Do I need a cluster for NLB?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gus
  • Start date Start date
G

Gus

Do I need a hardware cluster ($$$) for setting up NLB? Or can I do I with
ordinary servers?

Thanks.
Gus
 
Hi,

There are two different technologies around clusters. One is Microsoft
Cluster Service or MSCS. The other is Network Load Balancing (NLB). You
don't need expensive hardware computer to build any of those two clusters
but generally speaking MSCS cluster involves more expensive computers than
NLB's.

Provide that you don't need to support heavy load, you can build a NLB
cluster with ordinary hardware.

Sincerely
Stephane
 
Thanks for your answers, but still there is something I don't undesrtand: If
I want to use MSCS and I need to buy some cluster; for example HP/Compaq
offers a cluster starting at $ 30.000 (two servers with a shared storage
device).... so IT IS very expensive compared to a $6000 server.

So: Can I use MSCS with two ordinary servers and just buying a shared
storage device?

Thanks
 
Hi Gus,
It is not recommended to run clustering software on unmatched systems. You
can do this it is not prohibited however you will limit your support
options if you do have serious trouble and want assistance from Technical
Support as described in the following KB:
309395 The Microsoft Support Policy for Server Clusters and the Hardware
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=309395

In the case of non-Certified clusters it is a "Best Effort Support",
meaning our engineers will do their best to assist you but there are limits
to what we can do for non-certified systems. Part of the reason for this is
that non certified systems are not as stable as they have not gone through
thorough testing to make sure they can handle the load of a cluster.
--
Curtis Koenig
Support Professional
Microsoft Clustering Technologies Support
MCSE, MCSES, CISSP

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.
Please reply to the newsgroup so that others may benefit. Thanks!

--------------------
 
You do not need shared storage to configure Network Load Balancing. What
you need is two interfaces in each server, one interface pluged into your
firewall or whatever, the other plugged into a small hub wchih will act as a
private network for the load balanced server.

Any server running a version of windows that supports NLB will work.
 
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