HP Integrity rx2800 HP Integrity Network Adapter Teaming Whitepaper - Page 17

Load Balancing: Server-Based Routing Protocol or NIC Teaming?, Overview of Team Types

Page 17 highlights

Figure 3-3 Using NIC teaming for server network redundancy Integrity Server Teaming Driver 1.1.1.1 Switch C on so le Clients 1.1.1.3 1.1.1.4 1.1.1.5 •Server has redundant path for outgoing traffic. From the Server's IP perspective, single "virtual" adapter provides access to the network. •Provides redundant connectivity from Clients to Server for same Server IP address. Server is known by single IP for DNS/NetBIOS/etc. Load Balancing: Server-Based Routing Protocol or NIC Teaming? There are two widely used solutions for achieving load balancing for a server's network traffic. An SA can deploy a server-based routing protocol that supports load balancing (for example, OSPF, EIGRP, IS-IS, etc.) or the SA can deploy teaming. Server-based routing protocols are much more difficult to deploy and manage. In addition, they do not allow for load balancing between end devices that don't support the routing protocol (for example, clients on the same local area network (LAN) with the server would have to 'speak' the routing protocol). Teaming is simpler to understand and easier to deploy than server-based routing protocols. In addition, teaming supports load balancing without requiring any kind of special configuration or feature support on the network devices (for example, clients) with which the team is communicating. Overview of Team Types HP Integrity Network Adapter Teaming is a collection of fault-tolerant and load-balancing features that work together in different combinations called team types. These team types provide HP Integrity Network Adapter Teaming with the flexibility to support almost every network environment. Figure 3-4 provides a graphical overview of which team types support which redundancy and load-balancing features. Overview of Team Types 17

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Figure 3-3 Using NIC teaming for server network redundancy
Integrity Server
Switch
Clients
Server has redundant path for
outgoing traffic.
From the Server’s IP perspective,
single “virtual” adapter provides
access to the network.
Provides redundant connectivity
from Clients to Server for same
Server IP address.
Server is known by single IP for
DNS/NetBIOS/etc.
1.1.1.1
Teaming
Driver
1.1.1.5
1.1.1.4
1.1.1.3
Load Balancing: Server-Based Routing Protocol or NIC Teaming?
There are two widely used solutions for achieving load balancing for a server’s network traffic.
An SA can deploy a server-based routing protocol that supports load balancing (for example,
OSPF, EIGRP, IS-IS, etc.) or the SA can deploy teaming. Server-based routing protocols are much
more difficult to deploy and manage. In addition, they do not allow for load balancing between
end devices that don’t support the routing protocol (for example, clients on the same local area
network (LAN) with the server would have to ‘speak’ the routing protocol).
Teaming is simpler to understand and easier to deploy than server-based routing protocols. In
addition, teaming supports load balancing without requiring any kind of special configuration
or feature support on the network devices (for example, clients) with which the team is
communicating.
Overview of Team Types
HP Integrity Network Adapter Teaming is a collection of fault-tolerant and load-balancing
features that work together in different combinations called team types. These team types provide
HP Integrity Network Adapter Teaming with the flexibility to support almost every network
environment.
Figure 3-4
provides a graphical overview of which team types support which
redundancy and load-balancing features.
Overview of Team Types
17