Further Updates...
Last night, while drifting off to sleep, I realized I configured a few items not in the way I intended...
Initial configuration:
- management network 10.0.30.x
- Internal network 10.0.40.x
- external network 10.0.50.x
- HA network 10.0.60.x
Web Servers
- 10.0.40.71
- 10.0.40.72
Here are the "whoops" in my initial configuration:
- Windows 8 workstation had an IP on the "internal" network (10.0.40.41).
- The Virtual Server IP was 10.0.40.81.
To be honest, this connectivity should work. I've had the same connectivity working in our production environment for services that were set up and accessible internally only. So I'm still at a loss as to why the workstation could go to 10.0.40.71 and 10.0.40.72 but could not see the web page when going to 10.0.40.81.
This morning, I reconfigured the network as follows:
- Workstation on external network. Changed the virtual machine configuration, taking the second network interface card off of the Internal Network and placing it on the External Network. Changed the IP from 10.0.40.41 to 10.0.50.41.
- Virtual Server - changed IP from 10.0.40.81 to 10.0.50.81 so that it is now on the external network.
- Tested without automap; did not work. Enabled automap; worked fine after that.
As for the Pool Member issue, that's just wonky:
- updated traffic groups so that the VS IP of 10.0.50.81 was in TG2.
- Failed TG2 over to BIG-IP-02 (BIP2).
At this point, functionality remained the same with the second pool member a blue square.
On BIP2, Modified the Pool. Disabled pool member (PM) one, 10.0.40.71:80. On BIP2, PM two, 10.0.40.72:80, remained a blue square.
Workstation was still able to get to 10.0.50.81. As I set the index.html on each back-end IIS server to display which server is serving up the page, I could tell with certainty that the workstation received a web page from 10.0.40.72:80, the PM marked as a blue square.
- Disabled PM 10.0.40.72:80.
- Enabled PM 10.0.40.72:80. Came back as a red diamond instead of a blue square.
Web server could no longer get to 10.0.50.81.
- On BIGIP2, Modified Pool. Deleted PM 10.0.40.72:80. Added PM 10.0.40.72:80.
- PM 10.0.40.72:80 came back as a green circle.
Workstation could once again reach 10.0.50.81.
Why would BIGIP2 see pool member 10.0.40.72:80 as unknown, then after being disabled and enabled, see the PM as down by a monitor, then when the PM is deleted and created, see the PM as available? What glitch in the BIG-IP operating system is this?
And "aside" question for my own sanity:
- Should a BIG-IP system be sending data to a pool member with an Unknown status? (because it did!)
Thanks for your continued input on these situations!
John
Nimbostratus