Auto finding working SCADA IP address

How do you ensure your remote client would point to standby server IP when the primary server failed or shutdown for update? It’s common that you want to offer best user experience with seamless transition during any maintenance work. So you would need single IP for remote access although you have multiple servers behind. And Network Load Balancing will help you to achieve just that. This guide shows you how to achieve SCADA redundancy with NLB in Windows Server 2008 R2.

  1. From Window Start menu, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager. In the Features Summary area of the Server Manager main window, click Add Features.
  2. In the Add Features Wizard, select the check box next to Windows Network Load Balancing.
  3. Click Install.

To create an NLB cluster:

  1. To open Network Load Balancing Manager, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Network Load Balancing Manager.
  2. Right-click Network Load Balancing Clusters, and then click New Cluster.
  3. Connect to the host that is to be a part of the new cluster. In Host, enter the IP address of the host, and then click Connect.
  4. Select the interface that you want to use with the cluster, and then click Next.
  5. In Host Parameters, select a value in Priority (Unique host identifier). This parameter specifies a unique ID for each host. Click Next to continue.
  6. In Cluster IP Addresses, click Add to enter the cluster IP address that is shared by every host in the cluster. This is also the virtual IP addresses by which the cluster will be accessible on the network Click Next to continue.
  7. In Cluster Parameters, enter the full Internet name of the cluster. In Cluster operation mode, click Unicast to specify that a unicast media access control (MAC) address should be used for cluster operations. Click Next to continue.
  8. In Port Rules, click Edit if would like to modify the default port rules. Else, click Finish to create the cluster.

To add more hosts to the cluster :

  1. Right click on the cluster name and select Add Host to Cluster.
  2. Enter the IP address of the host to be added as a new cluster node and click on Connect.
    Select the interface that you want to use with the cluster, and then click Next.
  3. Configure the host parameters (specify the unique ID/ priority for the new node). Click Next to change any of the cluster port rule settings.
  4. Click Finish to add host to the cluster.

Once finished, the new host will be listed in the manager screen with a status of Pending, followed by Converging and finally Converged.

Additional References:
Microsoft Technet

Techotopia – Building a Windows Server 2008 Network Load Balancing Cluster

Youtube Video Guide