Example: Specifying Cluster Network Connectivity

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

An organization has e-commerce Web applications that are accessed by users on the Internet. The organization’s design includes Network Load Balancing to eliminate any application outages and improve performance. The e-commerce Web applications, running on IIS 6.0 and Windows Server 2003, will reside in the organization’s perimeter network, which is located between the Internet and the organization’s private network.

Figure 8.8 illustrates the existing firewalls, Internet connectivity, and connectivity to the organization’s private network.

Figure 8.8   Existing Network Diagram Before the E-Commerce Web Application Solution

The e-commerce Web application requires support for 1,500 simultaneous users and an acceptable data transfer rate of 10 kilobits per second (Kbps) for each user, for a total aggregate data rate of 15 Mbps.

The organization has conducted lab testing on the devices in the organization’s design, including routers, switches, network segments, and servers, and it has determined their capacity as listed in Table 8.16.

Table 8.16   Device Capacity Results from Lab Testing

Figure 8.9 illustrates the organization’s network infrastructure after including the e-commerce Web solution.

Figure 8.9   E-Commerce Web Solution with Network Load Balancing

Table 8.17 lists the design decisions in specifying cluster network connectivity and the reasons for making the decisions.

Table 8.17   Cluster Network Connectivity Design Decisions and Their Justification