Episode 49 — Load Balancing Methods: round robin, least connections, weighted, load-based
CloudNetX scenarios frequently ask you to choose a load balancing method that matches application behavior and infrastructure variability, and this episode clarifies the practical meaning of common methods. It defines round robin as distributing requests evenly in sequence across targets, least connections as preferring the target with the fewest active sessions, weighted approaches as biasing distribution toward higher-capacity targets, and load-based methods as using real metrics such as CPU, response time, or queue depth to steer traffic. The first paragraph focuses on the principle that a method is only “best” in context: identical stateless backends can work well with simple methods, while heterogeneous fleets or uneven session durations can require more adaptive distribution. It also explains how health checks and target readiness interplay with method selection, because even the best distribution rule fails if unhealthy targets remain eligible.
