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What is a Load Balancer ? Why to use it? What are different types of load balancers are available?

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 Load balancers are used to improve the performance, availability, and scalability of a system. By distributing incoming traffic across multiple servers, a load balancer can prevent any single server from becoming overloaded, improving overall system performance and reducing downtime. Additionally, load balancers can provide a way to scale a system horizontally, adding more servers to handle increased traffic. 



There are several different types of load balancers available, including: 

Hardware load balancers: Hardware load balancers are physical devices that sit between the client and the server. They are typically high-performance and offer a range of advanced features, such as SSL offloading, session persistence, and health checks. 

Software load balancers: Software load balancers are applications that run on a server, allowing it to act as a load balancer. They are often less expensive than hardware load balancers and can be easier to configure and manage. 

Layer 4 load balancers: Layer 4 load balancers operate at the transport layer of the network stack (TCP/UDP), distributing traffic based on IP addresses and ports. They are often used for simple load balancing scenarios and high performance.

 Layer 7 load balancers: Layer 7 load balancers operate at the application layer of the network stack, distributing traffic based on more advanced criteria such as HTTP headers, cookies, or content. They are often used for more complex load balancing scenarios and can provide advanced features such as SSL termination, content-based routing, and session persistence. 

Global load balancers: Global load balancers route traffic across multiple geographic locations, allowing for efficient use of resources and improved performance for users in different regions.

 

By using load balancers, a system can improve its performance, availability, and scalability, making it more responsive and reliable for users. However, load balancers require careful planning and management to ensure that traffic is distributed efficiently and effectively across the system.

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