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Load balancing and scaling

Definition​

Distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers to ensure no single server is overwhelmed, improving both availability and responsiveness.

Given an e-commerce platform, how can one horizontally scale the solution? ? By using balancing the load by using nginx-like software or by using cloud computing features such as Amazons EC2 Auto Scaling. You can deploy e-commerce applications on scalable cloud infrastructure, automatically adding or removing instances based on demand.

Load balancing​

  • A widely used and effective load balancer is nginx. When implementing a load balancer, it's important to consider the specific requirements of your application, the anticipated traffic patterns, and the features provided by the load balancing solution. Nginx is just one example among several effective load balancers available in the market. Other options include HAProxy, Apache HTTP Server with mod_proxy, and cloud provider-specific load balancers.
  • Effective and lightweight
  • Load balancing algorithms
  • Reverse proxy capabilities
  • SSL termination #ssl
  • Health checks
  • WebSocket support
  • Caching #caching
  • Ease of configuration
  • Active community and support
  • Scalability #scalability
  • Open Source
  • Compatible with various protocols and application services

TODO

Interview Questions​

  1. Explain the concept of load balancing and its role in improving system reliability and performance.

    • Objective: Evaluate the candidate's understanding of load balancing and its impact on system reliability and performance.

    • Answer:

      • Concept of Load Balancing: Load balancing distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers to prevent overloading a single server.
      • Role in Reliability: Improves fault tolerance by distributing traffic. Enhances performance by ensuring even utilization of resources.

    • Considerations:

      • Discuss trade-offs, such as potential overhead in load balancing decisions.
      • Consider the need for intelligent load balancing algorithms based on specific application requirements.