Why load balancers distribute traffic in HLD - Quick Recap

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the primary purpose of a load balancer in a system?

A load balancer distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers to ensure no single server becomes overwhelmed, improving system reliability and performance.

beginner

How does distributing traffic help improve system availability?

By spreading requests across multiple servers, if one server fails, others can continue handling traffic, reducing downtime and improving availability.

intermediate

Name two common algorithms used by load balancers to distribute traffic.

Common algorithms include Round Robin (sending requests sequentially to each server) and Least Connections (sending requests to the server with the fewest active connections).

intermediate

Why is load balancing important for scaling a web application?

Load balancing allows a web application to handle more users by distributing requests across multiple servers, enabling horizontal scaling and better resource use.

beginner

What could happen if a system does not use a load balancer and receives high traffic?

Without a load balancer, one server might get overwhelmed, causing slow responses or crashes, leading to poor user experience and potential downtime.

What is the main role of a load balancer?

A Encrypt network traffic

B Distribute traffic evenly across servers

C Store user data

D Monitor server health only

Load balancers distribute incoming traffic to multiple servers to balance the load.

Which load balancing algorithm sends requests to the server with the fewest active connections?

A Least Connections

B Round Robin

C Random

D IP Hash

Least Connections algorithm directs traffic to the server with the fewest active connections.

How does a load balancer improve system availability?

A By redirecting traffic from failed servers to healthy ones

B By encrypting data

C By increasing server CPU speed

D By caching data

Load balancers detect failed servers and redirect traffic to healthy servers, improving availability.

What happens if a system with no load balancer receives a sudden spike in traffic?

A Servers automatically multiply

B Traffic is evenly handled

C Traffic is automatically reduced

D One server may become overloaded and crash

Without load balancing, one server can get overwhelmed, causing crashes or slowdowns.

Which of these is NOT a benefit of using a load balancer?

A Improved fault tolerance

B Better resource utilization

C Automatic data backup

D Scalability support

Load balancers do not perform data backup; they distribute traffic and improve availability.

Explain why load balancers distribute traffic in a web system.

Think about how traffic affects server performance and user experience.

Describe how load balancing helps maintain system reliability during server failures.

Consider what happens when one server stops working.