Hosting · Website glossary

Load balancer

Quick answer · What is Load balancer?

A component that distributes incoming work among multiple backend servers or instances.

IN PRACTICE

Load balancer: an example

Requests for a website are directed to one of several application instances that can handle them.

KEEP IN MIND

Applications may need shared session or file storage before extra instances behave consistently.

Put the idea to work

Frequently asked questions

What is a practical example of Load balancer?

Requests for a website are directed to one of several application instances that can handle them.

What can an application need before adding more instances?

Applications may need shared session or file storage before extra instances behave consistently.

Which concepts should I read alongside Load balancer?

Application server: Software that runs application logic and generates responses using code, data, or other services.
Session: A way an application associates a sequence of interactions with an ongoing user or client context.