what is application load balancer in aws

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a cloud computing platform that provides a plethora of services to businesses and developers. One of those services is the Application Load Balancer (ALB). This article aims to provide an overview of what ALB is and how it works.

What is Application Load Balancer?

An Application Load Balancer (ALB) is a service offered by AWS that distributes incoming traffic to multiple targets such as instances, containers, and IPs in a virtual network. ALB is designed to handle the routing of traffic intelligently and efficiently. ALB operates at Layer 7 of the OSI model, which means that it works at the application layer.

Features and Benefits of Application Load Balancer

The following are some of the key features and benefits of ALB:- Intelligent routing: ALB allows for sophisticated application-layer routing which helps to achieve optimal performance and availability for your applications.- High-level security: ALB has multiple layers of security features, including SSL/TLS encryption, Web Application Firewall (WAF), and certificate management.- Scalability: ALB enables businesses to scale their applications horizontally, by providing them the ability to add and remove instances according to their needs.- Simplifies management: ALB provides a simple user interface to manage application traffic, which makes it easier to manage complex applications.

How does Application Load Balancer work?

When a client sends a request to access an application, the request is first directed to the Application Load Balancer. The ALB then checks the destination of the request, and forwards it to the appropriate target. ALB uses a target group to manage the targets to which traffic is routed. This group can consist of different types of targets, like IP addresses, instances, or containers.ALB is also capable of sticky sessions. This means that once a user is redirected to a particular target, all of their subsequent requests will also be directed to the same target. Sticky sessions help to preserve user sessions, enhancing user experience.

Conclusion

In summary, the Application Load Balancer is a service offered by AWS that enables businesses to distribute traffic across multiple endpoints. With features like intelligent routing, high-level security, scalability, and easy management, ALB can help businesses achieve optimal performance, high availability, and improved user experience for their applications. As more businesses embrace cloud computing, they can leverage the power of ALB to prevent downtime and provide a seamless user experience.