print servers load balancing

Hey Angelo. Can you confirm the print servers have a route back to your client(s) via the F5?

Angelo, could you post the config for your virtual server?

I got it working this is the config

 

 

VS configuration on F5

 

 

ltm virtual vs_bc_printing {

 

destination 10.237.0.1:any

 

ip-protocol tcp

 

mask 255.255.255.255

 

partition BRC

 

persist {

 

/Common/source_addr {

 

default yes

 

}

 

}

 

pool pool_bc_citrix_printers

 

profiles {

 

FastL4_Print { }

 

}

 

rules {

 

LB_logging

 

}

 

snat automap

 

translate-port disabled

 

vlans-disabled

 

}

 

 

In conjunction to this a loopback adapter will need to be created on the Wintel server (no reboot is required for this setup and the commands must be run to activate the adapter..)

 

 

Click Start, select Run and enter hdwwiz to start the Hardware Installation Wizard

 

When the Wizard has started, click Next

 

Select 'Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced)', click Next

 

Select 'Network adapters', click Next

 

Select 'Microsoft' & 'Microsoft Loopback Adapter', click Next

 

1. Right click network icon in the systray and click Network and Sharing Centre

 

2. Click Change adapter settings

 

3. Right-click the new loopback adapter and select Properties

 

4. Un-check all items except Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)

 

5. Select Internet Protocol Version (TCP/IPv4), click Properties and configure the IP address to be the same as the Virtual Server (VIP), with a full subnet mask of the individual IP e.g. 255.255.255.255. Do not add a gateway.

 

6. Click OK on the TCP/IP popup window, then click Close on the Local Area Connection window to save the new settings For Windows 2008, its not necessary to modify the interface metric on the advanced tab and should be left set to Automatic

 

8. Rename the loopback "Loopback" from localareaconnection 2

 

9. Run the following in a command prompt:

 

netsh interface ipv4 set interface "Local Area Connection" weakhostreceive=enabled

 

netsh interface ipv4 set interface "Loopback" weakhostreceive=enabled

 

netsh interface ipv4 set interface "Loopback" weakhostsend=enabled

 

10. Now repeat the above process for all other Windows 2008 real servers

I've seen a couple of posts similar to this regarding load balancing print servers, and they all seem to indicate that the loopback address is required in order for it to function as expected. However looking at your configuration for your virtual server you do not have "translate-address disabled", so is it actually required?

 

Am I completely off base here? I only ask because a colleague was looking to accomplish something similar.