Checking if Load Balancing is working fine

Go to any web front and server connected on Network Load Balancing Manager.

1. Select Start Menu
2. Select Administrator Tools
3. Click on Network Load Balancing Manager.
4. Right click on any listed web front end server under "Network Load Balancing Clusters".
5. Select Control Host.
6. Click on Stop.
7. Now check the SharePoint Site using the load balancing url and it should work properly.
8. In same way stop each or multiple servers and site should be available until any single WFE  is started.
9. Finally Stop all WFEs now site should not be available.

Configuring Alternate Access Mapping in sharepoint

Hi All,

As in previous posts i mention how to configure Network Load Balancing. Now i am going to mention how to configure Alternate access mapping to use this load balancing in sharePoint.

1. Open the Central Administration.
2. Open Application Management.
3. Select "Configure Alternate Access Mapping" Under Web Applications.
4. Select your web application that you want to use with load balancing.
5. Under "URL Protocol, host & port", enter the URL that we provided while configuring Network Load Balancing on First Web Front End server.
6. Click on OK.
7. Now you will see the new URL in the Alternate Access Mapping list of the web application.

Congratulations, Now your web application is using the load balancing service.

Configuring Network load Balance on other SharePoint Web Front End Servers

As already defined in previous post please make sure that we provide Static IP to the server. Please do not use DHCP. That is provide the IP to each server manually.

1. Select Start Menu
2. Select Administrator Tools
3. Click on Network Load Balancing Manager.
4. Right click on Network Load Balancing Clusters.
5. Click on Connect to Existing.
6. Enter Host name (The IP address we provided in previous post for load balancing) in "Connect to Existing: Connect" window.
7. Click on Connect. if the host name is correct then you will see "Connected" in "Connection Status" you will be able to see the Interface IP, name and Cluster name of the network load balance under "Interfaces available for configuring a New Cluster".
8. Once IP and Name is displayed, Click on Finish.
9. You will now see the server name of WFE1 listed under your "Network Load Balancing Clusters" of "Network Load Balancing Manager". Right-click on the server name and Select "Add Host to Cluster".
10. Enter Host name (this will be your current server name the new wfe) in "Add Host to Cluster: Connect" window.
11. Click on Connect. if the host name is correct then you will see "Connected" in "Connection Status" you will be able to see the Interface IP, name and Cluster name of the network load balance under "Interfaces available for configuring a New Cluster".
12. Once IP and Name is displayed, Click on Next.
13. As this the other WFE, provide "Priority (unique Host Identifier)" as 2 (and so on for other wfe's it should be unique) and select Started in "Default State" under "Initial Host State" in "Add host to Cluster: Host Parameters" window.
14. Click on Next "Add host to Cluster: Port Rules" you will be able to see the rules of the newly Created cluster..
15. Click on Finish.

Now In the Network Load Balancing Manager window, you will see the server names for WFE1 and all other WFEs listed.

Congratulations, your new web front end server is ready to accept the load through Network load balancing Manager.

Configuring Network load Balance in first SharePoint Web Front End Server

Before we start load balancing make sure that we provide Static IP to the server. Please do not use DHCP. That is provide the IP to each server manually.

1. Select Start Menu
2. Select Administrator Tools
3. Click on Network Load Balancing Manager.
4. Right click on Network Load Balancing Clusters.
5. Click on New Cluster.
6. Enter Host name (That is your system name of the WFE1) in "New Cluster: Connect" window.
7. Click on Connect. if the host name is correct then you will see "Connected" in "Connection Status" you will be able to see the IP and name of the of the network under "Interfaces available for configuring a New Cluster".
8. Once IP and Name is displayed, Click on Next.
9. As this the first WFE, provide "Priority (unique Host Identifier)" as 1 and select Started in "Default State" under "Initial Host State" in "New Cluster: Host Parameters" window.
10. Click on Next.
11. Click on Add in "New Cluster: Cluster IP Addresses" window and select "Add IPV4 Address" and give a new IP address that is not used in any server or system yet.
12. Click on OK.
13. Click on Next.
14. Here in "New Cluster: Cluster Perameter" enter a "Full internet name" i.e. internet URL eg. "testloadbalance.local" that will be used later in Alternate Access mapping in SharePoint. In Alternate Access Mapping we will provide "http://testloadbalance.local".
15. Select Multicast in "Cluster Operation Mode".
16. Click on Next "New Cluster: Port Rules" you will be able to see the rules of the newly Created cluster..
17. Click on Finish.

Congratulations, your first web front end server is ready to accept the load through Network load balancing Manager.