CSS Citrix CAG Load Balancing

[CHRIS POLLARD]

Hi,

I'm looking to get an opinion as to whether we should see even load balancing over two services.  The content rule is configured as follows :-

content secure_cag
  add service citrix_cag_1
  port 443
  protocol tcp
  vip address 10.80.2.150
  balance srcip
  add service citrix_cag_2
  sticky-inact-timeout 240
  flow-timeout-multiplier 1800
  active

Services :-

service citrix_cag_x
  keepalive type tcp
  keepalive port 443
  ip address 10.200.16.18
  active

At present we only have around 40 users using it but at times we are seeing a very uneven distribution of sessions, as much as 80% on one server.  Do we have too few users to see effective load balancing? Maybe our long timeout settings are breaking load balancing?

Thanks for any insight anyone can share.

[Sean Merrow]

Hi Chris,

You might want to try balance leastconn for your balancing method.  Also, note that you are not currently configured for sticky, so the sticky timeout you have configured isn't doing anything.  Do you require sticky?  If you do not require sticky, then leastconn should give you the best distribution across services at any given point in time.  Adding sticky, such as with advanced-balance sticky-srcip, will skew load balancing as clients become stuck to one service.

Hope this helps,

Sean

[CHRIS POLLARD]

Thanks Sean,  yes we did have advanced-balance sticky-srcip but removed it in an effort to improve the load balancing.

I'll try balance leastconn and see if that improves matters.

Regards,

Chris