Load Balancing Question...

[Kevin Darcy]

As Cricket pointed out, listing an address multiple times won't buy you
anything since BIND compresses duplicates. I think what you really want
is *weighted* round-robin. This doesn't exist in stock BIND 8 and so far
I've seen no indication that it'll be available in BIND 9 either. I
implemented a very embryonic form of a "$WEIGHT" zonefile directive for
BIND 8 a few weeks ago, but it's definitely not production code...


- Kevin

Auteria Wally Winzer Jr. wrote:

> I want to test our load balancer scheme, but only with
> 1/4 of the servers against the load balancer box, not all
> 8 servers (currently in rotation).  The present scheme is
> DNS round-robin.  It looks something like this:
>
> Domain snaptest.com
> home    IN    A    205.205.205.61
>             IN    A    205.205.205.62
>             IN    A    205.205.205.63
>             IN    A    205.205.205.64
>             IN    A    205.205.205.65
>             IN    A    205.205.205.66
>             IN    A    205.205.205.67
>             IN    A    205.205.205.68
>
> Round-Robin works as expected.  The TTL is set
> for 15 minutes.  Now, I have a load-balancer, which
> its IP Address is 205.205.205.60.  All 8 of my web
> servers are bound to my load balancer's virtual LAN.
> What I'd like is to have 1/4 of each web server tested
> instead of all 8.  For example.  The load balancer is set
> to 205.205.205.60.  When DNS does its round-robin
> I want to see the following:
>
> Server:  localhost
> Address:  127.0.0.1
>
> Name:    home.SnapTEST.COM
> Addresses:  205.205.205.60, 205.205.205.61, 205.205.205.62,
>                    205.205.205.60, 205.205.205.63, 205.205.205.64,
>                    205.205.205.60, 205.205.205.65, 205.205.205.66,
>                    205.205.205.60, 205.205.205.67, 205.205.205.68
>
> The load balancer will always be first, then 2 of the web servers.
> When you query home again, DNS will round-robin and the next
> set of IP's will display the following:
>
> Server:  localhost
> Address:  127.0.0.1
>
> Name:    home.SnapTEST.COM
> Addresses:  205.205.205.60, 205.205.205.63, 205.205.205.64,
>                    205.205.205.60, 205.205.205.65, 205.205.205.66,
>                    205.205.205.60, 205.205.205.67, 205.205.205.68,
>                    205.205.205.60, 205.205.205.61, 205.205.205.62
>
> And so on.  I don't wish to use multiple CNAMES, only A Records
> (if possible).  My question is:
>
> IS THIS HUMANLY POSSIBLE FOR BIND 8?
>
> I've tried many combinations, but to no avail.
>
> Your response is greatly appreciated.  I thought I knew BIND
> exceptionally well, but I guess I don't know it as well as I thought.
>
> - Wally Winzer Jr.