NLB on AD Domain Controllers?

[epunk]

Hi,

I will have 2 Windows 2003 servers, with which I'd need to run NLB using multicast mode on both of the servers to split up Terminal Services connections.

However, I dont have a 3rd machine for now and I need to create an AD domain.

Using one of the 2 network adapters, the one used as the management adapter, can I create AD domain controllers on one of both servers AND run NLB simultaneously?

Thanks!

 

[epunk]

actually i made a typo, i meant that NLB will be in UNICAST mode.

Id be using one adapter for NLB and one for normal network communication.

 

[PScottC]

I don't know if I really recommend what you are proposing. Mainly because I've never seen anyone do load balancing on a DC.

But to get this going correctly, you need to go with the "Unicast Mode with Multiple NICs" that is documented in the help. When you place the Cluster NICs in Unicast mode you lose normal Node to Node communication, including ping, so you need the second NIC to provide that communication.

To make sure that client systems work correctly, you should limit the ports that are load balanced to only the ones that are needed for Terminal Services (3389TCP).

You can't really "load balance" authentication traffic, so don't attempt to. The DCs provide their own mechanisms for balancing load.

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Good Luck!

PSC

Governments and corporations need people like you and me. We are samurai. The keyboard cowboys. And all those other people out there who have no idea what's going on are the cattle. Mooo! --Mr. The Plague, from the movie "Hackers

 

[Andreh]

I honestly though this could not be done and was searching for an article I thought I came across in the past that led me to believe this to be the case when I came across this article below:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=281662

I think this discusses using Server clustering, not NLB clustering though.

Personally I would always have separate physical or virtual servers as Domain Controllers. I would never recommend this. It seems over complicated for what you need.

What is the reason to want to cluster TS? How many users are connecting? And, are the apps the users need in TS very resource intensive requiring 2 servers?

Good luck

"Assumption is the mother of all f#%kups!

 

[epunk]

Thanks for the answer and feedback.

I would really prefer to have a separate DC as well, but for the moment Im limited to 2 servers.

Andreh, to answer your question, we have about 20 users that will be using TS connections. TS will be mainly used to use a client application that interfaces a DB.

Its CPU usage is decent, and will be a dual processor 3gmhz Xeon with 4gb RAM.

I am pretty sure one server will be sufficient to handle the TS workload but redundancy is a requirement, which is why I need to setup NLB.

Unfortunately I have still not received the servers so I may not test the setup quite yet (and obviously, once I receive them, I have a very short deadline to make the whole thing work).

I'll try to reproduce this scenario through Virtual Machines but Im not quite sure I can simulate a 2nd NIC.

Worst case scenario, if this is giving me too much trouble, I will push to have the budget to allow for a 3rd server, dedicated to DC.

 

[Andreh]

Sounds like you are in a tough situation.

Have you considered using WMVare? Server edition is / will soon be free?

The servers sound like they are nicely spec'd, how much did will they have? Are they HP, Dell or IBM?

"Assumption is the mother of all f#%kups!

 

[epunk]

Hi Andreh,

thanks for the suggestion. I havent thought bout server virtualization, that should do the trick. They're HP Proliant 360G4P servers.