Layer-4(L4) Load Balancer vs Layer-7(L7) Load Balancer
Here’s a table comparing Layer-4 (L4) Load Balancers and Layer-7 (L7) Load Balancers:
| Feature | Layer-4 (L4) Load Balancers | Layer-7 (L7) Load Balancers |
|---|---|---|
| Layer of Operation | Transport layer (Layer-4) | Application layer (Layer-7) |
| Traffic Distribution Criteria | IP addresses, port numbers | Content-based (URLs, HTTP headers, etc.) |
| Content Inspection | Limited or none | In-depth content inspection |
| SSL Termination | Usually not performed at this layer | Can terminate SSL connections |
| Efficiency | Generally faster due to less content inspection | Content inspection may introduce some processing overhead |
| Use Cases | Basic load balancing based on IP and port information | Advanced applications requiring content-based routing |
| Examples | HAProxy, NGINX, IPVS | F5 Networks, Citrix ADC, AWS ELB |
Layer-4(L4), Layer-7(L7), and GSLB Load Balancers
Load balancers play a critical role in distributing network or application traffic across multiple servers to ensure optimal performance, reliability, and scalability. Layer-4 (L4), Layer-7 (L7), and Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB) are different types of load balancing mechanisms designed to address various needs within network architectures.
Table of Content
- Layer-4(L4) Load Balancer (Network Layer Load Balancer)
- Layer-7(L7) Load Balancer (Application Layer Load Balancer)
- GSLB (Global Server Load Balancer) a.k.a. Multi-site Load Balancer
- Layer-4(L4) Load Balancer vs Layer-7(L7) Load Balancer
- Layer-7(L7) vs. GSLB load balancers
- Layer-4(L4) vs. GSLB load balancers
- Layer-4(L4) vs. Layer-7(L7) vs. GSLB load balancers