Configuring NICs/modes

[sdjkfh]

Hi,

I need help setting up the below environment in VirtualBox since all my attempts has been in vain...

Host Info:
Windows 7 x86
VirtualBox 4.0.8
IE 8

Guest 1 Info:
Server 2008 R2 x86
Apache Web Server

Guest 2 Info:
Server 2008 R2 x86
Apache Web Server

What I need/requirements:
- The two guests (Apache) need to communicate with each other on port 443
- The guests needs to have for me known unique static IPs
- The host (IE 8) need to communicate with guest 1 or 2 on port 443
- (Bonus) The guests can access Internet via the host

No mather which network mode or similar I try one or several of the above requirements fail. Help is appreciated. By help I mean help in setting up the network in VirtualBox and perhaps on the host and/or guests. I can handle Apache, SSL and all the rest of the stuff.

[BillG]

What sort of network is the host connected to? If it is on a private network, the obvious choice would be bridged networking. The vms would behave like additional machines on the local network. Any machine on the network (including the host) would be able to access the vms. And the vms would be able to contact the Internet directly - no need to use the host.

If the host is a standalone machine with a direct connection to the Internet it is bit harder.

[Sasquatch]

I see one flaw and one part of information missing. First of, there is no 2008 R2 x86 edition. It just doesn't exist. Which server OS are you running?
Next: how do you want to connect to the webservers? You don't say, and that's important to know for any additional configuration you might need.

[sdjkfh]

Thanks for helping guys!

@ Sasquatch. You are abosolutely correct of course! I use Server 2008 x86, not R2. I want to use IE 8 on port 443 on the host to connect to Apache on at least one of the guests and the guests themselves need to communicate from and to Apache on port 443 with each other. In case it is important to know, Apache redirects the traffic to JBoss Application Server once SSL has been setup and verified. All traffic is routed via Apache. The JBoss servers aren't communicating directly.

@ BillG. Yes it is a private network. Unfortenately I cannot test this at the moment but if I remeber correctly the guests got the same IP and they were dynamic which they cannot have according to my requirements. I also think I had trouble pinging the guests from the host. I got "General error" or similar. I don't have to be able to ping the hosts but that was my way of trying to find out which IP the guests had and if I could comunicate with them at all. The two guests are clones but I have generated new MAC adresses on both machines so that shouldn't be the reason for the duplicate IP.

I will test this some more on Tuesday.

[Sasquatch]

Ok, in that case I'm assuming a few things and give the following help:

Use Host-Only. With that, the Guests can have static IP addresses without affecting the rest of the network, as they are isolated to the Host only, it doesn't go on the physical network. What you then need to do, is configure their firewalls to accept connections on the ports you specify. Then all you need to figure out, is how to set up the two Guests to work with each other, Apache hosting your JBoss application. Once that is done, you only have to point your Host to the Guest IP address.

You probably have everything already set up, it just needs proper configuration. VB's part is done, the rest is the actual applications and services you're dealing with. That's outside the scope of this forum. Of course, if you have any issues with the connections itself, we can help investigate where the problem comes from.

[BillG]

Thanks for helping guys!


@ BillG. Yes it is a private network. Unfortenately I cannot test this at the moment but if I remeber correctly the guests got the same IP and they were dynamic which they cannot have according to my requirements. I also think I had trouble pinging the guests from the host. I got "General error" or similar. I don't have to be able to ping the hosts but that was my way of trying to find out which IP the guests had and if I could comunicate with them at all. The two guests are clones but I have generated new MAC adresses on both machines so that shouldn't be the reason for the duplicate IP.

I will test this some more on Tuesday.

Just because a network has a DHCP server which automatically gives out network configurations, you are not prevented from using static addresses. Static config overrides DHCP, but the responsibility is then on you to get the config right!

[sdjkfh]

I am happy to let you know that I now run the guests in Host-Only mode and I have configured the firewalls on the guests and on the host (third party firewall) to allow the trafic I need. The host can now ping both guests and the guests can ping each other. The guest also has known static IPs.

Thanks! I will now create snapshots of all machines and start to install the applications I need. Rest assured I will continue this thread should I need it