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Layer-4(L4) vs. Layer-7(L7) vs. GSLB load balancers

Layer-4(L4) vs. GSLB load balancers

Here’s a tabular representation highlighting the differences between Layer-4 (L4) Load Balancers, Layer-7 (L7) Load Balancers, and Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB):

Feature Layer-4 (L4) Load Balancers Layer-7 (L7) Load Balancers GSLB
Layer of Operation Transport layer (Layer-4) Application layer (Layer-7) Both transport and application layers
Traffic Distribution Criteria IP addresses, port numbers Content-based (URLs, HTTP headers, etc.) Proximity, health, and performance of servers
Content Inspection Limited or none In-depth content inspection May involve health monitoring and DNS-based routing
SSL Termination Usually not performed at this layer Can terminate SSL connections May involve SSL termination
Efficiency Generally faster due to less content inspection Content inspection may introduce some processing overhead Depends on the implementation and specific features
Use Cases Basic load balancing based on IP and port information Advanced applications requiring content-based routing Applications with a global user base, multiple data centers, and geographic dispersion
Examples HAProxy, NGINX, IPVS F5 Networks, Citrix ADC, AWS ELB F5 BIG-IP, Citrix ADC, Akamai GTM


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

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Layer-4(L4) Load Balancer (Network Layer Load Balancer)

Layer-4 load balancers operate at the transport layer of the OSI model. They make forwarding decisions based on information available in network layer protocols (such as IP addresses and port numbers)....

Layer-7(L7) Load Balancer (Application Layer Load Balancer)

Layer-7 load balancers operate at the application layer of the OSI model. They can make load balancing decisions based on content, including information such as URLs, HTTP headers, or cookies....

GSLB (Global Server Load Balancer) a.k.a. Multi-site Load Balancer

GSLB stands for Global Server Load Balancer. This type of load balancer goes beyond the traditional local load balancing and is designed for distributing traffic across multiple data centers or geographically distributed servers....

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:...

Layer-7(L7) vs. GSLB load balancers

Here’s a table comparing Layer-7 (L7) Load Balancers and Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB):...

Layer-4(L4) vs. GSLB load balancers

Here’s a table comparing Layer-4 (L4) Load Balancers and Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB):...

Layer-4(L4) vs. Layer-7(L7) vs. GSLB load balancers

Here’s a tabular representation highlighting the differences between Layer-4 (L4) Load Balancers, Layer-7 (L7) Load Balancers, and Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB):...

Tags:
#Load Balancer #System Design

Layer-4(L4) vs. GSLB load balancers