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Link below indicates downtime required with NLB changes:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepoint2010setup/thread/44533bdd-e75a-478c-af1d-d0d05c9db85e/" rel="ugc nofollow">http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepoint2010setup/thread/44533bdd-e75a-478c-af1d-d0d05c9db85e/</a><br />
<br />
Downtime required for configuring NLB is quite short (about 5 mins) but if it is production I suggest to take it down for 1h or more if environment is more complex. NLB requires also changes in AAM, DNS and some testing:)<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725691.aspx" rel="ugc">http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725691.aspx</a><br />
<br />
High-availability<br />
<br />
A highly available system reliably provides an acceptable level of service with minimal downtime. To provide high availability, NLB includes built-in features that can automatically:<br />
<br />
Detect and recover from a cluster host that fails or goes offline. <br />
<br />
Balance the network load when hosts are added or removed. <br />
<br />
Recover and redistribute the workload within ten seconds &nbsp;&lt;==
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Link below indicates downtime required with NLB changes:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepoint2010setup/thread/44533bdd-e75a-478c-af1d-d0d05c9db85e/ [http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepoint2010setup/thread/44533bdd-e75a-478c-af1d-d0d05c9db85e/]

Downtime required for configuring NLB is quite short (about 5 mins) but if it is production I suggest to take it down for 1h or more if environment is more complex. NLB requires also changes in AAM, DNS and some testing:)


http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725691.aspx [http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725691.aspx]

High-availability

A highly available system reliably provides an acceptable level of service with minimal downtime. To provide high availability, NLB includes built-in features that can automatically:

Detect and recover from a cluster host that fails or goes offline.

Balance the network load when hosts are added or removed.

Recover and redistribute the workload within ten seconds  <==

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If I currently has 3 Win 2008 servers under MS NLB &amp;&nbsp;wishes to add another<br />
Win 2008 (another Web IIS or App HL7 servers), does this require downtime<br />
or it can be done seamlessly on-the-fly without service downtime.<br />
<br />
I heard F5 LB doesn't require downtime &amp;&nbsp;is seamless, is this true?
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If I currently has 3 Win 2008 servers under MS NLB & wishes to add another
Win 2008 (another Web IIS or App HL7 servers), does this require downtime
or it can be done seamlessly on-the-fly without service downtime.

I heard F5 LB doesn't require downtime & is seamless, is this true?

Does MS Network Load Balancing NLB incur downtime when adding more servers vs F5 LB

The Windows operating systems have distinct methodologies for designing and implementing networks, and have specific systems to accomplish various networking processes, such as Exchange for email, Sharepoint for shared files and programs, and IIS for delivery of web pages. Microsoft also produces server technologies for networked database use, security and virtualization.

Windows Networking

Networking is the process of connecting computing devices, peripherals and terminals together through a system that uses wiring, cabling or radio waves that enable their users to communicate, share information and interact over distances. Often associated are issues regarding operating systems, hardware and equipment, cloud and virtual networking, protocols, architecture, storage and management.

Networking

The Microsoft Legacy Operating System topic includes legacy versions of Microsoft operating systems prior to Windows 2000: All versions of MS-DOS and other versions developed for specific manufacturers and Windows 3/3.1, Windows 95 and Windows 98, plus any other Windows-related versions, and Windows Mobile.