A Network Load Balancing cluster comprises multiple servers running any version of the Windows Server 2003 family of operating systems, including Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition; Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition; Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition; and Windows Server 2003, Web Edition.
Clustering allows you to combine application servers to provide a level of scaling and availability that is not possible with an individual server. Network Load Balancing distributes incoming client requests among the servers in the cluster to more evenly balance the workload of each server and prevent overload on any one server. To client computers, the Network Load Balancing cluster appears as a single server that is highly scalable and fault tolerant.
The Network Load Balancing deployment process assumes that your design team has completed the design of the Network Load Balancing solution for your organization and has performed limited testing in a lab. After the design team tests the design in the lab, your deployment team implements the Network Load Balancing solution first in a pilot environment and then in your production environment.
Upon completing the deployment process presented here, your Network Load Balancing solution (the Network Load Balancing cluster and the applications and services running on the cluster) will be in place. For more information about the procedures for deploying Network Load Balancing on individual servers, see "New ways to do familiar tasks" in Help and Support Center for Windows Server 2003, and then click "Network Load Balancing Manager".
| Note |
As you implement your Network Load Balancing design, use the information for each cluster host recorded by your design team in the "NLB Cluster Host Worksheet" (Sdcnlb_1.doc) on the Windows Server 2003 Deployment Kit companion CD (or see "NLB Cluster Host Worksheet" on the Web at http://www.microsoft.com/reskit). |
Deploy your Network Load Balancing solution by implementing the decisions made by the design team. The process for deploying Network Load Balancing clusters is shown in Figure 9.1.
Figure 9.1: Deploying Network Load Balancing
During the Network Load Balancing design process, the design team created and documented the design of the network configuration by using drawing and diagramming software (such as Microsoft Visio), and the "NLB Cluster Host Worksheet" job aid that your design team completed for each cluster host. (This worksheet is associated with "Designing Network Load Balancing" in Planning Server Deployments of this kit.) The Network Load Balancing design documents describe the number of Network Load Balancing clusters, the placement of the Network Load Balancing clusters in your network environment, the number of Network Load Balancing cluster hosts, and other specifications.
Before deploying Network Load Balancing in your production environment, test your deployment solution in a lab and in a pilot deployment. For more information about testing your design, see "Planning for Deployment" in Planning, Testing, and Piloting Deployment Projects of this kit.
After you test your design, you can use different options for deploying each Network Load Balancing cluster, based on the requirements of your organization. Table 9.1 lists deployment requirements and the corresponding options for deploying Network Load Balancing clusters. For each cluster in the Network Load Balancing design, select one of these options for deploying Network Load Balancing clusters.
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Deployment Requirements |
Implement |
Migrate |
|
|---|---|---|---|
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Fresh installation of Windows Server 2003 is required |
• |
• |
|
|
Clusters are to be deployed on new cluster hardware |
• |
• |
|
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Two or more existing clusters to be consolidated into a single cluster |
• |
||
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A corresponding cluster currently exists in the network environment |
• |
• |
|
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Existing hardware is capable of running Windows Server 2003 |
• | ||
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Existing Windows registry settings to be retained |
• |
When your Network Load Balancing solution includes multiple Network Load Balancing clusters, you might need to use more than one method for deploying Network Load Balancing clusters. For each Network Load Balancing cluster in your solution, read the corresponding section in this chapter for the deployment method you select:
Implementing New Clusters
Upgrading Existing Clusters
Migrating Existing Clusters