Hi,
We are buying ACEs. We're having an outside contractor do the initial implementation, but I'll be maintaining after they leave, so I'm reading to get conversant with the technology.
I've come across config instructions that seem to mean the VIP of a server farm is the IP address of the interface for the VLAN the real servers are in.
Is that true?
Later... In the same doc (full doc details below...), near the end of "Configuring Basic...", in the Verifying the VIP Load-Balancing section, it says "You can also verify access to the real servers by using a Telnet session to connect to the VIP address". But the address they use to demonstrate (172.19.110.9) was not configured on anything in this doc. And it certainly isn't the IP address of the interface for the VLAN the real servers are in... I think I'm confused...
Wait - Steps 5 & 6, in Configure the VIP Traffic Policy creates a class-map, then does "match virtual-address 172.19.110.9 any". Is THAT where the VIP gets created?
(My first instinct, before any reading, was that you'd somehow assign an IP address to the server farm itself. But this doc doesn't say any such thing.)
Also - It seems to me this means that implementing smaller server farms (one farm for 5 web servers for instance, another for 5 ftp servers...) requires subnetting if you don't want to waste huge piles of address space. True?
(I know this is very basic stuff - any and all guidance/confirmation/correction most sincerely appreciated...)
The doc I'm referring to is Cisco Applicaton Control Engine Module Getting Started Guide. (http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/modules/ps2706/products_configuration_guide_book09186a008068537d.html)
chapter Configuring the ACE and Performing Basic VIP Load Balancing, section Configuring a Server Farm, starting with Step 9.
