Network Load Balancing- High Availability with 2X RAS
Last updated on October 2, 2019
We’ve just launched the beta of 2X Remote Application Server (2X RAS) v14, with amazing new features. To ensure a smooth transition when upgrading to this version, please review the upgrade procedure (based on best practices) here: http://www.2x.com/2x-ras-upgrade/
This article describes one of the new features of 2X RAS: high availability network load balancing.
High Availability Network Load Balancing Overview
Advancements in technology are facilitating and automating many aspects of a company’s core services. With this increasing reliance on technology in the business environment, a decline in performance cripples an organization’s ability to operate. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Should the system fail altogether, the results could be devastating, because business cannot be conducted during the downtime.
2X recognizes this core requirement, and in the beta version 14 of 2X RAS has extended the load balancing solution to contemplate high availability environments when distributing connections to gateways. Before the beta version 14, 2X RAS ensured terminal server redundancy by checking server availability before forwarding RDS or VDI host connections to a particular server. The high availability load balancing feature, also known as HALB, provides an additional layer of redundancy by also contemplating which gateway a connection is distributed to.
High Availability Network Load Balancing Setup
HALB is a software solution that sits between the user and the 2X RAS gateways. Many HALB services can run simultaneously, one acting as the master and the others as slaves. The higher the number of HALB services available, the lower the probability that users will experience downtime. The master and slave appliances share a common or virtual IP, also known as VIP. Should the master HALB service fail, a slave is promoted to master and takes its place seamlessly.
Before you can load balance RDS and VDI host connections using HALB, you first have to import an appliance to a Hypervisor platform such VirtualBox, VMware or Hyper-V. An appliance is a preconfigured virtual machine including the operating system and other relevant settings. After installation, the appliance must be configured from a 2X RAS farm.
For the full HALB installation and configuration step-by-step procedure recommended by 2X, please review the following guide: http://www.2x.com/support/ras/deploy-and-configure-halb-appliance/
The SSL decryption process can also be configured to be performed by the HALB appliance, to relieve load from the 2X gateways with a new feature named SSL Offloading, configurable during the setup process.
Other new and cool 2X RAS V14 beta features: