System-Level Fault Tolerance (Clustering/Network Load Balancing) - Using the Network Load Balancing Manager to Create a Cluster

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Using the Network Load Balancing Manager is the simplest method of creating a cluster. If the NLB Manager is used, all additional cluster and dedicated IP addresses will be added to the respective cluster node when it joins the cluster. Adding additional nodes to the cluster is also simplified; the administrator needs to know only the cluster name or IP address to add the node to the cluster. Network Load Balancing Manager works well configuring clusters on remote servers but if the cluster is local, NLB Manager will only function correctly if the server has multiple network cards.

To create a cluster, follow these steps:

1. Log on to the local console of a cluster node using an account with Local Administrator privileges.

2. Click Start, All Programs, Administrative Tools, Network Load Balancing Manager.

3. Choose Cluster, New.

4. Enter the cluster IP address and subnet mask of the new cluster.

5. Enter the fully qualified domain name for the cluster in the Full Internet Name text box.

6. Enter the mode of operation (Unicast will meet most of your NLB application deployments).

7. Configure a remote control password if you will be using the command-line utility NLB.exe to remotely manage the NLB cluster and click Next to continue.

8. Enter any additional IP addresses that will be load-balanced and click Next to continue.

9. Configure the appropriate port rules for each IP address in the cluster, being careful to set the correct affinity for the load-balanced applications.

10. After creating all the allowed port rules, you should create disabled port rules to reduce network overhead for the cluster nodes. Be sure to have a port rule for every possible port and click Next on the Port Rules page after all port rules have been created. Figure 31.20 shows a best practice port rule for an NLB Terminal server implementation.

    
    
    Figure 31.20  Port rule settings for NLB configuration.

11. On the Connect page, type the name of the server you want to add to the cluster in the Host text box and click Connect.

12. In the Interface Available window, select the NIC that will host the cluster IP address and click Next to continue.

13. On the Host Parameters page, set the cluster node priority. Each node requires a unique host priority, and because this is the first node in the cluster, leave the default of 1.

14. If the node will perform non-cluster–related network tasks in the same NIC, enter the dedicated IP address and subnet mask. The default is the IP address already bound on the network card.

15. For nodes that will join the cluster immediately following the cluster creation and after startup, leave the initial host state to Started. When maintenance is necessary, you can change the default state of a particular cluster node to Stopped or Suspended to keep the server from joining the cluster following a reboot.

16. After you enter all the information on the Host Parameters page, click Finish to create the cluster.

17. When you're ready to release to the production environment, add the HOST or A record of the new cluster to the DNS domain table. Contact your DNS administrator for information on how to complete this task.

Adding Additional Nodes to an Existing NLB Cluster

When a cluster already exists, administrators can add nodes to it from any server or workstation by using network connectivity, Cluster Administrator permissions, and the Network Load Balancing Manager.

To add nodes to an existing cluster, perform the following steps:

1. Log on to a workstation or server that has the Windows Server 2003 Administrative Tools installed.

2. Click Start, All Programs, Administrative Tools and right-click Network Load Balancing Manager.

3. Choose the Run-as option and specify an account that has Administrative permissions on the cluster.

4. Choose Cluster, Connect to Existing.

5. In the Host text box, type the IP address or name of the cluster and click Connect.

6. From the Clusters window, select the cluster you want to connect to and click Finish to connect.

7. In the right pane, right-click the cluster name and choose Add Host to Cluster, as shown in Figure 31.21.

   
   
   Figure 31.21  Choosing to add a host to the cluster.

8. On the Connect page, type the name of the server you want to add to the cluster in the Host text box and click Connect.

9. In the Interface Available window, select the NIC that will host the cluster IP address and click Next to continue.

10. On the Host Parameters page, set the cluster node priority. Each node requires a unique host priority, and because this is the first node in the cluster, leave the default of 1.

11. If the node will perform non-cluster–related network tasks in the same NIC, enter the dedicated IP address and subnet mask. The default is the IP address already bound on the network card.

12. For nodes that will join the cluster immediately following the cluster creation and after startup, leave the initial host state to Started. When maintenance is necessary, you can change the default state of a particular cluster node to Stopped or Suspended to keep the server from joining the cluster following a reboot.

13. After you enter all the information in the Host Parameters page, click Finish to add the node to the cluster.

This chapter is from Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Unleashed, by Rand Morimoto, et al. (Sams Publishing, 2004, ISBN: 0672326671). Check it out at your favorite bookstore today. Buy this book now.

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