Configuring Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB)

Global server load balancing is used to manage traffic flow to a web site hosted on two separate server farms that ideally are in different geographic locations. For example, consider a Web site, www.mycompany.com, which is hosted on two geographically separated server farms or data centers. Both server farms use NetScaler appliances. The NetScaler appliances in these server farms are set up in one-arm mode and function as authoritative DNS servers for the www.mycompany.com domain. The following figure illustrates this configuration.

Figure 1. Basic GSLB Topology

To configure such a GSLB setup, you must first configure a standard load balancing setup for each server farm or data center. This enables you to balance load across the different servers in each server farm. Then, configure both NetScaler appliances as authoritative DNS (ADNS) servers. Next, create a GSLB site for each server farm, configure GSLB virtual servers for each site, create GLSB services, and bind the GSLB services to the GSLB virtual servers. Finally, bind the domain to the GSLB virtual servers. The GSLB configurations on the two appliances at the two different sites are identical, although the load-balancing configurations for each site is specific to that site.

Note: To configure a GSLB site in a NetScaler cluster setup, see Setting Up GSLB in a Cluster.

Configuring a Standard Load Balancing Setup

A load balancing virtual server balances the load across different physical servers in the data center. These servers are represented as services on the NetScaler appliance, and the services are bound to the load balancing virtual server.

For details on configuring a basic load balancing setup, see Load Balancing.