how does load balancer distributes traffic

Load balancer is an important component in network systems which distributes network traffic among multiple servers. With the increasing demand for high availability, scalability, and reliability of web applications, the role of load balancer has become more critical than ever. In this article, we will discuss how load balancer distributes traffic based on different algorithms.

Round Robin Algorithm

Round Robin Algorithm is a simple and effective method of load balancing. It distributes traffic among servers in a round-robin fashion so that each server gets an equal share of requests. The technique allows the load balancer to maintain a counter for each server, and the traffic is distributed based on the counter. When the server receives a request, the load balancer increments the counter to the next server in the pool. This method is ideal in the cases where all servers in the pool are of equal strength.

Least Connection Algorithm

The Least Connection Algorithm is a technique that distributes traffic based on the number of active connections. The load balancer monitors the number of connections open on each server and sends a request to the server with the least number of active connections. The method ensures that requests are sent to a server that has the lowest load and is available to handle more requests in the pool.

IP Hash Algorithm

The IP Hash algorithm is a method of load balancing that uses the client's IP address to determine the server to which traffic should be directed. The method converts the client's IP address into a hash and then sends the request to the server with the corresponding hash value. This algorithm is particularly useful when maintaining a client's session state on a particular server.

Weighted Round Robin Algorithm

The Weighted Round Robin Algorithm is a method that distributes traffic based on the predefined weights assigned to individual servers. The method allows you to assign a specific weight to a server based on its processing capacity. The more significant the server, the higher the share of traffic it receives from the load balancer. The method is advantageous in environments where some servers are more powerful than others.

Conclusion

Load balancing is an essential component of modern web application architecture, and it is the role of a load balancer to ensure that network traffic is distributed efficiently among multiple servers. Whether your deployment requires round-robin load balancing, least connection load balancing, IP Hash load balancing or weighted round-robin load balancing, the load balancer's distribution of traffic plays a critical role in the performance, scalability, and reliability of your application. By understanding how load balancing works, you can ensure optimal performance and maintain high availability of your web application.