Central Admin Load Balance Procedure

Step 1: AAM Configuration:

·         Login to APP1 server

·         Launch Central admin > Alternate Access Mappings (AAM)

·         Change AAM collection to Central Administration and Click on “Edit Public URLs”

Change the Public URLs as

Default: (Central Admin URL of APP1 server)

http://...................ap01

Intranet: (Central Admin URL of APP2 server)

http://...................ap02 

Internet: (Central Admin URL of APP3 server)

http://...................ap03

Custom: (NLB URL)

http://admin...............collabaration.com 

If applicable:

Extranet: (Central Admin URL of APP4 server)

http://...................ap04  

Click save once modified.

Step 2: IIS Binding Configuration:

·         Login to APP 1 server

·         Open IIS:  Start > Run > Inetmgr

·         Click on Central Administration Site

·         Click on Bindings under Edit Site in Right pane

In Site Bindings, Click Add to make a new Binding settings

·         Under IP address: Give the LB member IP (*.*.12.*) of APP 1 server (refer Emerald NLB – SharePoint HCL excel sheet for LB member IP)
·         Under Port give 80
·         Under Host name give Central Admin NLB URL
·         Click Ok and Close Site Bindings

Step 3: Registry Modification

Backup Registry

·         Start > Run > Regedit

·         Goto:  HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\14.0\WSS

·         Right Click on WSS > Export and save the file.

Central Admin URL Modification:

·         Click on WSS, on right pane edit CentralAdminstrationURL and replace existing APP1 URL with NLB URL
·         Click Ok
·         Close Registry
·         Backup WSS Registry

Repeat Step 2 and Step 3 in all other Application servers that host Central Admin.

Repeat only Step 3 on all WFE servers

Verification 1:

·         Launch Central Admin from Short Cut from Start menu
·         Verify in all WFE and Application servers

Verification 2:

·         Open Internet Explorer and browse with actual Central Admin URL.

·         Verify in all Application servers with respective URL.

While configuring CA Load Balancer, have the default zone with NLB URL itself. Please refer below. This will help to ignore registry changes (step 3) above.