CSS SLB within same VLAN

Question

Hi -
We have a need to load-balance requests within the same VLAN, but need to make sure it only happens then. We have multiple web servers all members of the same subnet, these servers are grouped differently in 5 different VIPS whose IPs are also part of the same subnet.
Example: We need server A, who is a member of VIP Z, to talk to VIP Y and be load-balanced. These servers and VIPs are all part of the same subnet. however, when that same server A talks to host C somewhere else we don't want it to be translated.
We'll obviously need to use groups and ACLs, but would we be using 'add service XX' in the group command or the 'add destination service XX' command? Should we NAT these connections as a new IP address, or just fake out the dest VIP so that it thinks the sender's MAC is the CSS?
Anyone have a sample config from doing this before?
Thanks!
chad

Answer 1

Thanks for the info, Steve. I have looked at a couple of online references including that one, but they all seem to be just a percentage of what I'm looking to do. It's probably a combination of them all put together, but because these VIPs are production websites I want to make sure I don't have to try this a second time. To make it make more sense I'll paste in what I'm trying to do below.
First, I have these 2 content VIPs:
content www-LT-80
vip address 10.28.128.30
protocol tcp
port 80
url "/*"
advanced-balance arrowpoint-cookie
arrowpoint-cookie browser-expire
add service lt-bw02-80
add service lt-bw04-80
add service lt-bw06-80
add service lt-bw08-80
add service lt-bw10-80
add service lt-bw12-80
add service lt-bw14-80
add service lt-bw16-80
add service lt-bw18-80
add service lt-bw20-80
add service lt-bw22-80
add service lt-bw24-80
add service lt-bw26-80
add service lt-bw28-80
add service lt-bw30-80
add service lt-bw32-80
balance leastconn
active
content rc-LT-80
vip address 10.28.128.38
protocol tcp
port 80
url "/*"
advanced-balance arrowpoint-cookie
arrowpoint-cookie browser-expire
balance leastconn
add service rc-pub08-80
add service rc-pub06-80
add service rc-pub04-80
add service rc-pub02-80
active
Second, these are the services in each VIP respectively. I'll only paste 1 service from each VIP, all the others are the same just with incrementing IPs:
service lt-bw02-80
ip address 10.28.128.51
protocol tcp
port 80
string wwwltbw2
keepalive type script ap-kal-httptag "10.28.128.51 /keepalive.asp www.lendingtree.com"
keepalive frequency 15
active
service rc-pub02-80
ip address 10.28.128.171
protocol tcp
port 80
string rcpub02
keepalive type script ap-kal-httptag "10.28.128.171 /keepalive.asp rc.lendingtree.com"
keepalive frequency 15
active
Goal to achieve:
I need the lt-bwXX-80 services that are members of the first VIP to be able to talk to the second (RC) VIP and be load-balanced. The caveat is that when these lt-bwXX-80 services talk to other hosts through the CSS I do not want them being NATted at all, for reporting reasons their IPs need to stay the same. To touch on your earlier comment, all of these VIPs are also load-balanced to the Internet for web browsing. Basically, I need some form of address translation, whether it be IP or MAC, but only on specific to/from relationships.
Does that help make it more clear? Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Chad