Server load balancing with PIX

[kdasari]

I need to translate two dmz servers to registered IP and enable inbound connection as well as outbound connection to both these servers. Is it possible?

for example

static(dmz,outside) 12.176.23.12 10.17.200.54 netmask

static(dmz,outside) 12.176.23.12 10.17.200.55 netmask

will this config work with out any problems pix doing the roundrobin translation.

in ios this can be achieved with inside destination nat with pool of rotary type for example?

What are the considerations and issues one should be aware, if at all it works?

thanks

JSC

[scoclayton]

The PIX will take this configuration but you will not achieve your load balancing goal. With the config above, all packets sent to 12.176.23.12 will be translated via the first static in the config (top most if parsing the config from the top-down). There is no config that you can put into the PIX that will allow you to load balance between 2 servers as you specified above.

My suggestion in this case (if you cannot afford a CSS or some other load balancing device) is to employ IOS SLB on the router outside of the PIX. Then just create 1:1 statics on the PIX for the 2 servers that IOS SLB is going to use.

Let me know if this is not clear. Good luck.

Scott

[kdasari]

Scot:

Thanks for the message. I was hoping to achieve this in the PIX. Well, I could do this outside of pix via dns round robin, or IOS SLB or NAT rotary etc.

Any ideas as to why this is not supported in the PIX?

Thanks.

[scoclayton]

1) either it was never requested as a feature, or

2) the development team choose to spend their time on other features deemed more important.

I don't think there is a silver bullet answer to this question...that I am aware of.

Sorry

Scott