Packet flow from web server to client
1. When the web server responds to the client’s packet, the cluster external interface IP address (172.20.120.141) is recognized as the gateway to the internal network.
2. The web server issues an ARP request to 172.20.120.141.
3. The primary unit intercepts the ARP request, and responds with the external virtual MAC address (MAC_V_ext) which corresponds its IP address of 172.20.120.141.
4. The web server then sends response packets to the primary unit external interface.
| IP address | MAC address |
Source | 172.20.120.130 | MAC_Server |
Destination | 172.20.120.141 | MAC_V_ext |
5. The primary unit processes the packet.
6. The primary unit forwards the packet from its internal interface to the client.
| IP address | MAC address |
Source | 172.20.120.130 | MAC_V_int |
Destination | 10.11.101.10 | MAC_Client |
7. The primary unit continues to process packets in this way unless a failover occurs.