DOCUMENT:Q247768 08-AUG-2001 [winnt] TITLE :No Load Balancing When Connecting to Cluster Virtual IP Address PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows NT PROD/VER:winnt:1.0,4.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kbnetwork kbtool ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Load Balancing Service 1.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYMPTOMS ======== When you obtain access to a cluster virtual Internet Protocol (IP) address from a cluster node of the same cluster, the connection is always made to the local computer. CAUSE ===== This behavior occurs because the cluster IP address is interpreted as a local address, so the Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) stack loops the connection back to the local host. Because of this, the packets are never sent to the network, and Windows Load Balancing Service (WLBS) fault tolerance and load balancing are not effective. RESOLUTION ========== To obtain access to other hosts on the cluster, the dedicated IP address of the respective node must be used. To achieve load balancing with the client running on a WLBS cluster, the server program must reside on a different cluster. STATUS ====== This behavior is by design. Additional query words: ====================================================================== Keywords : kbnetwork kbtool Technology : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTSEntSearch kbWinNTSEnt400 kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTLBS100 kbWinNTLBSSearch Version : winnt:1.0,4.0 Issue type : kbprb ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2001.