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Application Load Balancer (ALB): Efficient Traffic Routing for Cloud-Native Applications
AWS provides several options for load balancing, and one of the most powerful tools in their arsenal is the Application Load Balancer (ALB). Operating at Layer 7 of the OSI model, ALB is specifically designed to handle HTTP and HTTPS traffic and provides intelligent routing based on various request parameters.
In this article, we’ll explore the essential features and capabilities of the Application Load Balancer, highlighting how it optimizes traffic management and enhances performance for modern applications.
What is an Application Load Balancer?
AWS Application Load Balancer (ALB) is a managed service that routes incoming HTTP/HTTPS traffic to one or more target groups, ensuring that your application can handle high volumes of traffic efficiently. Unlike Classic Load Balancers, which operate at both Layer 4 and 7, ALB operates solely at Layer 7 (the application layer), making it ideal for content-based routing.
ALB intelligently forwards traffic based on content such as URLs, query strings, headers, and hostnames, allowing for more sophisticated routing compared to traditional load balancers.
