Forum Discussion
doshoru_24091
Nimbostratus
Nimbostratusload balancing biztalk servers -- multiple service ports
We are using Microsoft BizTalk servers to handle HL7 feeds. We're testing with our first client, and they have two feeds -- production, and test, which are differentiated by source IP and destination TCP port. I have the Virtual Server configured for "0" as the port. Production feed is working, but Test feed is not. The client can make a connection, but the socket dies when he tries to send a message.
At first, I thought the problem may have been oneconnect, but I disabled that and still no luck.
Ideas? Relatively new to F5, and complete noob in BizTalk -- development group manages this app.
- What are your ports for Prod/test? It sounds like you have one Virtual Server listening on 0 for any port.. What are your pool members listening on?
Are your pool members in line to the LTM or are you SNATing to route/route back?
It might be a good idea to split up Prod & Test Vips... even if you're using the same backend servers... 
doshoru_24091Sorry for the late reply -- this was backburnered for a while, but has recently moved back up the priority list.
I agree on the Prod & test VIPs and will set that up shortly.
The F5 is in a one-armed configuration, so SNAT (Auto Map) is in play. I have successfully configured multiple Virtual Servers/Pools in the past. Only having issues trying to configure a single VS to listen on any port.
I guess a piece of info I left out is that the BizTalk server differentiates clients based on TCP port. E.g., "client A" uses TCP 50001, "client B" uses 50003, etc.
I just noticed the "Port Translation" option and am going to try that. I just had a thought that maybe the source port (client's end) is not being passed from the F5 to the backend.- doshoru_24091I just had a thought that maybe the source port (client's end) is not being passed from the F5 to the backend.
OK....this was easy enough to test via telnet & netstat. I confirmed that the source port is being persisted all the way to the backend, so that's not it. I still haven't tried the Port Translation option, though. Waiting on the client to confirm he has time to test... 
nitassEmployee
does this help?
sol11003: Change in Behavior: The BIG-IP system no longer determines whether it should preserve the client's source port based on a bigpipe database variable
http://support.f5.com/kb/en-us/solutions/public/11000/000/sol11003.html- doshoru_24091Sadly, no....we're on 10.0.1. I think I may have found the problem though....noob mistake -- Although I had the VS listen port set to "0", I had each member node set to 443....Still waiting to hear from the client on when we can test.
