Cluster External IP Address?

  • 1 April 2014
  • 8 replies
  • 2169 views
shuguet
Userlevel 4
Badge +21
Hello,

I just installed the 3.5.2.1 version, and noticed the new "Cluster External IP Address" option.
As there is no documentation for it that I can see except these lines in "Creating the cluster (manual)":
Configure an external IP address for the cluster.
  1. nutanix@cvm$ ncli cluster set-external-ip-address external-ip-address="cluster_ip_address" Replace cluster_ip_address with a virtual IP address for the cluster. This parameter is required for Hyper-V clusters and is optional for vSphere and KVM clusters.
Does it needs a load balancer? how does it works? can we just set any IP in the same subnet then the cluster automaticaly bring up this IP whenever the noed that is currently hosting it goes down?

Any pointers appreciated,
Sylvain.
Sylvain Huguet - 2x Nutanix Technology Champion 2015-2016, French Nutanix Connect Chapter Champion, French VMUG Leader, 6x VMware vExpert 2011 to 2016

8 replies

B
Badge +5
Hi,

If i'm not mistaken, the external address always redirects to the Zeus leader.
So you won't need a load balancer.

Very usefull for accessing the prism GUI for example.
Since there always is a Zeus leader, the Prism GUI will always be available at this address.
SSH is also possible.


Bart
shuguet
Userlevel 4
Badge +21
I just setup a cluster IP, and it is not owned by the ZeusLeader.

It's working fine, but I still would like more information on the technical side of things here, namely the resiliance.
The idea is really sweet, for monitoring/API calls and so on and so forth, but if the IP is not resiliant, there is trouble ahead :)

Sylvain.
Sylvain Huguet - 2x Nutanix Technology Champion 2015-2016, French Nutanix Connect Chapter Champion, French VMUG Leader, 6x VMware vExpert 2011 to 2016
ben
Rank
Badge +3
From the setup guide, "Configuring the Cluster":

You can connect to the external cluster IP address with both the web console and nCLI. In the event that a Controller VM is rebooted or fails, the external cluster IP address will be relocated to another Controller VM in the cluster.
shuguet
Userlevel 4
Badge +21
I figured as much :)

Having played with this feature, I cannot understand how the node who gets the IP is selected.
I get I'll have to dig in the python files to understand that one.

Some toughts to improve the setup guide:
- IP address format?
- How is the node hosting the IP selected/elected?
- Some explanation that it does neither require nor provide any kind of load balancing

Sylvain.
Sylvain Huguet - 2x Nutanix Technology Champion 2015-2016, French Nutanix Connect Chapter Champion, French VMUG Leader, 6x VMware vExpert 2011 to 2016
kjolivier
Rank
Badge +4
The external ip connects to the prism leader.
S
Userlevel 1
Badge +5
The cluster address is specifically for use with Microsoft Hyper-V. In a VMware environment though I configure the cluser IP then use this as an advanced HA parameter for das.isolationaddress1
K
Badge +6
is it Cluster External IP address was HOST ip?
N

HI,

I have 3node cluster. i have configured cluster external IP but unable to access prism on the external IP though i can ping it on the network.

Does the external IP work as an LB for the cluster?

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