Build a Load Balancer network

Figure 20 shows a basic Load Balancer network with three locally attached workstations using the Dispatcher component's MAC forwarding method to load balance Web traffic between two Web servers. The configuration is similar when load balancing any other TCP or stateless UDP application traffic.

Figure 20. Load Balancer demonstration network
A graphic showing a Client, Internet cloud, a Load Balancer for IPv4 machine, and two locally-attached servers with addresses identified.
Note:
This configuration can be completed using only two workstations with Dispatcher located on one of the Web server workstations. This represents a collocated configuration.

Workflow

To build a Load Balancer network, perform these procedures in the following order:

  1. Review required computer systems and software.
  2. Configure the network.
  3. Configure the Dispatcher.
  4. Test the Load Balancer network.

Review required computer systems and software

The following computer systems and software components are needed:

Configure the network

  1. Set up your workstations so that they are on the same LAN segment. Ensure that network traffic among the three machines does not have to pass through any routers or bridges.
  2. Configure the network adapters of the three workstations. For this example, assume you have the following network configuration:
    Workstation Name IP Address
    1 server1.company.com 9.67.67.101
    2 server2.company.com 9.67.67.102
    3 server3.company.com 9.67.67.103
    Netmask = 255.255.255.0
    Each of the workstations contains only one standard Ethernet network interface card.
  3. Ensure that server1.company.com can ping both server2.company.com and server3.company.com.
  4. Ensure that server2.company.com and server3.company.com can ping server1.company.com.
  5. Ensure that content is identical on the two Web servers (Server 2 and Server 3). This can be done by replicating data on both workstations, by using a shared file system such as NFS, AFS®, or DFS, or by any other means appropriate for your site.
  6. Ensure that Web servers on server2.company.com and server3.company.com are operational. Use a Web browser to request pages directly from http://server2.company.com and http://server3.company.com.
  7. Obtain another valid IP address for this LAN segment. This is the address you provide to clients who wish to access your site. For this example, the information is as follows:
    Name= www.company.com
    IP=9.67.67.104  
  8. Configure the two Web server workstations to accept traffic for www.company.com.

    Add an alias for www.company.com to the loopback interface on server2.company.com and server3.company.com.

  9. Delete any extra route that might have been created as a result of aliasing the loopback interface.

    You have now completed all configuration steps that are required on the two Web server workstations.

Configure the Dispatcher

With Dispatcher, you can create a configuration by using the command line, the configuration wizard, or the graphical user interface (GUI).

Note:
The parameter values must be typed in English characters. The only exceptions are parameter values for host names and file names.

Configuring using the command line

If you are using the command line, follow these steps:

  1. Start the dsserver on Dispatcher:

  2. Start the executor function of Dispatcher:
    dscontrol executor start
  3. Add the cluster address to the Dispatcher configuration:
    dscontrol cluster add www.company.com
  4. Add the http protocol port to the Dispatcher configuration:
    dscontrol port add www.company.com:80
  5. Add each of the Web servers to the Dispatcher configuration:
    dscontrol server add www.company.com:80:server2.company.com
    dscontrol server add www.company.com:80:server3.company.com
  6. Configure the workstation to accept traffic for the cluster address:
    dscontrol executor configure www.company.com
  7. Start the manager function of Dispatcher:
    dscontrol manager start

    Dispatcher now does load balancing based on server performance.

  8. Start the advisor function of Dispatcher:
    dscontrol advisor start http 80

    Dispatcher now ensures that client requests are not sent to a failed Web server.

Your basic configuration with locally attached servers is now complete.

Configuring using the configuration wizard

If you are using the configuration wizard, follow these steps:

  1. Start the dsserver on Dispatcher:

  2. Start the wizard function of Dispatcher, dswizard.

The wizard guides you step-by-step through the process of creating a basic configuration for the Dispatcher component. It asks questions about your network and guides you through the setup of a cluster for Dispatcher to load balance the traffic for a group of servers.

The configuration wizard contains the following panels:

Configuring using the graphical user interface (GUI)

To start the GUI, follow these steps:

  1. Ensure that the dsserver process is running:
  2. Next, do one of the following:

Test the Load Balancer network

  1. From a Web browser, go to location http://www.company.com to verify that a page appears.
  2. Reload the page in the Web browser.
  3. Issue the following command: dscontrol server report www.company.com:80:. Verify that the total connections column of the two servers adds up to 2.