This article describes how to configure GSLB Parent-Child topology on NetScaler using the new GSLB wizard.

Background

You can now use the wizard to configure the GSLB deployment types as active-active, active-passive, and parent-child topology. This wizard is available in the NetScaler GUI. To access the wizard, navigate to Configuration > Traffic Management > GSLB and then click Get Started. You can also access this wizard from the GSLB dashboard. Navigate to Configuration > Traffic Management > GSLB > Dashboard and then click Configure GSLB.

Parent-Child Topology Configuration

In a parent-child topology, at the top level are parent sites, which have peer relationships with other parents. Each parent can have multiple child sites and each parent site exchanges health information with its child sites and with other parent sites. However, a child site communicates only with its parent site.

The following diagram shows the workflow involved in a GSLB parent-child topology configuration.

Prerequisites

Prior to configuring a Parent-Child site, ensure that the following prerequisites have been met:

• A standard load balancing setup for each server farm or data center.
• Also, for synchronizing the GSLB configuration across the GSLB sites in the deployment, make sure that:
  • Local GLSB Sites are configured on all the appliances in the GSLB configuration.
  • You have enabled management access on all the GSLB Sites in the configuration.
  • You have configured the firewall to accept the auto synchronization and MEP connections.
  • All the NetScaler appliances participating as sites should have the same NetScaler software versions because the sites are not in a master-slave relationship.
  • The RPC node password is same across all the GSLB sites in the GSLB configuration.

Instructions

To configure GSLB Parent-Child sites on NetScaler using the wizard:

1. Navigate to Traffic Management > GSLB > Click Get Started button.

2. If you have not configured an ADNS service or a DNS virtual server for the site, you can complete this step at this time. Select Configure ADNS Service button.

3. Configure ADNS Parameters and select OK.

4. Select Parent-Child Topology.

• Parent – To configure the site as a parent site. When configuring the parent site, you must configure its associated child sites and also configure the other parent sites in the GSLB setup.
• Child – To configure the site as a child site. When configuring the child site, you must configure only the child sites and its respective parent site.

1. Enter the fully qualified domain name and specify the time period for which the record must be cached by DNS proxies.
2. Configure the GSLB sites.

Note: Each site must be configured with a local GSLB site, and each site's configuration must include all the other sites as remote GSLB sites. There can be only one local site and all other sites in other boxes are remote sites. If the specified site IP address is owned by the appliance (for example, a MIP address or SNIP address), the site is a local site. Otherwise, it is a remote site.

Health Monitor:  If a monitor is to be bound to the GSLB service, select the condition under which the monitor is to monitor the service. The possible conditions are:

• Always - Monitor the GSLB service at all times.
• MEP Fails - Monitor the GSLB service only when the exchange of metrics through MEP fails.
• MEP Fails and Service is DOWN - Exchange of metrics through MEP is enabled but the status of the service, updated through metrics exchange, is DOWN.

Note: This will be effective only after a monitor is bound to the services.

• Enter the service details such as service name, service type, and port number.
• Associate the service with a site (local or remote) by selecting the GSLB site where the GSLB service belongs.
• Select the monitor that must be bound to the service when MEP fails, if required. The service can be an existing server or you can create a new server or a virtual server.
  • To associate an existing server, select the server name. The service IP address is auto-populated. If the public IP is different from the server IP, which can happen in a NAT environment, then enter the public IP address and the port number of the public port.
  • To associate a new server, create a server by entering the server IP details and its public IP address and the port number of the public port.
  • To associate a virtual server, select an already existing virtual server or click + and add a new virtual server. This vserver is the load balancing vserver to which this GSLB service will be associated.

8. Verify GSLB Services and click Continue.

9. Configure the GSLB virtual servers.

10. Click Done if the configuration is complete. The GSLB dashboard appears.