Your network contains an on-premises Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) domain. The domain contains two virtual machines named VM1 and VM2 that…

To enable a failover cluster comprised of virtual machines to use floating IP addresses, you must deploy components of the Software Defined Networking (SDN) stack. The Software Load Balancer (SLB) is the SDN component that provides Layer-4 load balancing and supports floating IP addresses for scenarios like guest clustering. The SLB directs traffic to the active node of the cluster. The Network Controller is the centralized management and control plane for the entire SDN infrastructure; it is a prerequisite for deploying and managing the Software Load Balancer. Therefore, both the Network Controller and the Software Load Balancer must be deployed.

A. Network Load Balancing (NLB): NLB is a separate clustering technology and is not a component used to provide floating IP functionality to a separate Failover Cluster. Running NLB and Failover Clustering on the same nodes is not supported.

B. the Multipoint Services role: This role allows multiple users to share a single computer simultaneously. It is unrelated to networking infrastructure, clustering, or IP addressing.

D. the Host Guardian Service role: This service is a component of the guarded fabric infrastructure, used to ensure that shielded virtual machines run only on trusted hosts. It is a security feature and has no role in network load balancing.

1. Microsoft Learn

"Software Load Balancer (SLB) for SDN": This document states

"With SLB

you can create a floating IP address for a load balancer

which results in high availability and scale." It also clarifies the dependency: "To use Software Load Balancer

you must first deploy Network Controller and one or more SLB MUX virtual machines." This directly supports the selection of both Software Load Balancer (E) and Network Controller (C).

2. Microsoft Learn

"What is Network Controller?": This document describes the Network Controller as "the central point of automation to manage

configure

monitor

and troubleshoot virtual and physical network infrastructure in your datacenter." It explicitly lists "Software Load Balancer" as one of the features that it manages

confirming its role as a foundational component for SLB.

3. Microsoft Learn

"Plan a Software Defined Network infrastructure": In the "Planning the Network Controller" section

it is stated that "Network Controller is a highly available and scalable server role

and it provides a centralized

programmable point of automation to manage... your datacenter network." The "Planning Software Load Balancing" section builds upon this

detailing how SLB integrates into the SDN fabric managed by the Network Controller.