Reset Network Load Balancer Connection Pool

Question

I am currently working on load testing a web application on a virtual machine cluster. I am looking for a way to flush the connection pool / NLB cache so that it is like each machine connecting to the NLB is connecting for the first time and doesn't get directed back to the node that it was on last time.

This a Windows 2003 Server cluster, behind a Microsoft software based Network Load Balancer.

Additional Information: To do the load testing I'm using virtual machines, one for each node on the cluster. Somehow I got two virtual machines connecting to the same node and I'm looking for an easier way to reset those connections without going in to the NLB Manager and stopping and starting each node on the NLB.

Update: We went ahead and changed the affinity on all of the nodes of the cluster to none. Now it's a non-issue.

Answer 1

I'm not sure if that is possible, I think the clients have to be 'sticky' (always connect back to the same one). If they didn't connect to the same one then

• if its a web application, the session states would be lost
• if its an rdp connection then if the user disconnects a session instead of logging out, they could end up with 2 open sessions in the same farm