Event ID 111 — NLB Port Rules Configuration

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

In a Network Load Balancing (NLB) cluster, port rules are configured to control how each port's cluster network traffic is handled. The NLB cluster may fail to converge unless each port rule has a unique host priority (a number between 1 and 32), the port rules are consistent on all cluster hosts, you are using the proper number of port rules, and the virtual IP address is specified in a valid IPv4 or IPv6 address format.

 

Event Details

Product: Windows Operating System
ID: 111
Source: Microsoft-Windows-NLB
Version: 6.0
Symbolic Name: MSG_ERROR_PORT_RULE_INVALID_IP
Message: NLB cluster [%2]: The virtual IP (VIP) address in a port rule is invalid. The cluster will converge and operate normally but this port rule will be ignored. Make sure that the VIP is specified in a valid IPv4 or IPv6 address format.

Resolve

Check that the virtual IP address for the port rule is valid

If the virtual IP address for a port rule is not in a valid format, the Network Load Balancing (NLB) cluster will converge and operate normally, but the port rule will be ignored. You should check that the virtual IP address is specified in a valid IPv4 or IPv6 address format.

When you are using NLB Manager, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the host that you are configuring, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If you are configuring a cluster or host by running NLB Manager from a computer that is not part of the cluster, you do not have to be a member of the Administrators group on that computer.

To check that the virtual IP address for a port rule is in a valid IPv4 or IPv6 format:

  1. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Network Load Balancing Manager. You can also open NLB Manager by typing Nlbmgr at a command prompt.
  2. If NLB Manager does not already list the cluster, connect to the cluster.
  3. Right-click the cluster, and then click ClusterProperties.
  4. Click the Port Rules tab.
  5. In the Defined port rules list, click a rule, and then click Edit. Verify that the IPv4 or IPv6 address is correctly formatted. IPv4 addresses use the standard Internet dotted notation (for example, w.x.y.z). IPv6 addresses use 16-byte addresses, typically expressed in colon-hexadecimal notation. Colon-hexadecimal notation uses eight 4-digit hexadecimal numbers, with colons separating the 16-bit blocks (the 4-digit numbers). To manage addresses more easily, IPv6 suppresses leading zeros and compresses a single contiguous all-zero 16-bit block, represent the contiguous block with two colons (::). This is known as double-colon compression. An example of an IPv6 address with leading zeros suppressed is: FEC0:0:0:0:2AA:FF:FE3F:2A1C  

 

Verify

You can verify that the port rules configuration is correct by first checking that a specific port is operating properly, and then checking that all Network Load Balancing (NLB) hosts are in a converged state.

When you are using nlb.exe, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the host that you are configuring, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If you are configuring a cluster or host by running nlb.exe from a computer that is not part of the cluster, you do not have to be a member of the Administrators group on that computer.

Verify that a specific port rule is operating properly

To verify that a specific port rule is operating properly:

  1. Open an elevated Command Prompt window. Click Start, point to All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
  2. Type nlb.exe queryportport. Specify the port rule by using a port number that is within the range of the port rule that you want to query.

Verify that all NLB hosts are in the converged state

To verify that all NLB hosts are in the converged state:

  1. Open an elevated Command Prompt window. Click Start, point to All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
  2. Type nlb.exe query, which displays the current cluster state and the list of host priorities for the current hosts of the cluster.
  3. Confirm that all hosts display converged as their current state.

 

NLB Port Rules Configuration

NLB Cluster