Developer Dictionary
Load Balancer
Definition
A device that acts as a reverse proxy and distributes network or application traffic across a number of servers.
Deep Dive
A load balancer is a device, either hardware or software-based, that acts as a reverse proxy to distribute network or application traffic across multiple servers. Its primary function is to enhance the availability, reliability, and performance of applications by ensuring that no single server becomes overwhelmed with requests. By intelligent distribution, a load balancer prevents server overload, reduces latency, and provides a seamless experience for users even during peak traffic conditions.
Examples & Use Cases
- 1An e-commerce website distributing incoming customer requests across a cluster of web servers to handle high traffic
- 2A cloud provider using load balancers to manage connections to a pool of database servers
- 3A streaming service using a load balancer to direct video playback requests to the closest available content delivery server.
Related Terms
Reverse ProxyHigh AvailabilityScalability