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 Network Load Balancing

Network Load Balancing

What Is Network Load Balancing?

What Is Network Load Balancing?

Network Load Balancing is a Windows 2000 Advanced Server feature. By using Network Load Balancing to build a server cluster, you can enhance the availability of Internet server programs, such as those used on Web, proxy, domain name service (DNS), FTP, virtual private network (VPN) and streaming media servers. Network Load Balancing can help you scale your server's performance.

NLB can be used in unicast or multicast modes. If the cluster is operating in unicast mode (the default), ordinary network communication among cluster hosts is not possible unless each cluster host has at least two network adapters.

Creating Multinode Network Load Balancing Clusters on ESX Server

Creating Multinode Network Load Balancing Clusters on ESX Server

This section covers procedures for creating a Network Load Balancing cluster using nodes running in virtual machines. These virtual machines can be located on one or more ESX Server machines.

Creating the First Node's Base Virtual Machine

Creating the First Node's Base Virtual Machine

  1. Access the VMware Management Interface at https://<hostname>/ and log on as the user who will own the virtual machine.
  2. Click Add Virtual Machine.
  3. Keep the default Guest Operating System selection of Microsoft Windows 2000 Server.

    Note: This example uses Microsoft Windows 2000 Server as the guest operating system. You may substitute another Windows operating system that supports Microsoft Cluster Service.

  4. Change the Display Name field to describe the virtual machine — for example, MSCS Node 1 (Portsaid).
  5. Change the Location of the virtual machine configuration file to
    /home/<user>/vmware/cluster1/cluster1.vmx.
  6. Click Next.
  7. Choose the number of processors you want the guest operating system to use, up to 2.
  8. Change Memory to show the amount of RAM you want to allocate to this virtual machine.
  9. Click Next.
  10. Click Blank to create a new virtual disk.
  11. Choose the VMFS volume on which you want to store the virtual disk.
  12. Give the virtual disk file a unique name — for example, cluster1.dsk.
  13. If you need a primary SCSI disk larger than 4GB, enter the appropriate value in the Capacity field.
  14. Choose the virtual SCSI node to which you want to attach the virtual disk.
  15. By default, the disk mode is set to persistent. Click Persistent to verify the disk mode.
  16. Click Next.

You have created the virtual machine.

The hardware tab for this virtual machine appears. Use it to add hardware devices.

Network Device Configuration —

You must add another virtual network adapter the cluster nodes will use to communicate with each other.

  1. On the hardware tab for this virtual machine, click Add Device.
  2. Click Network Adapter.
  3. From the Device Binding drop-down list, choose vmnic1.

    Note: If all nodes of the cluster will reside on the same ESX Server machine, you may use vmnet_0 for the second network adapter. This allows all nodes to communicate with each other on a private virtual network connected to the vmnet_0 virtual switch.

  4. Click OK.

You have finished creating and configuring the first node virtual machine.

Installing the Guest Operating System

Installing the Guest Operating System

Now you need to install Windows 2000 Advanced Server in the virtual machine.

  1. Insert the Windows 2000 Advanced Server CD in the ESX Server machine's CD-ROM drive.
  2. In the management interface, click the blue terminal icon next to the virtual machine's name to launch the remote console.
  3. Log on using the user account that created the virtual machine or as root.
  4. Click Power On.
  5. Install Windows 2000 Advanced Server on the disk connected to scsi0.
  6. Accept all the default options during the installation. You may opt to install the applications at this time. Network Load Balancing is installed by default.
  7. When the installation is completed, install VMware Tools in the guest operating system.
  8. Remove the Windows 2000 Advanced Server CD from the server's CD-ROM drive.
Cloning the Virtual Machine

Cloning the Virtual Machine

Now that you have a virtual machine with Windows 2000 Advanced Server installed, you can save time by cloning this virtual machine as follows:

  1. Run sysprep.exe, which is available on the Windows 2000 CD in the \support\tools\deploy.cab file. This strips the security ID assigned to the guest operating system and resets the machine information as well as the TCP/IP network configuration.
  2. Shut down the guest operating system and power off the virtual machine.
  3. On the management interface's Overview page, click Manage Files.
  4. Drill down to the vmfs folder then the vms folder. This may take some time to refresh.
  5. Select the check box next to the cluster1.dsk file.
  6. Click Copy.
  7. Click Paste.
  8. When the copy process is complete, select the check box next to the file copy of cluster1.dsk.
  9. Click Edit Properties.
  10. Change the filename to cluster2.dsk.
  11. Click OK.
  12. Close the Manage Files window.

This concludes the cloning process. Now continue with creating the second node virtual machine

Cloning the Virtual Machine, an Alternate Method

Cloning the Virtual Machine, an Alternate Method

  1. Run sysprep.exe, which is available on the Windows 2000 CD in the \support\tools\deploy.cab file. This strips the security ID assigned to the guest operating system and resets the machine information as well as the TCP/IP network configuration.
  2. Shut down the guest operating system and power off the virtual machine.
  3. At the ESX Server console, log on as root.
  4. Change directories: cd /vmfs/vms

    This changes the current directory to the VMFS partition where you created the virtual disk.

  5. Create a copy of the virtual disk: cp cluster1.dsk cluster2.dsk

    This creates a copy of the virtual disk. You may repeat this command using a different target filename if you want to create more than one copy.

This concludes the cloning process. Now continue with creating the second node virtual machine

Cloning the Virtual Machine to Another ESX Server Machine

Cloning the Virtual Machine to Another ESX Server Machine

This section assumes that you are planning to run each node of an eight-node cluster on a separate ESX Server machine. If you are planning to run a different number of nodes on each ESX Server machine, adjust the procedure accordingly.

  1. Run sysprep.exe, which is available on the Windows 2000 CD in the \support\tools\deploy.cab file. This strips the security ID assigned to the guest operating system and resets the machine information as well as the TCP/IP network configuration.
  2. Shut down the guest operating system and power off the virtual machine.
  3. At the ESX Server console (on a machine other than the one where you created the first node), log on as root.
  4. Change directories: cd /vmfs/vms

    This changes the current directory to the VMFS partition where you want to create the virtual disk.

  5. Use the ftp command: ftp <first-ESX-Server-Hostname>
  6. Change directories: cd /vmfs/vms
  7. Set the type to binary: bin
  8. Type: hash on
  9. Retrieve the virtual disk file: get cluster1.dsk

    This transfers a copy of the virtual disk to the second ESX Server machine's VMFS partition.

  10. Quit the ftp session: bye
  11. Rename the virtual disk file: mv cluster1.dsk cluster9.dsk

    This renames the virtual disk file to cluster9.dsk. This assumes that this ESX Server machine will host nodes 9 and up.

    Repeat this command using a different target file name if you want to create more than one copy.

This concludes the cloning process. Now continue with creating the second node virtual machine

Repeat step 3-step 11 on each ESX Server machine that will participate in the cluster.
Creating the Second Node Virtual Machine

Creating the Second Node Virtual Machine

Create a new virtual machine as follows:

  1. On the management interface's Overview page, click Add Virtual Machine.
  2. Keep the default Guest Operating System selection of Microsoft Windows 2000 Server.
  3. Change the Display Name field to describe the virtual machine — for example, MSCS Node 2 (Kena).
  4. Change the Location of the virtual machine to
    /home/<user>/vmware./cluster2/cluster2.vmx.
  5. Click Next.
  6. Choose the number of processors you want the guest operating system to utilize, up to 2.
  7. Change Memory to show the amount of RAM you want to allocate to this virtual machine.
  8. Click Next.
  9. Click Existing to attach an existing virtual disk to this virtual machine.
  10. From the Virtual Disk Image drop-down list, choose cluster2.dsk.
  11. Choose the virtual SCSI node to which you want to attach the virtual disk.
  12. Click Next.
Network Device Configuration —

You need to add another network adapter that the cluster nodes will use to communicate with each other.

  1. On the hardware tab for this virtual machine, click Add Device.
  2. Click Network Adapter.
  3. From the Device Binding drop-down list, choose vmnic1.

    Note: If all nodes of the cluster will reside on the same ESX Server machine, you may use vmnet_0 for the second network adapter. This allows all nodes to communicate with each other on a private virtual network connected to the vmnet_0 virtual switch.

  4. Click OK.

You have finished creating and configuring the new node's virtual machine.

Go to the management interface's Overview page. Both virtual machines should be listed and shown as powered off.

You may repeat this procedure at each ESX Server machine on which you created copies of the virtual disk.

Configuring the Network Load Balancing Cluster

Configuring the Network Load Balancing Cluster

You can cluster up to 32 nodes using Network Load Balancing To configure the cluster, follow this procedure for each node that will join the cluster.

  1. Using the management interface connected to the first ESX Server machine, launch the remote console for the first node.
  2. Power on the virtual machine.
  3. Follow the Windows 2000 Server mini-setup prompts to enter the Windows 2000 Advanced Server serial number and the host name and IP addresses.
  4. At the end of the process, Windows automatically reboots.
  5. Log on to the Windows 2000 Advanced Server virtual machine as Administrator.
  6. Open Network and Dial-up Connections.
  7. Right-click the local area connection on which you will install Network Load Balancing and choose Properties. The Local Area Connection Properties dialog box appears.
  8. Under Components checked are used by this connection, select the Network Load Balancing check box.
  9. Click Properties.
  10. On the Cluster Parameters tab, configure cluster operations using these parameters:
    • Primary IP Address: This is the address for the cluster as a whole. This is the address that the clients will use to access the cluster.
    • Subnet Mask: This is the subnet mask of the network to which the above address belongs.
    • Multicast: Leave this unchecked, unless your virtual machine was configured with a single network adapter.

      Note that all members of the cluster must use the same setting for this option.

    • Refer to Network Load Balancing Help for the remaining options.
  11. After you have finished, click OK. You return to the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box.
  12. Click OK again to return to the Local Area Connection Status dialog box.
  13. Right-click the local area connection on which Network Load Balancing is to be installed, and click Properties.
  14. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), then click Properties.
  15. Set up TCP/IP for Network Load Balancing. For more information and links to procedures for setting up TCP/IP for Network Load Balancing on single and multiple network adapters, see Related Topics in the Network Load Balancing Help.

    Note: You must add Cluster's Primary IP Address to the list of IP Addresses bound to the adapter.

  16. Repeat these steps on each host to be used in your Network Load Balancing cluster.

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