Configure WMI on application servers for HostNameMemory affinity provider

by Won Yoo

Overview

In ARR Version 1, there are two host name affinity providers:

  1. Microsoft.Web.Arr.HostNameRoundRobin
  2. Microsoft.Web.Arr.HostNameMemory

Microsoft.Web.Arr.HostNameRoundRobin provider does not have any dependency on the application servers. When this provider is used, ARR simply allocates and affinitizes host names in a round robin fashion.

However, Microsoft.Web.Arr.HostNameMemory provider requires certain permissions to be granted on the application servers so that ARR server is able to query the necessary memory relation performance counters to compute where to affinitize the host names.

This walk through is designed to guide the reader the changes that are needed on the application servers when Microsoft.Web.Arr.HostNameMemory provider is used.

Note

The host name affinity providers are applicable only when ARR is configured to be used for shared hosting scenarios.

Goal

Successfully configure ARR and the application servers in the server farm to use Microsoft.Web.Arr.HostNameMemory provider.

Prerequisites

This walkthrough requires the following prerequisites:

  • IIS 7.0 or above on Windows 2008 (any SKU) or newer.
  • Microsoft Application Request Routing Version 1 and dependent modules.
  • ARR is configured for shared hosting scenarios.

If the Application Request Routing Version 1 has not been installed, download it at:

  • Download Microsoft Application Request Routing Version 1 for IIS 7 (x86) here.
  • Download Microsoft Application Request Routing Version 1 for IIS 7 (x64) here.

Follow the steps outlined in this document to install Application Request Routing.

Note

The following steps are to be performed on all the application servers in the server farm. More explicitly, these changes are not needed on the ARR server(s).

Step 1 - Enable COM Security

  1. Open a command prompt as an administrator.

  2. Type dcomcnfg.

  3. Navigate to Component Services -> Computers -> My Computer.

  4. Right click on My Computer and select Properties:

    Screenshot of the My Computer Properties dialog box. The General tab is displayed.

  5. Select COM Security tab:

    Screenshot of the My Computer Properties dialog box. The COM Security tab is displayed.

  6. Under Launch and Activate Permissions, select Edit Limits. Add the account of the worker process where ARR uses and allow:

    • Local Launch

    • Remote Launch

    • Remote Activation

      Screenshot of the Launch and Activate Permission dialog box display the security links tab.

  7. Click on OK to save the changes.

Step 2 - Add user to Performance Monitor Users group

  1. Open a command prompt as an administrator.

  2. Type compmgmt.

  3. Navigate to Computer Management -> System Tools -> Local Users and Groups -> Groups:

    Screenshot of the Computer Management console displaying the Groups screen.

  4. Select Performance Monitor Users group and add account of the worker process that ARR uses:

    Screenshot of the Performance Monitor Users Properties dialog box displaying the General tab.

  5. Click on OK to save the changes.

Step 3 - WMI Control

  1. On the same Computer Management console, navigate to Services and Applications and select WMI Control:

    Screenshot of the Computer Management console displaying the Windows Management Instrumentation Control page.

  2. Right click on WMI Control and select Properties. Select Security tab:

    Screenshot of the W M I Control Properties dialog box with the Security tab displayed.

  3. Navigate to Root -> CIMV2 and select CIMV2:

    Screenshot of the W M I Control Properties dialog box with the Security tab displayed. The C I M V2 folder is highlighted.

  4. Click on Security and add account of the worker process that ARR uses. Allow the following permissions:

    • Execute Methods

    • Enable Account

    • Remote Enable

      Screenshot of the Security for ROOT\C I M V2 dialog box with the A R R group is highlighted.

  5. Click on OK to save the changes.

Step 4 - Test configuration on ARR

  1. After making the configuration changes on all application servers in the server farm (steps 1 through 3), test the configuration on ARR server.

  2. Open IIS Manager.

  3. Select the server farm that is configured for host name affinity.

  4. Select Server Affinity icon.

  5. Select Microsoft.Web.Arr.HostNameMemory provider under Host name affinity provider and select Apply:

    Screenshot of the Host Name Affinity screen within I I S Manager.

  6. Note that the Test... button appears only after the change is applied. This is because the test must impersonate the identity of the worker process. Ensure that the test passes:

    Screenshot of the Test Connectivity dialog box with test results displayed.