Configuring WLBS Through A Single Network Interface Card

[racer]

When installing Windows NT Load Balancing Service (WLBS) in a system with a single network interface card (NIC), make sure that you know about Single Network Interface Card Limitations with WLBS. Multicast support is enabled by default. However, if you disable multicast support, this hardware configuration is not preferred because it limits networking performance and functionality. However, WLBS always can be successfully configured with one NIC.

To set the WLBS bindings for use with one network interface card, follow these steps:

1. In Control Panel, double-click Network and then click the Bindings tab.
2. In the Show Binding For drop down list, select All Protocols.
The bindings for all installed networking protocols can be displayed and modified in this dialog box. Note that WLBS Driver appears in the list of protocols. For each protocol, you can see the network interface cards (NICs), also known as adapters, to which each protocol is bound.
3. Click the plus sign (+) to the left of each protocol to see the adapters to which it is bound. When the bindings are displayed, you will see a minus sign (-) to the left of the protocol.

You will note that WLBS Virtual NIC appears in the list of adapters for the TCP/IP and WINS Client protocols. WLBS registers itself with Windows NT as both a protocol and as a virtual network adapter. In addition, you should see only one hardware adapter corresponding to the actual NIC installed in your system.

[racer]

To set the proper bindings, follow these steps:

1. Enable the binding from the WLBS Driver to the WLBS Virtual NIC adapter. To enable a binding, select the adapter and click Enable.
2. Enable the binding from the WLBS Driver to the network adapter.
3. Enable the binding from the TCP/IP Protocol to the WLBS Virtual NIC adapter.
4. Disable the binding from the TCP/IP Protocol to the network adapter. To disable a binding, select the adapter and click Disable.
5. Enable the binding from the WINS Client to the WLBS Virtual NIC adapter.
6. Disable the binding from the WINS Client to the network adapter.
NOTE: Other protocols will not be able to bind to WLBS Virtual NIC and will stay bound to the hardware network adapter.
7. Click Close to initiate the rebinding of network components by Windows NT.

During this process, the new binding configuration will be stored in the Windows NT registry, and selected software components will review it. WLBS will check the interconnection for validity and may warn you if it discovers a problem.

It is highly recommended that you correct any binding problems right away before restarting your computer, or your network may not be accessible when you restart it.

During the binding review, the TCP/IP protocol will discover that it is bound to a new network adapter, the WLBS Virtual NIC, and it will display the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties dialog box. This dialog box is displayed the first time you establish the binding so that TCP/IP can set up IP addresses for the adapter. You also can call the dialog box later to make changes by selecting TCP/IP in the list of protocols on the Protocols tab in the Network utility and then clicking Properties.

To set up TCP/IP for WLBS, follow these steps:

1. Select WLBS Virtual NIC from the list of adapters in the drop down list.
2. Enter this host's dedicated IP address in the space for the IP address.
Because TCP/IP is only bound to the WLBS Virtual NIC, it becomes this host's only TCP/IP interface to the network. It is imperative that the dedicated IP address be entered here so that all outbound connections made on behalf of this host (for example, Telnet or FTP) are initiated with this IP address. You will enter the cluster IP address below.
3. Enter the subnet mask and default gateway information for your TCP/IP network.
4. Click Advanced to call the dialog box that lets you add more IP addresses.
5. Click Add and enter the cluster IP address in the space for the IP address followed by the appropriate subnet mask. This IP address corresponds to the primary cluster IP address that you entered in the WLBS Setup dialog.
If you need to configure additional IP addresses for your cluster (for example, if you are running a multihomed Web server), you can enter them by clicking Add and entering the appropriate information.
6. When you are done adding cluster IP addresses, click OK to close the Advanced IP Addressing dialog box and return to the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties dialog box.
7. Click the WINS Address tab and fill out the information so that it resembles the setup for the dedicated adapter.
8. Click OK.