Second NIC on Server, What to you use it for? Backup transfers?

[Scott Townsend]

Most servers these days come with a second NIC. I was wondering what others
use that NIC for?

We do remote Server backups and I was thinking about creating a Subnet for
the Backup Server that used the Second NIC so that way the data traffic for
Backup would not impact the normal data traffic.

What do others use the Second NIC for. How would you configure the server
to use both for say Terminal Server Sessions or SQL Connections?


Have 2 IPs published and do Round Robin, or assign certain Clients one IP
and others the other IP?

Thanks,
Scott<-

 

[Kurt]

That's one good use - dedicated bandwidth for backup or other application.
other uses might be a server with a presence on two subnets, a server with a
public address and a private address, etc.

....kurt

 

[Phillip Windell]

We do remote Server backups and I was thinking about creating a Subnet for
the Backup Server that used the Second NIC so that way the data traffic for
Backup would not impact the normal data traffic.

That would be to only use I could think of in your situation, although if
you run on switches instead of hub the traffic isn't effected anyway in the
first place to any significant degree.

Have 2 IPs published and do Round Robin, or assign certain Clients one IP
and others the other IP?

No you cannot. The two Nics cannot run in the same subnet unless they are
special Nics that designed for Nic Teaming and come with the software to
make it happen.

If it was me,..I wouldn't use it at all and just leave it disabled. It can
work as a backup if the first Nic goes bad,...but you couldn't use it until
after that happen,...you can't have a "live" backup.

--
Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com
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