Configuring Load Balancing in VMM Overview

A virtual IP template contains load balancer-related configuration settings for a specific type of network traffic. For example, you could create a template that specifies the load balancing behavior for HTTPS traffic on a specific load balancer manufacturer and model. These templates represent the best practices from a load balancer configuration standpoint.

After you create a virtual IP template, users (including self-service users) can specify the virtual IP template to use when they create a service. When a user models a service, they can pick an available template that best matches their needs for the type of load balancer and the type of application.

Note
For information about how to create virtual IP templates, see How to Create VIP Templates for Hardware Load Balancers in VMM and How to Create VIP Templates for Network Load Balancing (NLB) in VMM.

The following list describes the hardware load balancer workflow to load balance a service tier:

1. In the VMM console, during creation of a static IP address pool, the administrator configures a reserved range of virtual IP addresses.
   
   

   Note
   This step can be performed at any time before a service is deployed that uses a load balancer. Realize that you must have one virtual IP address for each service tier that uses load balancing.

2. The administrator installs the load balancer configuration provider on the VMM management server.
   
   

   Note
   For information about supported load balancers and how to obtain configuration providers, see the “Prerequisites” section of How to Add Hardware Load Balancers in VMM.

3. In the VMM console, the administrator adds the load balancer to VMM management. Through the Add Load Balancer wizard, the administrator does the following:
   
   
   • Selects the host groups where the load balancer will be available
     
     
   • Specifies the load balancer manufacturer and model
     
     
   • Specifies the load balancer DNS names (or IP addresses) and the port number that is used for load balancer management
     
     
   • Specifies the affinity to logical networks
     
     
   • Selects the configuration provider
     
     
   • Optionally tests the connection to the load balancer
     
     
4. In the VMM console, the administrator creates one or more virtual IP templates. Through the Load Balancer VIP Template wizard, the administrator defines the following:
   
   
   • The port to use for the type of network traffic that will be load balanced
     
     
   • Whether the template applies to any supported load balancer or to a specific type of load balancer
     
     
   • The type of protocol to load balance (for example HTTPS)
     
     
   • Whether to enable session persistence
     
     
   • Optional health monitors that can be configured to periodically check that the load balancer is responsive
     
     
   • The type of load balancing method to use
     
     
5. A user (typically a self-service user) creates a service template. In the Service Template Designer window, they add a load balancer to a service tier, and then select which virtual IP (VIP) template to use. When the service is deployed, VMM automatically selects a virtual IP address from the reserved range in the static IP address pool and assigns it to the load balancer. This IP address is considered the “front-end” IP address for a load-balanced service tier. VMM also assigns static IP addresses to the virtual machines that make up the service tier. These are considered “back-end” dedicated IP addresses, as they are behind the load balancer.
   
   
6. After the service is deployed, the administrator verifies in the VMM console which virtual IP address is being used as the front-end IP address for the service tier. The administrator then contacts the DNS administrator to create a DNS entry for the assigned virtual IP address. For example, if the front-end Web tier of a service is load balanced, the administrator can verify which virtual IP address is used for that tier. The DNS administrator can then create an entry in DNS for the name that users will specify to connect to the Web front-end. For example, the DNS administrator could create a DNS entry for ServiceName.contoso.com with the corresponding virtual IP address.
   
   

   Note
   For more detailed information about how to load-balance a service tier by using a hardware load balancer, see How to Configure a Hardware Load Balancer for a Service Tier.

The following list describes the NLB workflow to load balance a service tier:

1. In the VMM console, during creation of a static IP address pool, the administrator configures a reserved range of virtual IP addresses.
   
   

   Note
   This step can be performed at any time before a service is deployed that uses a load balancer. Realize that you must have one virtual IP address for each service tier that uses load balancing.

2. In the VMM console, the administrator creates one or more virtual IP templates. Through the Load Balancer VIP Template wizard, the administrator defines the following:
   
   
   • The port to use for the type of network traffic that will be load balanced
     
     
   • The template type (in this case, the Specific template type, set to Microsoft NLB)
     
     
   • The type of protocol to load balance (TCP, UPD, or both)
     
     
   • Whether to enable session persistence
     
     
3. A user (typically a self-service user) configures a service template by doing the following:
   
   
   • For the tier that will be load balanced, the user must specify a virtual machine template that meets the specific configuration requirements for NLB. For information about the configuration requirements, see How to Configure NLB for a Service Tier.
     
     
   • In the Service Template Designer window, the user adds a load balancer, and then selects which virtual IP (VIP) template to use.
     
     
   When the service is deployed, VMM automatically selects a virtual IP address from the reserved range in the static IP address pool and assigns it to a load-balanced service tier. VMM also assigns static IP addresses to the virtual machines that make up the service tier.
   
   
4. After the service is deployed, the administrator verifies in the VMM console which virtual IP address is being used for a service. The administrator then contacts the DNS administrator to create a DNS entry for the assigned virtual IP address. For example, if the front-end Web tier of a service is load balanced, the administrator can verify which virtual IP address is used for that tier. The DNS administrator can then create an entry in DNS for the name that users will specify to connect to the Web front-end. For example, the DNS administrator could create a DNS entry for ServiceName.contoso.com with the corresponding virtual IP address.
   
   

   Note
   For more detailed information about how to load-balance a service tier by using NLB, see How to Configure NLB for a Service Tier.