Install and Configure Network Load Balancing

Introduction

Welcome to the Install and Configure Network Load Balancing Practice Lab. In this module, you will be provided with the instructions and devices needed to develop your hands-on skills.

Learning Outcomes

In this module, you will complete the following exercises:

• Installing Network Load Balancing Nodes
• Configuring a New NLB Cluster
• Adding a Secondary Node to an NLB Cluster
• Examining the working of an NLB cluster
• Configuring and validating port rules for NLB cluster

After completing this lab, you will be able to:

• Install IIS
• Install NLB on Servers
• Create the First NLB Cluster Node
• Configure DNS
• Add a Second Server to the Cluster
• Study the Working of an NLB Cluster
• Configure Port Rules
• Validate Port Rules
• Validate High Availability of NLB Cluster

Exam Objectives

The following exam objectives are covered in this lab:

• 2.1 Analyze a scenario and integrate network and security components, concepts and architectures to meet security requirement.

Lab Duration

It will take approximately 1 hour to complete this lab.

Exercise 1 - Installing Network Load Balancing Nodes

Network Load Balancing (NLB) service is a feature included in Windows Server 2016 and earlier versions. This service balances network traffic load sent to the NLB cluster on a TCP/IP network. The NLB cluster is a configuration of multiple virtual IP addresses. The network traffic load is balanced among the multiple servers on the cluster. Moreover, load balancers provide built-in redundancy by sensing any device failures on the network and redistributing their load over other devices. Load balancers are normally used to ensure reliable delivery of mission-critical web applications to a large user population base.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this exercise, you will be able to:

• Install IIS
• Install NLB on Servers

Exercise 2 - Configuring a New NLB Cluster

A virtual cluster is a virtual combination of the resources of more than one computer on the network. The augmentation of resources in a virtual cluster offers enhanced reliability and scalability compared to limited features offered by the resources of a single server.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this exercise, you will be able to:

• Create the First NLB Cluster Node
• Configure DNS

Exercise 3 - Adding a Secondary Node to an NLB Cluster

You can add servers to an existing cluster to augment the resources available with the cluster. Before adding servers to a cluster, ensure that:

• You have administrative rights on the server(s) you are configuring. However, this pre-requisite is not applicable in case the configuration is done from a remote server.
• You refresh the NLB Manager on the server you are configuring.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this exercise, you will be able to:

• Add a Second Server to the Cluster

Exercise 4 - Examining the Working of an NLB Cluster

NLB manages traffic to each host on the cluster by distributing the client requests as per the rules configured for the cluster. The client requests can be from a single client or from multiple clients. The hosts on the cluster receive the requests and respond according to the configuration rules specified for each of them.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this exercise, you will be able to:

• Study the Working of an NLB Cluster

Exercise 5 - Configuring and Validating Port Rules for NLB

Port rules for an NLB control the traffic management and working of the cluster. Any host added to the cluster after the first host automatically inherits the cluster port rules from the initial host.

Rules specify the values for parameters including the IP addresses, the port range, and the protocol of operation.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this exercise, you will be able to:

• Configure Port Rules
• Validate Port Rules
• Validate High Availability of NLB Cluster