Using LocationServer.xml, specify multiple servers per location entry, and then perform basic load balancing so that when a location is chosen, MDT automatically selects a deployment server from the list of available servers. To provide this functionality, the LocationServer.xml file supports specifying a weighting metric.

Listing 18 illustrates a sample LocationServer.xml file configured for multiple servers at different locations.

Listing 18. Example LocationServer.xml File for Different Locations

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

<servers>

    <QueryDefault></QueryDefault>

    <server>

        <serverid>1</serverid>

        <friendlyname>

          Contoso HQ, Seattle, USA

        </friendlyname>

        <Server1>\\STLDS01\Deployment$</Server1>

        <Server2>\\STLDS02\Deployment$</Server2>

        <Server3>\\STLDS03\Deployment$</Server3>

        <Server weight=”1”>\\STLDS01\Deployment$</Server>

        <Server weight=”2”>\\STLDS02\Deployment$</Server>

        <Server weight=”4”>\\STLDS03\Deployment$</Server>

    </server>

    <server>

        <serverid>2</serverid>

        <friendlyname>

          Contoso NYC, New York, USA

        </friendlyname>

        <UNCPath>\\NYCDS01\Deployment$</UNCPath>

    </server>

</servers>

Specify the weighting metric by using the <server weight> tag, which MDT uses in the server-selection process. The likelihood of a server being selected is calculated by:

Server weight/sum of all server weights

In Listing 18, the three servers at Contoso HQ are listed as 1, 2, and 4. The likelihood of a server with a weighting of 2 being selected becomes 2 in 7. Therefore, to use the weighting system, determine the capacity of the servers available at a location, and weight each server by the server’s capacity in relation to each of the other servers.

Related Topics

Creating the LocationServer.xml File