How To Configure Network Load Balancing Parameters in Windows 2000

This step-by-step guide describes how to configure Network Load Balancing (NLB) parameters.

Network Load Balancing lets you spread incoming requests across as many as 32 servers. This lets you expand enterprise-wide services, such as Web servers, Terminal Services, and streaming media servers, and still ensure that they respond quickly, even under heavy loads. NLB automatically detects when a server stops working and quickly reassigns client traffic among the remaining servers. This safeguard can help you provide uninterrupted, continuous service for your critical business applications.

Configuring NLB Parameters

To configure NLB parameters, you need to configure the cluster parameters, host parameters, and port rules.

Configuring Cluster Parameters

1. Start the Network and Dial-up Connections tool.
2. Right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties.
3. In the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box, click Network Load Balancing, and then click Properties. The Network Load Balancing Properties dialog box appears.
4. On the Cluster Parameters tab, specify values in the Primary IP address, Subnet mask, Full Internet name, Multicast support, Remote password, Confirm password, and Remote control boxes by using information from the installation checklist.

Configuring Host Parameters

1. Start the Network and Dial-up Connections tool.
2. Right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties.
3. In the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box, click Network Load Balancing, and then click Properties. The Network Load Balancing Properties dialog box appears.
4. Click the Host Parameters tab.
5. Specify values in the Priority (Unique host ID), Initial cluster state, Dedicated IP address, and Subnet mask 1.3 boxes.

Configuring Port Rules

Before you proceed, review the port rules section in the "Checklist: Installing Network Load Balancing" topic in the Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Documentation guide. Without a thorough understanding of the topics that are referenced, you cannot properly configure port rules. Configuring port rules consists of creating, editing, and removing port rules.

To create port rules:

1. Start the Network and Dial-up Connections tool.
2. Right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties.
3. In the Local Connection Properties dialog box, click Network Load Balancing, and then click Properties. The Network Load Balancing Properties dialog box appears.
4. Click the Port Rules tab.
5. Specify values for the Port range, Protocols, Filtering mode, Affinity, Load weight, and Handling priority boxes by using information from the installation checklist.
6. Click Add.

To edit port rules:

1. Start the Network and Dial-up Connections tool.
2. Right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties.
3. In the Local Connection Properties dialog box, click Network Load Balancing, and then click Properties. The Network Load Balancing Properties dialog box appears.
4. Click the Port Rules tab.
5. In the list of rules, click the rule to display the rule's parameters in the Configuration area above the list of rules.
6. Modify the Port range, Protocols, and Filtering mode parameters as required.
7. Click Modify.

To remove port rules:

1. Start the Network and Dial-up Connections tool.
2. Right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties.
3. In the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box, click Network Load Balancing, and then click Properties.
4. On the Port Rules tab, click the rule you want to remove, and then click Remove.

Troubleshooting

The number and type of rules must be exactly the same for each host in the cluster. If a host attempts to join the cluster with a different number of rules from the other hosts, it is not accepted as part of the cluster and the rest of the cluster continues to handle the traffic as before. At the same time, a message is logged in the Windows Event log. If this occurs, consult the Event log to determine which host is in conflict with the other cluster hosts, resolve the conflict, and the restart NLB on that host.

For additional information about configuring load-balancing settings in general, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about load-balancing settings for specific configurations, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: