Software-Based Load Balancing
Software-based load balancing is a cost-efficient approach to managing traffic and distributing workloads across multiple servers. By utilizing standard hardware and operating systems, this method allows users to take advantage of the latest technology without the need for costly specialized hardware. Software-based load balancers can also be easily customized to meet specific needs and requirements.
Hardware-Based Load Balancing
Hardware-based load balancing is a reliable solution for managing high-volume traffic and distributing workloads across multiple servers. This method utilizes Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) which are specialized chips designed for a particular purpose. The use of ASICs offers a higher level of speed when handling network traffic, making it an ideal choice for transport-level load balancing. Hardware-based load balancing is more expensive than software solutions due to the specialized hardware required, but it is often the preferred choice for high-traffic websites and applications.
Examples of Load Balancers
Direct Routing Requesting Dispatching Technique:
Optimize Your Load Balancing with Direct Routing
This request dispatching technique is similar to the one implemented by IBM’s Net Dispatcher. Here, a real server and a load balancer share a virtual IP address. The load balancer takes the virtual IP address interface to accept request packets and directly routes them to the chosen servers.
Dispatcher-Based Load Balancing Cluster:
Harness the Power of Dispatcher-Based Load Balancing
A dispatcher is capable of smart load balancing by utilizing server availability, workload, capability and other user-defined criteria to determine where to send a TCP/IP request. The dispatcher module of a load balancer can distribute HTTP requests among the various nodes in a cluster. The dispatcher splits the load among the several servers, making the services of each node seem like a virtual service on a single IP address. Consumers can interact with the cluster as if it were a single server, without any information about the back-end infrastructure.
Linux Virtual Load Balancer:
Maximize Your Network Performance with Linux Virtual Load Balancer
This is an open source, enhanced load balancing solution used to build extremely scalable and highly available network services such as HTTP, POP3, FTP, SMTP, media and caching and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP). It is a simple yet powerful product made for load balancing and fail-over. The load balancer is the primary entry point of server cluster systems and can execute Internet Protocol Virtual Server (IPVS), which implements transport-layer load balancing in the Linux kernel, also known as Layer-4 switching.