Overview of Endpoints on Zones and Logical Servers
In Logical Datacenter Designer, endpoints provide connection points and control communication between logical servers and zones. On a logical datacenter diagram, you can define communication pathways between zones and logical servers by connecting and controlling these connections through their endpoints. You can also add endpoints if needed and reuse endpoints by creating reusable prototypes.
For more information creating reusable prototypes, see How to: Create Custom Prototypes from Configured Zones and Logical Servers. For more information about restricting traffic into or out of a zone, see How to: Restrict HTTP and HTTPS Traffic into a Zone to a Specific Port.
Defining Zone Endpoints
When you add a new zone to a logical datacenter diagram, the zone displays two default endpoints: one for inbound communication and one for outbound communication. Endpoints on zones display arrows indicating their communication direction. However, you can change the direction of zone endpoints.
The following table also describes how zone endpoints appear on zones when set to a specific direction.
Zone endpoint type |
Description |
|---|---|
Inbound |
Right-facing arrow |
Outbound |
Left-facing arrow |
Bidirectional |
Both right- and left-facing arrows |
You can also control the type of communication that can travel into or out of a zone by specifying communication constraints on its endpoints. For more information, see How to: Control Communication Across Zones.
Defining Logical Server Endpoints
When you add a new logical server to a logical datacenter diagram, the logical server might display no endpoints or one or more default endpoints. These default endpoints can be server endpoints and/or client endpoints.
On a logical server, provider endpoints control communication that can travel into that logical server, while consumer endpoints control communication that can travel out of that logical server. Provider endpoints appear as small solid shapes, while consumer endpoints appear as hollow shapes. Provider endpoints display icons associated with the logical server on which they appear, while consumer endpoints display icons matching the server endpoint to which they connect.
The following table describes endpoint types that can appear on logical servers.
Logical server endpoint type |
Description |
|---|---|
DatabaseClientEndpoint |
Controls client-side communication to a logical database server. |
DatabaseServerEndpoint |
Controls server-side communication from a logical database server. |
GenericClientEndpoint |
Documents client-side communication to a logical generic server. |
GenericServerEndpoint |
Documents server-side communication from a logical generic server. |
HTTPClientEndPoint |
Controls client-side communication to a logical IIS Web server. |
WebSiteEndpoint |
Controls server-side communication from a logical IIS Web server. |
You can control the type of communication that travels into and out of a logical server by specifying settings and constraints on its endpoints. Thus, constraints on logical server endpoints control the types of connections you can make to zones and other logical servers.
Note
Windows logical servers do not display default endpoints. However, when you draw a connection from a server endpoint on another logical server to a Windows logical server, the corresponding client endpoint appears on the Windows client server. You can also manually add client endpoints. For more information, see How to: Add Endpoints to Zones and Logical Servers.
For more information, see Defining Communication Pathways Between Zones and Logical Servers.