The modern consumer demands accessibility to a business’s services through applications, so an organization’s servers must be able to handle requests from a large number of users. Software load balancing ensures an efficient distribution of network traffic in ways that hardware cannot, but getting it right requires an informed approach.
When you use load-balancing software smartly, it brings about simplicity for both the user and the enterprise.
Key Takeaways:
Software load balancing refers to the routing of network traffic to multiple different servers such that one server does not become overburdened with requests while others remain idle. It is different from hardware load balancing in that it is not dependent on a specific type of device and can instead run on a regular server or virtual server.
Software applications exist in a company’s datacenter, a public cloud, or a managed edge location, so it is up to the enterprise or cloud provider managing those locations to implement effective load-balancing solutions.
Load balancing benefits both the software developer and the end user alike. Without load balancing, an overburdened server might fail to respond to incoming requests in a timely manner. This creates a poor user experience and affects business operations.
According to findings from Grand View Research, the global load balancing market size was valued at USD $4.82 billion in 2021, with an expected compound annual growth rate of 14.8% through 2030. Despite the increasing prevalence of software load balancing, though, actually getting it right requires making informed choices.
Load balancers are capable of distributing server traffic at the application level. Therefore, the first step in choosing the right load balancer is to identify the goals of the application itself. For example, continuous uptime is the top priority for business-critical applications. In these situations, a load balancer that can guarantee security and quick redeployment is likely to be the best choice.
It is also important to outline additional features you require from your ideal load balancer. With software load balancing, it is possible for disaster recovery, connection failover, and other useful resources to be inherently present within the load-balancing software itself.
When looking at software as a solution for load balancing, you inevitably must address licensing. Choosing the right licensing method will depend on your company’s needs and circumstances. A perpetual licensing arrangement allows your organization to use the load balancing software however it sees fit in perpetuity, but may not be cost-efficient if your needs are low-scale. A pooled or metered licensing arrangement might be preferable if you wish to only pay for what you need.
Software load balancing can leverage one of several methods or algorithms for determining where to send incoming networking traffic. Choosing the right one hinges on understanding the needs of your application and the expectations of its users.
The round-robin method is a simple load-balancing algorithm that allocates traffic to servers by cycling through the list in a linear fashion. It is an effective and low-intensity solution, making it very popular for a wide range of load-balancing scenarios.
The least-connections method sends traffic to the server currently handling the fewest workloads at any given moment. It is a more sophisticated algorithm that is appropriate for applications expecting heavier traffic.
The least-time method accounts not only for which server has the fewest requests but also for the amount of time it will take to process the current request. This algorithm is even more sophisticated but worthwhile when response time for the user is paramount.
The hash-based method assigns a unique hash key to each client, allowing the software load balancing to direct future requests from the same client to the same server they previously used. Information relevant to the client’s previous requests remains on the server, meaning that subsequent tasks can be more efficient.
Using versatile software for load balancing has key benefits over traditional hardware-based methods. To get load balancing right, organizations can capitalize on these unique benefits, rather than simply accomplishing the exact same tasks at the exact same speed.
Scalability and flexibility are the primary benefits of software over hardware. Software can exist in a wide variety of environments and be compatible with various operating systems, cloud servers, and containerization methods. Software-based load balancers can even add or remove virtual servers on the fly depending on current levels of demand.
There are also various cost efficiencies associated with software load balancing. Employing software removes the need to purchase, accommodate, and maintain physical hardware devices. Software not only tends to be cheaper upfront but also requires less long-term manpower and is easier to deploy.
Keeping in mind that security is paramount in business, especially in regard to network activity, load-balancing software presents yet another notable advantage. An inherent feature of the best software tools is the ability to recognize and reject malicious or suspicious data packets before they reach the server.
Getting load balancing right is a matter of choosing the right software, the right method, and the right features. One feature of modern software that brings load balancing to a new level more than any other is virtualization.
With Nutanix AHV, your organization gains the power of web-scale virtualization for both load balancing and virtual machine-based processes. AHV makes it easy to manage virtual servers and the traffic flowing into them, while also providing a full suite of enterprise features for cloud-native applications at a low operational cost.
As part of the Nutanix Cloud Platform, AHV is a key factor in unifying and streamlining your cloud infrastructure. Virtualization through AHV, along with the full range of cloud features available through the Nutanix ecosystem, creates simplicity in software load balancing.
Learn more about other ways to accelerate app performance in the cloud and how to rethink cloud workloads for the future.
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