Dell PowerSwitch S4820T Configuration Guide for the S4820T System 9.100.0 - Page 516

Microsoft Network Load Balancing, NLB Unicast Mode Scenario, NLB Multicast Mode Scenario

Page 516 highlights

30 Microsoft Network Load Balancing Network load balancing (NLB) is a clustering functionality that is implemented by Microsoft on Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 operating systems (OSs). NLB uses a distributed methodology or pattern to equally split and balance the network traffic load across a set of servers that are part of the cluster or group. NLB combines the servers into a single multicast group and attempts to use the standard multicast IP or unicast IP addresses and MAC addresses to transmit of network traffic. At the same time, NLB also uses a single virtual IP address for all clients as the destination IP address, which enables servers to join the same multicast group that is transparent to the clients (the clients do not notice the addition of new servers to the group). The clients use a cluster IP address to connect to the server. To avoid overloading and effective performance of the servers for optimal processing of data packets, NLB enables flooding of traffic over the virtual local area network (VLAN) ports (for Unicast mode) or a subset of ports in a VLAN (for Multicast mode.) NLB functions in two modes, Unicast mode and Multicast mode. Configure the cluster IP address and the associated cluster MAC address in the NLB application running on the Windows Server. • In Unicast mode, when the server IP address attempts to be resolved to the MAC address using the address resolution protocol (ARP), the switch determines whether the ARP reply, obtained from the server, is an NLB type. The switch then maps the IP address (cluster IP) with the MAC address (cluster MAC address). • In Multicast mode, the cluster IP address maps to a cluster multicast MAC address you configured using a static ARP command. After the NLB entry is learned, the traffic forwards to all the servers in the VLAN corresponding to the cluster virtual IP address. NLB Unicast Mode Scenario Consider a topology in which you configure four servers, S1 through S4, as a cluster or a farm. This set of servers connects to a Layer 3 switch, which connects to the end-clients. The servers contain a single IP address (IP-cluster address of 172.16.2.20) and a single unicast MAC address (MAC-Cluster address of 00-bf-ac-10-00-01) for load-balancing. Because multiple ports on a switch cannot learn a single MAC address, the servers are assigned MAC addresseses of MAC-s1 to MAC-s4), respectively, on S1 through S4 in addition to the MAC cluster address. All the servers of the cluster belong to VLAN1. In Unicast NLB mode, the following sequence of events occurs: • The switch sends an ARP request to resolve the IP address to the cluster MAC address. • The ARP servers send an ARP response with the MAC cluster address in the ARP header and a MAC address of MAC-s1/s2/s3/s4 (for servers S1 through S4) in the Ethernet header. • The switch associates the IP address with the MAC cluster address with the last ARP response it obtains. Assume that the last ARP reply is obtained from MAC-s4 (assuming that the ARP response with MAC-s4 is received as the last one). The interface associated with server, S4, is added to the ARP table. • With NLB enabled, after learning the NLB ARP entry, all the subsequent traffic floods on all ports in VLAN1. To perform load-balancing, NLB, forwards the data frame to all the servers. NLB Multicast Mode Scenario Consider a topology in which you configure four servers, S1 through S4, as a cluster or a farm. This set of servers connects to a Layer 3 switch, which connects to the end-clients. They contain a single multicast MAC address (MAC-Cluster: 03-00-5E-11-11-11). In Multicast NLB mode, configure a static ARP configuration command to associate the cluster IP address with a multicast cluster MAC address. With Multicast NLB mode, the data forwards to all the servers based on the port specified using the following Layer 2 multicast command in CONFIGURATION MODE: mac-address-table static multicast vlan output-range , 516 Microsoft Network Load Balancing

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Microsoft Network Load Balancing
Network load balancing (NLB) is a clustering functionality that is implemented by Microsoft on Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server
2003 operating systems (OSs). NLB uses a distributed methodology or pattern to equally split and balance the network
traffic
load across a
set of servers that are part of the cluster or group. NLB combines the servers into a single multicast group and attempts to use the
standard multicast IP or unicast IP addresses and MAC addresses to transmit of network
traffic.
At the same time, NLB also uses a single
virtual IP address for all clients as the destination IP address, which enables servers to join the same multicast group that is transparent to
the clients (the clients do not notice the addition of new servers to the group). The clients use a cluster IP address to connect to the
server. To avoid overloading and
effective
performance of the servers for optimal processing of data packets, NLB enables
flooding
of
traffic
over the virtual local area network (VLAN) ports (for Unicast mode) or a subset of ports in a VLAN (for Multicast mode.)
NLB functions in two modes, Unicast mode and Multicast mode.
Configure
the cluster IP address and the associated cluster MAC address
in the NLB application running on the Windows Server.
In Unicast mode, when the server IP address attempts to be resolved to the MAC address using the address resolution protocol (ARP),
the switch determines whether the ARP reply, obtained from the server, is an NLB type. The switch then maps the IP address (cluster
IP) with the MAC address (cluster MAC address).
In Multicast mode, the cluster IP address maps to a cluster multicast MAC address you
configured
using a
static ARP
command.
After the NLB entry is learned, the
traffic
forwards to all the servers in the VLAN corresponding to the cluster virtual IP address.
NLB Unicast Mode Scenario
Consider a topology in which you
configure
four servers, S1 through S4, as a cluster or a farm. This set of servers connects to a Layer 3
switch, which connects to the end-clients. The servers contain a single IP address (IP-cluster address of 172.16.2.20) and a single unicast
MAC address (MAC-Cluster address of 00-bf-ac-10-00-01) for load-balancing. Because multiple ports on a switch cannot learn a single
MAC address, the servers are assigned MAC addresseses of MAC-s1 to MAC-s4), respectively, on S1 through S4 in addition to the MAC
cluster address. All the servers of the cluster belong to VLAN1.
In Unicast NLB mode, the following sequence of events occurs:
The switch sends an ARP request to resolve the IP address to the cluster MAC address.
The ARP servers send an ARP response with the MAC cluster address in the ARP header and a MAC address of MAC-s1/s2/s3/s4 (for
servers S1 through S4) in the Ethernet header.
The switch associates the IP address with the MAC cluster address with the last ARP response it obtains. Assume that the last ARP
reply is obtained from MAC-s4 (assuming that the ARP response with MAC-s4 is received as the last one). The interface associated
with server, S4, is added to the ARP table.
With NLB enabled, after learning the NLB ARP entry, all the subsequent
traffic
floods
on all ports in VLAN1.
To perform load-balancing, NLB, forwards the data frame to all the servers.
NLB Multicast Mode Scenario
Consider a topology in which you
configure
four servers, S1 through S4, as a cluster or a farm. This set of servers connects to a Layer 3
switch, which connects to the end-clients. They contain a single multicast MAC address (MAC-Cluster: 03-00-5E-11-11-11).
In Multicast NLB mode,
configure
a
static ARP configuration
command to associate the cluster IP address with a multicast
cluster MAC address.
With Multicast NLB mode, the data forwards to all the servers based on the port
specified
using the following Layer 2 multicast command
in CONFIGURATION MODE:
mac-address-table static <multicast_mac> multicast vlan <vlan_id> output-range <port1>, <port2>
30
516
Microsoft Network Load Balancing