cfgchiran
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How to load balance Terminal Server using Windows 2003 Standard Server?
I need to increase my Terminal servers from one to five and would like to set up some sort of Load Balancing so that users are automatically directed to the next available server, once the first server reaches a pre-configured max connection limit - say 30 concurrent users.
I believe this is possible through network load balancing - but everything I see in Microsoft seems to refer to using a session directory server - which according to the docs is available only in W2K3 Server Enterprise and Datacenter versions. We only have Standard. Are there any other cost effective options?
Is it possible to load balance based on pre-configured number of con-current hosts?
Thanks.
I believe this is possible through network load balancing - but everything I see in Microsoft seems to refer to using a session directory server - which according to the docs is available only in W2K3 Server Enterprise and Datacenter versions. We only have Standard. Are there any other cost effective options?
Is it possible to load balance based on pre-configured number of con-current hosts?
Thanks.
Don't confuse Load Balancing with Session Directory. All Versions of Server 2003 come with Load Balancing installed.
You only need to enable it on each NIC that you want to use for RDP. Once installed you must configure it. There are several options when using it with TS. You just have to decide whether to use Unicast or Multicast. Both have there uses, but both have some problems. Unicast cant communicate with each of the others servers as they all have the same MAC. Multicast has a different problem as it has 2 MACs and because of such some Routers and Switches will reject the ARP. Bottom line don't use Unicast unless you have 2 NICS. If you only have a single NIC, use Multicast.
I suggest picking up a book on TS. A very good one is: Terminal Services for Microsoft Windows Server 3003 : by Brian Madden
You only need to enable it on each NIC that you want to use for RDP. Once installed you must configure it. There are several options when using it with TS. You just have to decide whether to use Unicast or Multicast. Both have there uses, but both have some problems. Unicast cant communicate with each of the others servers as they all have the same MAC. Multicast has a different problem as it has 2 MACs and because of such some Routers and Switches will reject the ARP. Bottom line don't use Unicast unless you have 2 NICS. If you only have a single NIC, use Multicast.
I suggest picking up a book on TS. A very good one is: Terminal Services for Microsoft Windows Server 3003 : by Brian Madden
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Thats a much better explanation than mine... Go with tsmvp's comments, as he is right on the money.
DNS round robin explained. http://www.zytrax.com/books/dns/ch9/rr.html
Also, I cannot recall who, but someone makes network load balancers that accomplish the same thing