Load Balancing & WAN Optimization

In computer networking, load balancing is a technique to distribute workload evenly across two or more computers, network links, CPUs, hard drives, or other resources, in order to get optimal resource utilization, maximize throughput, minimize response time, and avoid overload. Using multiple components with load balancing, instead of a single component, may increase reliability through redundancy. The load balancing service is usually provided by a dedicated program or hardware device (such as a multilayer switch or a DNS server).

WAN optimization products seek to accelerate a broad range of applications accessed by distributed enterprise users via eliminating redundant transmissions, staging data in local caches, compressing and prioritizing data, and streamlining chatty protocols (e.g., CIFS). WAN optimization also helps avoid packet delivery issues common in shared WAN environments, like MPLS and Internet VPNs.

Component techniques of WAN Optimization include deduplication, WAFS, CIFS proxy, HTTPS Proxy, media multicasting, Web caching, Forward Error Correction (FEC), and bandwidth management.