Network Load Balancing

[Marta]

Hello every body!
I need your help urgently! I am trying to configure NLB in two servers that play the role of Smtp Servers. They forward the messages from the internal Exchange Server to Internet. I am having a lot of problems because the machines are connected to a switch, and this is what occurs: only one Nlb node can relay messages to Internet (the one with the less number from 1 to 32)and the other one can only go out when the first node is down. I have configured both nodes to work 50%/50%, and Nlb shares the messages between both nodes, but only one can go out to Internet. I have also noticed that the switch sees different Mac Adresses for both nodes, besides from each node, when you run Ipconfig /all, you can see the same. These masc adresses aren??t the physical adresses of the network cards without Nlb.
Can you help me????
I don??t have more ideas. I have tried to put a hub between the two Nlb Servers and the switch but it goes the same.
Thank you very much.
Regards,

Marta

[Robert Demmer_1]

hi,
what type of switch do you have? You should not only enable load balancing function on the NICs but also 2 ports of the switch. Could be named like load-balancing, port-trunking, FastEtherChannel (FEC) or similar.

hth

robert

[Marta]

Hi Robert,
Could you explain it to me, please?
I dont know the exact model of the switch, I think it is a Cisco Catalist 5500 (is this possible?). I would try to get the model exactly. Do I have to configure something in the switch? Can you explain it to me more slowly, please?
Thank you very much for your help.

Marta

[Robert Demmer_1]

marta,

be careful if you are not sure what to do in the switch config, better ask your switch-admin. But if you are interested in configuring "etherchannel" on Cisco 5000serie you should go to
http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/lan/cat5000/rel_6_3/config/channel.htm

there you can find the info needed (i hope so)

hth

robert