WebOS 10.0 Application Guide
118 Chapter 6: Server Load Balancing 212777-A, February 2002
Understanding Server Load Balancing
SLB benefits your network in a number of ways:
nIncreased efficiency for server utilization and network bandwidth
With SLB, your Alteon Web switch is aware of the shared services provided by your
server pool and can then balance user session traffic among the available servers. Impor-
tant session traffic gets through more easily, reducing user competition for connecti ons on
overutilized servers. For even greater control, traffic is distributed according to a variety
of user-selectable rules.
nIncreased reliability of services to users
If any server in a server pool fails, the remaining servers continue to provide access to
vital applications and data. The failed server can be brought back up without interrupting
access to services.
nIncreased scalability of services
As users are added and the server pool’s capabilities are saturated, new servers can be
added to the pool transparently.

Identifying Your Network Needs

SLB may be the right option for addressing these vital network concerns:
nA single server no longer meets the demand for its particular application.
nThe connection from your LAN to your server overloads the server’s capacity.
nYour NT and UNIX servers hold critical application data and must remain available even
in the event of a server failure.
nYour Web site is being used as a way to do bu sines s and for taking ord ers from cus tomer s.
It must not become overloaded or unavailable.
nYou want to use multiple servers or hot-standby servers for maximum server uptime.
nYou must be able to scale your applications to meet client and LAN request capacity.
nYou can’t afford to continue using an inferior load-balancing technique, such as DNS
round robin or a software-only system.