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Load Balancing Questions/Concerns

From: Dennis J. Bonsall, Jr.
Date: Wednesday, September 15, 1999
Time: 3:55:00 am

I am currently using QuickDNS under the 15 day trial license, and am
attempting to setup a load balancing system, so that I can see how it
works, and choose whether or not I want to go this route. During my
tests, I have noticed something, and am wondering if I might be
performing the test wrong, or whether there is another solution for it.
Here's what happens:

I setup QuickDNS with two WebStar Servers on a pair of brand new G3's (I

am actually running the QuickDNS on a PowerMac 7200). I have the
WebStar QuickDNS responder plugin installed in each copy's plug-in
folder. If I start up my own (development) computer and run Netscape as

my browser, and have QuickDNS logging set to "debug" so I can see the
queries from my browser. If both servers are up and running initially,
it's a "6-of-one, half-dozen-of-the-other" type scenario. My browser
queries my DNS server, and the DNS server routes to one server or the
other. If I then disconnect the server that holds the browser's
connection, and attempt to reload the same site, the browser never
connects to the alternate server, and it appears as though the server is

completely down. My browser never sends another query. Even after
quitting the browser and relaunching, it still does not send an
additional query. Even if I quit Netscape and launch Explorer, I never
see another query come across, and I have to restart my computer in
order to then get my browser to connect to the site via the alternate
server.

Now, if I perform a different query to another site after my failed
attempt to access the disconnected server, then attempt to connect again

to the original site, I notice in QuickDNS's log file that another query

is sent for the original site, but, the connection to the alternate
server is still never made.

Is this normal? I guess that I expected an "on-the-fly" server
switching. After all, if someone accesses one of my hosted sites early
in the day, then leaves their browser running as they (for example)
download a file from somewhere else on the internet, and a few hours
later come back to the site on my server... if I have that server down
for maintenance, it will appear to end user as though the entire site
is down and inaccessible. They will not know instinctively to restart
their computer to access the site. Now, if this happens to be one of my

clients (for whom the site was created), who is just accessing their
site as they regularly do, I can expect a phone call wanting to know why

they cannot access their site. If I tell them to restart their computer

to access it, I am sure that I will get a tongue-lashing.

Please help alleviate my fears about this.

Another question... Just though of this while I was writing this
letter, so I have not had a chance to try this out... If I select
"Refuse Connections" on one server, will that stop the WebStar Responder

from sending its report to QuickDNS, and cause a re-route to the other
server?

Thanks for any information regarding these concerns,

Dennis



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