Load Balancing Group Creation

Key information:

• The name assigned to a load balancing group must be unique.
• A group can load balance either CNAME or address records, but not to both.

• Although a group can contain a set of IP addresses for each version (i.e., IPv4 and IPv6), traffic is segregated and load balanced according to the IP version used by the network through which the request was received.

  • In a load balancing group that contains both IP versions (i.e., IPv4 and IPv6), a server's weight only affects traffic distribution for servers of the same IP version.
  • A group must contain at least two IP addresses of the same version (i.e., IPv4 or IPv6).

• The speed at which traffic can be completely pulled from an unhealthy server/CNAME is affected by the length of the load balancing group's TTL. TTL configuration varies by module.

  • Primary Zone: A load balancing group's TTL must be defined upon creation. Consider setting a short TTL (e.g., 300 seconds) on your load balancing group to ensure that traffic is pulled in a timely manner.
  • CNAME & Subdomain Delegation: The TTL for all load balancing groups is 300 seconds. This setting cannot be modified.
• A health check configuration should be added to each IP address/CNAME to ensure that traffic is redistributed when a server can no longer serve traffic.

• A load balancing group will not be created until Submit Group is clicked.

The procedure through which a load balancing group can be created varies by the method used to direct DNS traffic. Instructions for each method are provided below.

To create a load balancing group (Primary Zone)

1. Make sure that the desired zone has already been created.

   Learn more.

2. Make sure that the desired records (i.e., A, AAAA, or CNAME) have been created in that zone.
3. Click Create LB/FO.
4. Click Create Load Balancing.
5. Mark the records that will be load balanced. Make sure to only select records of the same type (i.e., address or CNAME).
6. Click Finish creating LB. A dialog box will appear.
7. In the Name option, define the hostname for the load balancing group.
8. In the TTL option, define the number of seconds that records should remain cached.
9. Click Add.

10. If you would like to add a health check or modify the weight assigned to a record, perform the following steps:

    1. Click "Edit" next to the desired IP address/CNAME.
    2. Under the Weight column, define the load balancing weight for that item.

    3. The Add HC button provides the means through which a health check configuration can be created.

       Learn more.

11. Repeat the previous step as needed.
12. When finished, click Done.
13. Click Submit Group to save your changes.

Creating a load balancing group will overwrite the name and TTL assigned to the records associated with it. If this is undesired, you may need to create additional records. Keep in mind that you can create multiple records that point to the same IP address/domain.

To create a load balancing group (CNAME Record/Subdomain Delegation)

1. Navigate to the Route (DNS) page.
2. Click Add New.
3. In the Type option, select "Load Balancing."

4. In the Name option, type the desired name (e.g., www). Additional information is provided below.

   • CNAME Record: A system-defined domain (e.g., www.0001.edgecastdns.net) will be generated from the specified hostname.
   • Subdomain Delegation: The name assigned to the load balancing group should match the subdomain delegation (e.g., ftp.widgets.com).
5. In the Type option, select whether traffic will be directed to our DNS service via a CNAME record or subdomain delegation.
6. Click Add.

7. Add either an IP address or a CNAME to the load balancing group.

   1. Click Add.
   2. In the Value option, specify either an IPv4/IPv6 address or a CNAME's domain.
   3. In the Type option, select whether the item defined in the Value option is an IPv4/IPv6 address or a CNAME.
   4. In the Weight option, define the load balancing weight that will be assigned to this record.
   5. Click Add.
8. Repeat step 7 for each IP address or CNAME that should be included in the load balancing group. Keep in mind that the Type option is only defined once.

9. Optional. Add add a health check by performing the following steps:

   1. Click "Edit" next to the desired IP address or CNAME.

   2. The Add HC button provides the means through which a health check configuration can be created.

      Learn more.

   3. Click Verify and Save when finished.
   4. Repeat steps i – iii for each desired IP address or CNAME.
10. Click Submit Group to save your changes.

11. Perform one of the following:

    • CNAME Record: Create a CNAME record in a primary zone hosted on another DNS service provider that points to the system-defined domain (e.g., www.0001.edgecastdns.net) generated for the load balancing group. This domain can be viewed by clicking to expand the Group Information section.
    • Subdomain Delegation: From your alternate DNS service provider, delegate the subdomain (e.g., www.mydomain.com) to Route name servers. Our Route name servers can be viewed by clicking to expand the Group Information section.