link using a crossover cable.
Crossover cables do not help you in NLB clusters

The 2nd NIC is currently connected to the other 2nd NICS with IPs like
10.0.0.1, 10.0.0.2, etc...
and enhanced the NLB Management interface. Without it, we must log onto each
node separately to change node properties.
Is that what you were saying?
But if the earlier conversation above is as I described, then we will have a
much more useful function for that 2nd NIC
and we'll hook it directly to the shared network, rather than merely having
a private network as it currently does.

---------------------------
David Kreth Allen
Software Developer
Office of Information Technology
Carlson School of Management
University of Minnesota
612-625-0386
"Deliver Business Value, Not Features" - Chris Matts and Andy Pols