Load balancing is a cost cutting measure without the need to cut corners in terms of the provision of service from a managed host. It’s a term that covers a broad range of technologies and techniques when it comes to content management, site maintenance, and the smooth running of an organization in the IT age.  One example of load balancing is the assignation of a number of IP addresses under one web site domain name. This is not only a streamlining measure, but it reduces the need to set up or register a new domain name for each IP address.

Load balancing is also the term used to describe the distribution across a network of the workload that that network has to take on. A network that is running slowly – often noticeable through keyboard input, when the text displays seconds after being typed rather than seeming instantaneous – is a major issue. But it can be overcome by a managed host through the exploitation of hardware and software at a remote location – the base of the managed host itself. If all of the network components need to communicate to each other without the managed host acting as a kind of hub, then the managed host may have solutions that maximize throughput by dedicating the resources that aren’t required at a given time to hardware that requires it. For instance, secondary servers – either at the managed host site or at the network point on the ground – may provide the capacity to carry extra load when required. Redundancy principles may kick in when a resource is not used – like a computer powering down to stand-by when not in service. Hardware devices used in load balancing may include DNS servers and multilayer switches. They may not be required by those who have a website hosted by a managed service, but they could probably be used by the managed service itself to keep the site running smoothly.