Morikk
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Exchange 2010 ARR
Setting up a new Exchange 2010 environment with Server 2008R2 ARR IIS server for my front end OWA access. Question is should I setup load balancing on my ARR server, or Windows NLB my Client Access Array and point my ARR server to the cluster?
I have tested both solutions and both seem to work, though I am not testing under a heavy load.
Setting up the load balance on ARR requires client affinity, while using NLB on the CA cluster automatically by design will connect the client with only one node. (I believe)
I have tested both solutions and both seem to work, though I am not testing under a heavy load.
Setting up the load balance on ARR requires client affinity, while using NLB on the CA cluster automatically by design will connect the client with only one node. (I believe)
ASKER
Well using IIS ARR Client affinity cookie seems to work, and also using WNLB IP affinity is keeping the client on one node as well, so my question is which would be the preferred method.
The RPC CAS array address should NOT be used for anything other than MAPI TCP traffic. The address should be used internally only, for that service only and should not resolve externally.
The Exchange product team don't recommend the use of Windows NLB, which is a good thing because it sucks. I also cannot find anything that indicates that ARR on Windows 2008 R2 is supported. Therefore it doesn't really matter which solution you use, you are likely to be unsupported or have problems with either.
I can find Windows 2012 ARR guidelines with Exchange 2013 though.
I wouldn't have bothered with the separate CAS role servers myself, spent the money on a real load balancer instead.
Simon.
The Exchange product team don't recommend the use of Windows NLB, which is a good thing because it sucks. I also cannot find anything that indicates that ARR on Windows 2008 R2 is supported. Therefore it doesn't really matter which solution you use, you are likely to be unsupported or have problems with either.
I can find Windows 2012 ARR guidelines with Exchange 2013 though.
I wouldn't have bothered with the separate CAS role servers myself, spent the money on a real load balancer instead.
Simon.
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ASKER
My choices for solution were WNLB or or MS ARR server using Client Affinity.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff625247(v=exchg.141).aspx#affinity
I believe you are correct. You may have to go to a layer 7 hardware load balancer to accomplish this.