Standard Usage Model

The most reliable and secure way to use the Network Load Balancing provider is to never make use of remote operations. This can be done by observing the following procedure:

To Configure a Cluster

  1. Independently obtain and maintain a list of cluster members which includes their dedicated IP addresses.

  2. Using the membership list, establish a direct connection with a cluster node.

    1. Obtain a MicrosoftNLB_Node class representing the node. If necessary, use class methods to initiate draining, suspend cluster activity, or otherwise halt the flow of traffic to the node.
    2. Obtain a MicrosoftNLB_NodeSetting class representing the node's configuration settings.
    3. Obtain MicrosoftNLB_PortRule classes representing the port rules associated with the node.
    4. Configure the node. See Configuring User Interface Settings. The SetToDefault method can be useful here.
    5. When all settings are correct, use the LoadAllSettings method to commit the changes to the cluster.
  3. Repeat step 2 until all cluster nodes have been configured.