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• 07-15-2009, 10:26 AM

  tgawarecki Joined on 07-15-2009, 2:20 PM Posts 6

  Load Balancing multiple sites Reply Contact I must first admit that I am extremely new to this.  I have 2 web servers with 7 sites each that are currently load balanced by a hardware load balancer.  Each site has its own IP address added into a load balanced IP on the hardware load balancer.  I want to try to replace this hardware load balancer with IIS 7.  I've installed 2 Server 2008 and IIS 7 machines and configured all my sites on both.  I've downloaded and installed ARR on one of them and have it working for my default site.  But when I try to add in another site it just routes traffic to the defualt site.  I have a feeling it has to do with rewriting URL's, but I'm not sure if that's it or how to do that.  Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

• 07-15-2009, 10:34 AM

  In reply to

  jeff@zina.com Joined on 09-26-2003, 10:43 AM Naples, FL, USA Posts 2,103	Re: Load Balancing multiple sites Reply Contact tgawarecki: I want to try to replace this hardware load balancer with IIS 7.  Why?  A hardware load balancer is always going to be more efficient. Jeff Look for Wrox's new book Professional IIS 7 in your local bookstore, or order now at Amazon.com

• 07-15-2009, 10:45 AM

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  tgawarecki Joined on 07-15-2009, 2:20 PM Posts 6	Re: Load Balancing multiple sites Reply Contact It's very old equipment that we don't have (and can't get) support on.  I don't feel our sites get enough traffic that effeciency would be any kind of problem. Thanks, Tony

• 07-15-2009, 10:56 AM

  In reply to

  wonyoo Joined on 12-15-2007, 6:46 PM Posts 125

  Re: Load Balancing multiple sites Reply Contact Tony I would like to understand your environment a bit better before making my recommendation. - You've mentioned that you have 7 sites, each with their own IP.  So today, in your load balancer, do you have 7 VIPs, each with their own domain name binding? - The 2 WS08 boxes that you have, are you planning on using them as ARR box?  Or to migrate the 7 sites?   ARR is a proxy based solution, so it will need its own box in front of the 2 content servers that you have. Thanks.   Won

  Tags: Application Request Routingload balance

• 07-15-2009, 11:10 AM

  In reply to

  tgawarecki Joined on 07-15-2009, 2:20 PM Posts 6

  Re: Load Balancing multiple sites Reply Contact Yes, I have VIPs in the load balancer, each going to a specific site.  I have the 7 sites migrated to IIS 7 on my WS08 machines.  I was hoping I could just install ARR on one those machines.  But it sounds like you are saying that is not the case?  If I put an ARR machine in front of the two webservers, will I be able to accomplish load balancing the multiple sites? Thanks

• 07-15-2009, 11:39 AM

  In reply to

  wonyoo Joined on 12-15-2007, 6:46 PM Posts 125

  Re: Load Balancing multiple sites Reply Contact ARR deployment will always be in front of your content servers, regardless of whether you want to load balance across one or multiple sites.  It is a proxy based solution.  (I think you might be thinking of NLB - another Windows technology.  NLB can be used to load balance sites as well and NLB does not require another box.  They can be enabled right on the content servers themselves.   That said, each solution (NLB or ARR) has its pros and cons. Perhaps the following article would provide more info on how ARR can be setup: http://learn.iis.net/page.aspx/486/http-load-balancing-using-application-request-routing/

  Tags: Application Request Routingload balance

• 07-15-2009, 12:57 PM

  In reply to

  tgawarecki Joined on 07-15-2009, 2:20 PM Posts 6

  Re: Load Balancing multiple sites Reply Contact Thanks for the info.  I have seen the article you referenced but i'm still wondering how this would work.  Would I just set up a different server farm for each website, putting the IP addresses of the websites as the server?  Would I need special URL rewrite rules or would default ones work?  I'm just trying to see how it would all work before spending a lot of time on it and finding it won't suit my needs. Thanks for your input!

• 07-15-2009, 1:14 PM

  In reply to

  wonyoo Joined on 12-15-2007, 6:46 PM Posts 125

  Re: Load Balancing multiple sites Reply Contact This was exactly why I wnated to understand more about your environment. If you were to place ARR in front of your 2 content servers, you have a couple of options: - You would just use one IP on ARR and bind 7 domain names to the same IP.  Based on the host header, you can route them to different server farm (7 of them - one each). - Alternatively, you can have the same 7 VIPs on ARR - and route them to 7 different server farms explicitly based on the site. In both cases, you will need 7 server farms. The most invasive change would be to use host name binding on your content servers (as opposed to using dedicated IPs) - but I am assuming that you have the business needs for assigning them dedicated IPs.   As long as you are usding dedicated IPs, you will need to create 7 server farms and use the URL rewrite rule on ARR to route to the 7 server farms as appropriate.

  Tags: ARRApplication Request Routingload balance

• 07-15-2009, 1:25 PM

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  tgawarecki Joined on 07-15-2009, 2:20 PM Posts 6	Re: Load Balancing multiple sites Reply Contact Great!!  Tons of help.  But if I could bother you with just a couple more questions...  First, could ARR reside on a domain controller?  Second, how does this work with a firewall?  Currently I have NATs that translate my web site's public IP to the VIP.  What would I NAT my public IP to using ARR? Thanks again!

• 07-17-2009, 12:53 AM

  In reply to

  wonyoo Joined on 12-15-2007, 6:46 PM Posts 125

  Re: Load Balancing multiple sites Reply Contact Hi 1) Yes, ARR can run anywhere where IIS7 is.  Do you have IIS running on your DC?  Are you planning on using this instance of IIS for anything other than running ARR?  I ask because depending on what else you are planning on doing with it, the routing rules may need to be tweaked. 2) In your case, you will be using ARR in place of existing LB.  So the site (or sites, if you plan on keeping all 7 VIPs) on ARR will be bound to the VIP.

  Tags: ARRApplication Request Routing

• 07-17-2009, 9:04 AM

  In reply to

  tgawarecki Joined on 07-15-2009, 2:20 PM Posts 6	Re: Load Balancing multiple sites Reply Contact 1)  I do not plan on using this instance of IIS for anything other than ARR. 2)  In my limited use of ARR, I haven't seen where/how to bind a site (server farm) to a VIP.  But if that can be done, that sounds like the ticket I'm looking for. Thanks!

• 07-17-2009, 11:59 PM

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  steve schofield Joined on 06-10-2002, 8:54 PM MI Posts 3,929	Re: Load Balancing multiple sites Reply Contact tgawarecki: First, could ARR reside on a domain controller?  From a security perspective, I wouldn't run anything else on your DC except AD Domain Services (assuming it's w2k8 and / or DNS).   Steve Schofield Windows Server MVP - IIS http://weblogs.asp.net/steveschofield http://www.IISLogs.com Log archival solution Install, Configure, Forget