2 Server Load Balancing and Fail-over Protection (Windows 2008 w/ xampp Apache)

[Argonto]

Hi,

I need to setup a load balancing/fail-over solution for my web server. The server is currently running on Server 2008 with an installation of xampp for Apache and MySQL. I have one other server and would like to use it for the load balancing/fail-over solution. I have tested the builtin cluster functionality, but it seems to require a minimum of 3 servers and if the cluster host goes down all is lost. Am i wrong in that assumption?

Do you know of possible solutions for load balancing/fail-over with only 2 servers? Do you of any way to do so with systems using apache and mysql?

Thanks!

 

[Diancecht]

Hi,

Usually the load balancer is not one of the servers: it's a dedicated piece of software or hardware that ensures high avaliability. To do a proper fail-over, there must be something up when the server is down to do the redirection, so AFAIK it's not possible what you try to do without an extra element.

There are a lot of free solutions for load balancing, I'd consider having a look at them. Here is an example

Cheers,
Dian

 

[vacunita]

I have to agree with Dianecht. Load Balancing is performed from an outside source to 2 or more independent servers. so that if one fails it does not affect the other one, or the load balancer.

Basically the load balancer checks for the existence, functionality, and work load of a set of servers and acts accordingly to redirect the request.

If your load balancer exists on the same server it is checking, then what happens if it goes down?

The load balancer also acts as a final fail safe in case no servers are available to fulfill the request. The load balancer would then issue a message of un-availability.

[REQUEST]
|
[balancer]
|
-----------------------------------
| | |
[server1] [server2] [serverN]

If the entire server cluster goes down, then the balancer is useless either way.

----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

Web & Tech