Event ID 14 — NLB Host Configuration

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Hosts in a Network Load Balancing (NLB) cluster are configured to load balance network traffic. Host configuration is set by using NLB Manager, and if it is not configured properly, the NLB cluster may not function correctly.

 

Event Details

Product: Windows Operating System
ID: 14
Source: Microsoft-Windows-NLB
Version: 6.0
Symbolic Name: MSG_ERROR_NET_ADDR
Message: NLB cluster [%2]: The NLB driver failed to initialize because the cluster network address %3 is invalid. Please check that the network address property of the NLB cluster is specified in a valid MAC address format.

Resolve

Configure the cluster network MAC address

If the network media access control (MAC) address is not in the following form xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx, where x is a hexadecimal value, it needs to be reconfigured.

When you are using Network Load Balancing (NLB) Manager, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the host that you are configuring, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If you are configuring a cluster or host by running NLB Manager from a computer that is not part of the cluster, you do not have to be a member of the Administrators group on that computer.

To configure the network MAC address by using NLB Manager:

  1. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Network Load Balancing Manager. You can also open NLB Manager by typing Nlbmgr at a command prompt.
  2. If NLB Manager does not already list the cluster, connect to the cluster.
  3. Right-click the cluster, and then click ClusterProperties.
  4. In Network address, type the network MAC address in a valid format (xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx, where x is a hexadecimal value).

 

Verify

When you are using nlb.exe, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the host that you are configuring, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If you are configuring a cluster or host by running nlb.exe from a computer that is not part of the cluster, you do not have to be a member of the Administrators group on that computer.

To verify that all Network Load Balancing (NLB) hosts are in the converged state:

  1. Open an elevated Command Prompt window. Click Start, point to All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
  2. Type nlb.exe query, which displays the current cluster state and the list of host priorities for the current hosts of the cluster.
  3. Confirm that all hosts display converged as their current state.

NLB Host Configuration

NLB Cluster