Can you describe what a load balancer is and how it works?

A load balancer is a component that distributes incoming network traffic or requests among multiple servers or resources to ensure even load distribution and improve system fault tolerance.

Working principle:

• A request comes from a client.
• The load balancer selects one of the available servers based on a specific algorithm (e.g., round-robin, least connections).
• It redirects the request to the chosen server.
• The server processes the request and returns a response.

This helps prevent overload on a single server and ensures uninterrupted operation in case of node failures.