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Q258609: WLBS Cluster Appears to Stop Servicing Clients

Article: Q258609
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): winnt:4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetwork
Last Modified: 08-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

Host members of a Windows Load Balancing Service (WLBS) cluster that is
configured to operate in Unicast mode (Multicast support is disabled) and is
directly connected to a switch may suddenly stop servicing clients. Rebooting
the cluster hosts appears to correct the problem.

CAUSE
=====

By default, WLBS masks the cluster's virtual media access control (VMAC) address
when sending packets to prevent a switch from learning the VMAC address and
associating it with a port (for WLBS to work properly, packets going to the
virtual IP address must reach all cluster hosts). If the switch associates the
VMAC address with a port, packets going to the virtual IP address are sent to
just the cluster host that is connected to the port on which the switch created
the association in its index table.

The full Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) version of Network Monitor
(Netmon) binds to the adapter below the WLBS NDIS miniport driver and has a
security feature that emits Logical Link Control (LLC) frames when capturing
data to warn other computers in the local area network (LAN) that packets are
being sniffed. Because these LLC frames originate from the Netmon driver below
the WLBS driver, WLBS has no chance to mask the VMAC address. The switch would
then add an entry in its Index table mapping the VMAC address to the port from
which it received the LLC frame. Packets with a destination of the virtual IP
address would only reach the host that sent the LLC frame. This host would not
service clients that are supposed to be serviced by the other cluster hosts.

RESOLUTION
==========

Do not use the SMS version of Network Monitor in a WLBS cluster host if cluster
operations rely on WLBS masking the cluster VMAC address.

MORE INFORMATION
================

This behavior does not occur in Microsoft Windows 2000 because the SMS version
of Netmon binds to the Network Load Balancing (NLB) component.

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in
the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q193602 Configuration Options for WLBS Hosts Connected to Layer 2 Switch

Additional query words:

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Keywords          : kbnetwork 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTSEntSearch kbWinNTSEnt400 kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400
Version           : winnt:4.0
Issue type        : kbprb

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