Explain what an application load balancer is.

A load balancer is a component that distributes incoming requests among multiple servers or application instances to ensure even resource utilization and increase fault tolerance. It helps prevent overload on a single server, improves scalability, and reduces response time.

Example: if you have a web application running on three servers, the load balancer will direct user requests to the server that is currently less loaded or available, ensuring uninterrupted operation and quick processing.