CSS11501 - VIP Setup for DR in Active/Active Mode

[dily]

I have the following request from the Email team:

EXISTING - CSS at Site A (in one-armed mode) supports "webmail" app for the following ports:

- content webmail_http, port 80

- content webmail_https, port 443

- content webmail_imap, port 143

- content webmail_imaps, port 993
- content webmail_pop3s, port 995

NEW - Adding 2nd CSS at Site B support the same app/tcp ports with new servers/mailboxes at site B

Site A & Site B are physically/logically separated by a MAN (behind different WAN/LAN routers/switches, in different IP subnet/vlan).

Want to setup DR in active/active mode, ie. both CSS's at Sites A & B support "webmail" VIP - load sharing.

How would CSS config be setup for this request:

Main VIP - "webmail"

Load sharing between 2 VIP's - "webmail_siteA" & "webmail_siteB" from 2 CSS's at different sites?

Pls help.

Regards,

Diane Ly

[chrhiggi]

Hello Diane

There are 3 different ways to handle an active/active setup - you can use 'VIP and interface redundancy', GSLB on the CSS ,or a GSS and CSS combination.

Vip and interface Redundancy:

http://cco/en/US/products/hw/contnetw/ps792/products_configuration_example09186a00802206a3.shtml

CSS GSLB:

http://cco/en/US/products/hw/contnetw/ps792/products_configuration_example09186a00801dcd75.shtml

GSS/CSS Combo:

There are no direct examples, but in effect, you would have 2 different domains, one for each site. The answers for those domains would be vips and based on both Kal-Ap and rtt from the client to each answer (hence if a site goes down, the client will be directed to the other side.)  With this mode, the CSS's can be configured for no redundancy/awareness of eachother at all if that is what is desired.

Kal-Ap-

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/contnetw/ps4162/products_configuration_example09186a00801f230e.shtml

On a sidenote, the CSS has a vast technical library with sample configs located here:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/contnetw/ps792/prod_configuration_examples_list.html

Regards,

Chris Higgins

[dily]

Hi Chris,

Thank you for forwarding the CCO doc links.

I think my best bet is going to use config guide for Global Server Load Balancing Site Redundancy Using the CSS with DNS - with a "twist"

since my setup is little bit different:

Site A - has a pair of CSS11501's - running 1-armed mode, box-to-box redundancy with app session between 2 CSS's at local site A

Site B - has a pair of CSS11501's - running 1-armed mode, box-to-box redundancy with app session between 2 CSS's at local site B

Site A & B - are in the same domain

Webmail VIP needs to load-balance between these 2 sites - ie. not running primary & backup as shown in the example config.

Thank you.

Regards,
Diane Ly
TI Network Infrastructure