Managing Primary Connection Node
What are common or community preferred methods to balance the initial connection node? This way in a list of available Couchbase server the first from the list is not always being initially requested/connected to via the client.
In example I am running a Memcache bucket across four Couchbase servers. Recently I moved away from using a php Memcahce/Moxi client combination to the php Couchbase/ext 1.0 smart client.
I am currently connecting to the first server, in a list of server, that responds (outlined here: http://www.couchbase.com/forums/thread/php-couchbaseext-10-connecting-mu... ). From there the client takes over and traffic is spread over all four nodes.
I have now noticed that CPU usage on the first server in my connection pool has risen since the client switch. At this time I am assuming this is because the Couchbase/ext client is always connecting through the first server, on each page load of my application.
At this time I can only think of two strategies. One randomize the connection array of Coucbase server nodes so the first one is not always hit, first.
The second, and the one I will move forward with is to make use of a load balancer that will handle all 'connection' traffic to the nodes. Where the initial connection will be connected through the load balancer and then all client to Couchbase traffic will be handled via the client/server and I am assuming done via IP, thus skipping the load balancer.