Have you ever visited a website and woke up to see that it was running fast, even with a lot of people using it? That's because of a cloud load balancer. It sounds technical but it isn't and it's really helpful!
A cloud load balancer works the same way. Instead of one server doing all the work, a cloud load balancer disseminates that work across many servers so the website does not crash due to high traffic.
Because it’s in the cloud, you don’t have to buy or run extra servers -- it scales automatically based on traffic.
• No single point of failure – If one server fails, another one will back it up.
• Speed – Users connect to the closest, the fastest server.
• Spikes – The load is distributed easily when traffic spikes, as many servers are at the ready.
• Cost savings – You pay for what you use only.
• More security – Some balancers block DDoS attacks before they reach your application.
I used to have a blog that attracted a wave of thousands of users from Reddit. With no load balancer, my server would have fallen flat on its face. Thanks to the load balancer, the site stayed stable.
• Online stores - Many people can buy from the same store susceptible to fewer problems.
• Video streaming - Viewers can experience less buffering.
• Applications and software - Many users can log in at the same time without downtime.
If you care about speed and uptime at all (you do), then it can be a very useful tool.
If you're running a website or application, this is not only useful, it is required.
What is a Cloud Load Balancer
Think of a pizza shop with one counter. If too many people visit at once, you will have a long line. But if there are three or four counters, the wait time for everyone gets shorter.A cloud load balancer works the same way. Instead of one server doing all the work, a cloud load balancer disseminates that work across many servers so the website does not crash due to high traffic.
Because it’s in the cloud, you don’t have to buy or run extra servers -- it scales automatically based on traffic.
Why do We Need That?
You might ask, ''Why can't I just use one big server?'' You certainly can! However, a cloud load balancer is capable of so much more because:• No single point of failure – If one server fails, another one will back it up.
• Speed – Users connect to the closest, the fastest server.
• Spikes – The load is distributed easily when traffic spikes, as many servers are at the ready.
• Cost savings – You pay for what you use only.
• More security – Some balancers block DDoS attacks before they reach your application.
I used to have a blog that attracted a wave of thousands of users from Reddit. With no load balancer, my server would have fallen flat on its face. Thanks to the load balancer, the site stayed stable.
Where Do You See the Benefit?
There are some real-life examples below.• Online stores - Many people can buy from the same store susceptible to fewer problems.
• Video streaming - Viewers can experience less buffering.
• Applications and software - Many users can log in at the same time without downtime.
If you care about speed and uptime at all (you do), then it can be a very useful tool.
Final Thoughts
A cloud load balancer would spread the work across the available servers. It will keep your site up, fast, and secure. I think of it as having extra hands when the work gets too heavy.If you're running a website or application, this is not only useful, it is required.
