SSCP Systems Security Certified PractitionerNetwork and Communications SecurityEasy
A company is deploying a new web application that needs to handle a large volume of traffic and remain resilient to single points of failure. The application will be hosted across multiple servers. Which network device is essential for distributing incoming client requests among these servers and ensuring high availability?
- ALoad Balancer
- BFirewall
- CProxy Server
- DIntrusion Prevention System (IPS)
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Load Balancer
A load balancer distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers, preventing any single server from becoming a bottleneck and ensuring high availability and resilience by directing traffic only to healthy servers.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. A firewall filters traffic based on security rules, not for distributing load.
- C. A proxy server acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers, but its primary role isn't load distribution for a single application.
- D. An IPS detects and prevents intrusions, which is a security function, not traffic distribution.
Load Balancer
A network device or software that efficiently distributes incoming network traffic across a group of backend servers, ensuring high availability and reliability.
- Distributes traffic across multiple servers.
- Prevents server overload.
- Enhances application availability and scalability.
Memory trick: Devices Have Distinct Duties.