Setup Web and Database Server

Network Load Balancing (Optional)

Applies to: Sana Enterprise and standard Sana Commerce solution installed on 2 servers.

Network Load Balancing (NLB) distributes traffic across several servers using TCP/IP networking protocol. By combining two or more Web servers that are hosting the Sana Commerce web applications into a single virtual cluster, network load balancing provides reliability and performance for Web servers.

For more information, see 'Network Load Balancing Overview' in the Microsoft Library.

Network load balancing should be installed on all Web servers hosting the Sana Commerce web applications. Network load balancing is a feature that is available in the Windows Server operating system. It can be installed using Add Roles and Features Wizard in Server Manager.

A virtual cluster that will be used to manage two or more Web servers hosting the Sana Commerce web applications should be created on one of the Web servers. NLB distributes incoming requests across the hosts in the cluster. When one of the hosts fails or goes offline, the load is automatically redistributed among the Web servers that are still operating.

To configure load balancing:

Step 1: Open Network Load Balancing Manager from the 'Tools' menu of the Server Manager.

Step 2: In the Network Load Balancing Manager create a new cluster: Cluster > New.

Step 3: In the New Cluster: Connect window enter the current server IP address into the Host field and click Connect. It should appear as the interface available for configuring a new cluster. If you have two network adapters installed on the server, select the one which should be used for NLB traffic.

Step 4: Select the interface and click Next.

Step 5: In the New Cluster: Host Parameters window click Next without any changes.

Step 6: In the New Cluster: Cluster IP Addresses click Add and enter IPv4 address and Subnet mask. This is the cluster IP address that is shared by every host in the cluster. Network load balancing adds this IP address to the TCP/IP stack on the selected interface of all hosts that are chosen to be a part of the cluster. Click OK and then Next.

Step 7: In the New Cluster: Cluster Parameters window enter the full Internet name for the NLB cluster - this is the DNS host name, which will resolve to the cluster IP address. Select the appropriate cluster operation mode depending on your network setup. For more information about cluster operation modes and other properties, see 'Network Load Balancing Manager Properties' in the Microsoft Library. Click Next.

Step 8: In the New Cluster: Port Rules window delete the default port rules and create port rules for ports 80 and 443 as shown on the screenshots below. Select affinity type. Each affinity specifies a different method for distributing client requests. If None is selected, multiple requests from the same client can access any member. In case of a Single affinity multiple requests from the same client access the same member. For better performance it is better to use an affinity type None. For more information about affinity types, see 'Using NLB' in the Microsoft Library.

Step 9: When port rules are added click Finish. Network Load Balancing Manager will start configuring a cluster. Connection to the server might be lost for a few moments, because of network interface reconfiguration.

Step 10: Add all Web server hosts where the Sana Commerce web applications are installed to the cluster one by one in the following way. In the Network Load Balancing Manager right-click on the created cluster and then select Add Host To Cluster.

Step 11: In the Add Host to Cluster: Connect window enter the IP address of the Web server where the Sana Commerce web applications are installed into the Host field and click Connect. It should appear as the interface available for configuring a new cluster.

Step 12: Select the interface and click Next.

Step 13: In the New Cluster: Host Parameters window click Next without any changes.

Step 14: If port rules are the same like on the screenshot below, click Finish. There should be port rules for ports 80 and 443 as configured in step 8.

Step 15: Just in the same way as described above (starting from step 10) you should add all Web server hosts where the Sana Commerce web applications are installed to the cluster.

    You must manually register the NLB cluster host and IP address in DNS by using a host (A) or (AAAA) record. In DNS Manager expand your domain under Forward Lookup Zones and select New Host (A or AAAA). Register the NLB cluster host and IP address.