CSCuq03168 & CSCuq14783: Microsoft Network Load Balancing support on Nexus 9300

[heinz.rietmann]

Hi there

I have a customer using Microsoft NLB which is migrating to Nexus 9300 Switches. NLB seems to be currently not supported, neither in unicast nor in multicast mode.

Will the issue be resolved?

If yes,

- which NLB flavour will be supported: unicast, multicast or IGMP multicast?

- what is the target release?

Cheers,

Heinz

[Chris Knipe]

Guys anything? Another customer running into these same issues. This is looking like it has been a bug for over 1 year.  Any chance we are planning resolve it in the near future.

[Tyler Jeffords]

Configure Nexus 9300 Unicast NLB

[heinz.rietmann]

Hi Tyler

Thanks for your feedback, but this document is not really helpful, because it works only with a single NLB host. In a "normal" NLB environment there will be multiple hosts connected to different access switches to provide redundancy. The doc presents no solution for this scenario.

Therefore the questions still remain:

Will the issue be resolved?

If yes,

- which NLB flavour will be supported: unicast, multicast or IGMP multicast?

- what is the target release?

Cheers,

Heinz

[Tyler Jeffords]

Unicast NLB is only supported on the N9K when all NLB cluster members must be reachable via the same port-channel/physical interface from the perspective of the N9K so you will need switch/hub in between the servers and N9K, there are no further planned enhancements for NLB on the N9K.

Multicast NLB is not supported as this is a Broadcom limitation.

- Tyler Jeffords

[nmaishari]

Hi Tyler

I am not sure, but how this can be a solution. By having a switch or hub, we are inviting a single point of failure in  our design and that defeat the purpose of having NLB solutions.

Why can't the software be fixed. It was working fine for us with Catalyst switch 3560. Idea moving to nexus was better technology and not limitations.

Cisco should fix the software bug asap.

Cheers,

Nayan

[rhub]

Hi all,

I fully agree with Nayan and all the others, who are hit by this problem; it can't be a solution to put a single switch in place behind a pair of NX 9300. This has to be fixed immediately.

We had an old Catalyst 4510R in place before, which we replaced by NX9300. Before it worked perfectly  and now we are spending hours and hours trying to find a solution.

We are dealing with this for more than a year now and the customers are getting impatient.

Cheers

Roman

[Juan Leon]

At 9.2.8 NLB in Multicast and IGMP modes are supported on the N9K switches.

I tested the commands on a 9336C-FX2 and they were accepted.

Please check the link listed below:

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/nexus9000/sw/92x/multicast/b-cisco-nexus-9000-series-nx-os-multicast-routing-configuration-guide-92x/b-cisco-nexus-9000-series-nx-os-multicast-routing-configuration-guide-92x_chapter_01001.htm...