Configuring Network Load Balancing

This article describes how to enable and configure Network Load Balancing (NLB) in Windows 2000 Advanced Server or Datacenter Server.

If you have not installed NLB, you can do so using the following steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network and Dial-up Connections.
2. Right-click the interface on which you want to install NLB, and then click Properties.
3. Click Install, click Service, and then click Add.
4. Click Network Load Balancing, and then click OK.

If you upgrade from Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Windows Load Balancing Service (WLBS) to Windows 2000 Advanced Server or Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, NLB is automatically installed and the WLBS configuration settings are transferred to NLB. You can upgrade your WLBS cluster hosts one at a time because Windows 2000 NLB interoperates with Windows NT 4.0 WLBS.

How to Configure NLB in Windows 2000

1. If Network Load Balancing is enabled, skip to step 2. If not:
   1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Network and Dial-up Connections.
   2. Right-click the interface that should act as the virtual adapter, and then click Properties.
   3. Click to select the Network Load Balancing check box.
2. Click the Network Load Balancing component, and then click Properties.
3. Type your cluster-specific data on the Cluster Parameters, Host Parameters, and Port Rules tabs. For example, in the Primary IP Address box, type the IP address you want the cluster to load balance (also known as the virtual IP address, or VIP). (To receive information about the data to be entered in any box, click the question mark button in the top-right corner of the window, and then click the appropriate field. When you are finished, click OK.)
4. Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties. Type the virtual IP address in the IP Address box by first clicking Use the following IP address. If the interface already has an IP address that differs from the virtual IP address, click Advanced, and then add the virtual IP address in the IP Addresses box on the IP Settings tab.

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