Load-Balanced Web Application Issue

[Garrek]

I have a web application that currently runs on a single server and
need to move to a load-balanced environment. The system receives
content uploaded by users which will have to be shared among all of the
servers; how can I do this?

The OS is Windows 2003 Web Server Edition and upgrading to another
version of the OS is not an option (unfortunately). The application is
written in ASP.Net.

 

[Bobby Ryzhy]

you will either have to do some kind of replication or put the uploaded content on a share that all servers can see.

Bobby Ryzhy
bobby@ doamin below
http://weekendtech.net

I have a web application that currently runs on a single server and
need to move to a load-balanced environment. The system receives
content uploaded by users which will have to be shared among all of the
servers; how can I do this?

The OS is Windows 2003 Web Server Edition and upgrading to another
version of the OS is not an option (unfortunately). The application is
written in ASP.Net.

Bobby Ryzhy
bobby @ domain below
http://weekendtech.net

 

[Garrek]

Thanks for the reply Bobby. The servers network will consist of two
web servers load-balanced which can work against a dedicated "media
server"; a dedicated database server will also be provided. The media
server exposes folder shares which are consumed by both web servers.

As users can upload content which is to appear elsewhere in the system,
the idea was to dump them to the centralized media server. The web
servers will then retrieve all the necessary information from this box.

When you talk about replication are you referring to an automated
replication provided by the OS or something else provided by code I am
to write?

If the media server is not exposed to the internet, I assume we'll then
have to grab the file from the share and copy to a local directory and
then push out on a web page to the user.

Am I going down the wrong path on this - is there a better alternative?

 

[Bobby Ryzhy]

If you want to replicate - you will have to write some process to do it. A batch file being the easiest, and a service the most complicated.

If the files are stored on a media server that is exposed to the internet, then both web servers can have a web share that points to this
media server.

If there is no internet access - then you can use a mapped drive (with everyone having read acces) that your app can grab the content from.

If you want to get really crazy (proabaly no need to do this)- then write a web service that lives on the media server - and the external
web servers consume this web service to get the content.

Bobby Ryzhy
bobby@ domain below
http://weekendtech.net

Thanks for the reply Bobby. The servers network will consist of two
web servers load-balanced which can work against a dedicated "media
server"; a dedicated database server will also be provided. The media
server exposes folder shares which are consumed by both web servers.

As users can upload content which is to appear elsewhere in the system,
the idea was to dump them to the centralized media server. The web
servers will then retrieve all the necessary information from this box.

When you talk about replication are you referring to an automated
replication provided by the OS or something else provided by code I am
to write?

If the media server is not exposed to the internet, I assume we'll then
have to grab the file from the share and copy to a local directory and
then push out on a web page to the user.

Am I going down the wrong path on this - is there a better alternative?

Bobby Ryzhy
bobby @ domain below
http://weekendtech.net