// simulator
Load Balancer Algorithm Simulator
Learn how different load balancing algorithms distribute traffic across servers. Experiment with Round Robin, Least Connections, IP Hash, and more. See how load balancers handle failures and optimize performance.
Balancer
Understanding Load Balancing
What you'll learn
- How different load balancing algorithms distribute traffic
- When to use each algorithm based on your use case
- How load balancers handle server failures
- The difference between Layer 4 and Layer 7 load balancing
- Impact of server weights on traffic distribution
- Measuring distribution fairness and performance
Load balancing algorithms
- Round Robin: Simple, even distribution for similar servers.
- Least Connections: Best for long-lived connections.
- IP Hash: Session persistence with sticky sessions.
- Least Response Time: Optimal for varying performance.
Real-world applications
- NGINX/HAProxy: Popular open-source load balancers supporting all algorithms.
- AWS ELB: Application Load Balancer (Layer 7) vs Network Load Balancer (Layer 4).
- Kubernetes: Service load balancing with kube-proxy using iptables/IPVS.
- Cloudflare: Global load balancing with geographic routing and health checks.
Best practices
- Use weighted algorithms when servers have different capacities.
- Implement active health checks to detect failures quickly.
- Consider geographic routing for global applications.
- Use Layer 7 for content-based routing and SSL termination.
- Monitor distribution fairness and server utilization.
Try next
// simulator
Caching Strategies Simulator
Learn caching fundamentals with an interactive simulator. Visualize cache hits, misses, eviction policies (LRU, LFU, FIFO), and understand write strategies.
// simulator
Horizontal vs Vertical Scaling Simulator
Interactive game to learn scaling strategies for web applications. Experiment with horizontal and vertical scaling, see the effects on performance, cost, and reliability with realistic pricing simulation and budget constraints.
// simulator
BCDR Simulator
Learn Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery with interactive RTO/RPO planning, failover strategies, and disaster scenarios. Understand hot, warm, and cold DR sites.