Step By Step Configure Windows Network Load Balancing

Windows NLB Operation Mode

People always confused with the 3 operation mode in Windows Network Load Balancing and does not know which one they should use.

Reading TechNet explanation cause more confusion sometimes, so let’s make it simple and easy to understand

Unicast

Pros Best performance and save bandwidthCons

Need multi-NICs, Single NIC cannot access the individual node

 

Multicast

Pros Single NIC can access individual nodeCons May not compatible router and switch

 

IGMP Multicast

Pros Better than multicastCons

Need hardware support by router and switch

 

So in the virtualization world now, the best practice is to use unicast with multi-NICs (one NIC dedicate for NLB communication)

You can always read more from Microsoft TechNet here

Last time I talked about Windows NLB Operation Mode, so this time let’s configure a Windows NLB step by step

1. Install the Windows NLB feature on all of the node need to be added into the NLB

2. Configure the NLB in “Network Load Balancing Manager”

Select the NIC you want to use for NLB

Add a new Cluster IP Address: This is the IP Address use for connect to the NLB cluster

Select the NLB Operation Mode, in my case, I have two NIC, so I select Unicast

Configure the port rule

Configure the “Filtering Mode” and the Affinity, in my case, I’d like to random the session load balacing

None: Random load balancing for every single session

Single: Same session will keep connect to the same node until reach the timeout time

Network: Same session will keep connect to the same network range until reach the timeout time

 

Wait until the status change to Converged

Add the secondary node

Configure the Node Load

3. Add a A record in DNS

Now the NLB is working with my IP address 192.168.168.101, we need to create a new DNS name for it

Enjoying

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