network load balancing (NLB)

Network Load Balancing (NLB) is a cluster concept with load distribution that is characterized by high availability, reliability and scalability. The NLB concept is suitable for applications with relatively small data sets that are rarely changed, such as websites.

The NLB concept is about load balancing between several servers in a network that are bundled into a cluster and accessible via a single IP address. The servers themselves have their own IP addresses and distribute their tasks among themselves.

When a client makes a request, it reaches all the servers, which then determine which server will handle the request from a load balancing perspective. Each server in the cluster monitors the other servers with a heartbeat. If one server fails, the tasks are taken over by the other servers, which helps to increase reliability. NLB clusters can include up to 32 servers.