Overview
Azure Load Balancer distributes network traffic across multiple virtual machines (VMs) in a virtual network. It's a highly available and scalable solution for distributing traffic to your applications.
Key features include:
- High Availability: Ensures your application remains available even if a VM fails.
- Scalability: Easily add or remove VMs to meet changing traffic demands.
- Health Probes: Automatically detects unhealthy VMs and redirects traffic.
- Flexible Routing: Supports various routing methods.
Types of Azure Load Balancers
There are two types of Azure Load Balancers:
- Azure Load Balancer (Classic): The older generation load balancer, suitable for simpler scenarios.
- Azure Load Balancer (Standard): The newer, more feature-rich load balancer with advanced capabilities like session persistence and DPI.
Routing Methods
Azure Load Balancer supports the following routing methods:
- IP Address Routing: Routes traffic based on the destination IP address.
- Port Routing: Routes traffic based on the destination port.
- XProportional Routing: Provides more granular control over traffic routing based on various metrics.