Citrix NetScaler EE, Installation And Configuration Manual

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Enabling Group Mode
May 09, 2013
To enable group mode, create a group of two or more appliances. An appliance can be a member of only one group. Group
members are identified by IP address and the SSL common name in the appliance license.
All group mode parameters are on the Settings: Group Mode page, in the Configure Settings: Group Mode table.
Figure 1. Group Mode Page
To enable group mode To enable group mode
1. Select the address to use for group communication. At the top of the Group Mode Configuration table on the
Configuration: Advanced Deployments: Group Mode tab, the table cell under Member VIP contains the management
address of the port used to communicate with other group members. Use the (unlabeled) drop-down menu to select the
correct address (for example, to use the Aux1 port, select the IP address you assigned to the Aux1 port). Then, click
Change VIP.
2. Add at least one more group member to the list. (Groups of three or more are supported but are rarely used.) In the next
cell of the Member VIP column, type the IP address of the port used by the other appliance for group-mode
communication.
3. Type the other group member’s SSL common name in the SSL Common Name column. The SSL common name is listed
on the other appliance’s Configure: Advanced Deployments: High Availability tab. If the other group member is a high-
availability pair, the name listed is the SSL common name of the primary appliance.
Note: If the local appliance is not part of a high-availability pair, the first cell in the HA Secondary SSL Common Name is
blank.
If the other group member is a high-availability pair, specify the SSL Common Name of the HA secondary appliance in the
HA Secondary SSL Common Name column.
4. Click Add.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for any additional appliances or high-availability pairs in the group.
6. The three buttons under the list of group members are toggles, so each is labeled as the opposite of its current setting:
1. The top button reads either, Do not accelerat e when member f ailure is det ect ed Do not accelerat e when member f ailure is det ect ed or Cont inue t o accelerat e Cont inue t o accelerat e
when member f ailure is det ect ed when member f ailure is det ect ed. The “Do not accelerate...” setting always works and does not block traffic, but
if any member fails, the other group members go into bypass mode, which causes a complete loss of acceleration.
With the “Continue to accelerate” option, the failing appliance’s bridge becomes an open circuit, and the link fails. This
option is appropriate if the WAN router responds by causing a failover. New connections, and open connections
belonging to the surviving appliances, are accelerated.
2. The bottom button should now be labeled Disable Group Mode. If it is not, enable group mode by clicking the button.
7. Refresh the screen. The top of the page should list the group mode partners, but display warnings about their status,
because they haven’t been configured for group mode yet. For example, it might indicate that the partner cannot be
found or is running a different software release.
8. Repeat this procedure with the other members of the group. Within 20 seconds after enabling the last member of the
group, the Group Mode Status line should show NORMAL, and the other group mode members should be listed with
Status: On-Line and Configuration: OK.