Mule HA Cluster - Application configuration issue

Question

We are working on Mule HA cluster PoC with two separate server nodes. We were able to create a cluster. We have developed small dummy application with Http endpoint with reliability pattern implementation which loops for a period and prints a value. When we deploy the application in Mule HA cluster, even though its deploys successfully in cluster and application log file has been generated in both the servers but its running in only one server. In application we can point to only server IP for HTTP endpoint. Could any one please clarify my following queries?

1. In our case why the application is running in one server (which ever IP points to server getting executed).
2. Will Mule HA cluster create virtual IP?
3. If not then which IP we need to configure in application for HTTP endpoints?
4. Do we need to have Load balancer for HTTP based endpoints request? If so then in application which IP needs to be configured for HTTP endpoint as we don't have virtual IP for Mule HA cluster?

Really appreciate any help on this.

Environment: Mule EE ESB v 3.4.2 & Private cloud.

Answer 1

1) You are seeing one server processing requests because you are sending them to the same server each time.

2) Mule HA will not create a virtual IP

3/4) You need to place a load balancer in front of the Mule nodes in order to distribute the load when using HTTP inbound endpoints. You do not need to decide which IP to place in the HTTP connector within the application, the load balancer will route the request to one of the nodes.

Answer 2

creating a Mule cluster will just allow your Mule applications share information through its shared memory (VM transport and Object Store) and make the polling endpoints poll only from a single node. In the case of HTTP, it will listen in each of the nodes, but you need to put a load balancer in front of your Mule nodes to distribute load. I recommend you to read the High Availability documentation. But the more importante question is why do you need to create a cluster? You can have two separate Mule servers with your application deployed and have a load balancer send request to them.