> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.greennode.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.greennode.ai/load-balancer/network-load-balancer.md).

# Network Load Balancer

A Network Load Balancer (NLB) is a hardware or software component that routes network traffic to a group of servers or other network resources. Its purpose is to balance the load across these resources and ensure service availability. NLBs are a crucial part of network infrastructure models, distributing traffic and guaranteeing the availability, performance, and security of applications and services for end-users.

Thanks to their unique features, Network Load Balancers play a vital role in improving the performance, scalability, and readiness of online applications.

#### Key Features

* **Network-Level Load Balancing:** NLBs distribute network traffic evenly across servers in a pool, ensuring that no single server is overwhelmed while others are idle.
* **Health Checks:** NLBs are typically configured to perform health checks on servers and automatically remove unhealthy servers from the load balancing pool, ensuring service availability.
* **Port-Based Routing:** NLBs can be configured to route traffic based on the destination port, allowing multiple services to run on the same set of servers and ports.
* **Target-Based Routing:** NLBs can perform routing based on the characteristics of the target server, such as its IP address, creating a flexible distribution architecture.
* **Security:** NLBs provide security by controlling traffic and restricting access to servers.
* **Traffic Control:** NLBs allow for controlling traffic to servers and managing the load in real-time.
* **Authentication and Authorization:** Integrates with GreenNode IAM, providing full support for authentication and authorization features.
* **Load Balancer Monitoring:** Easily monitor health, client access history, and Load Balancer edit history.
* **Terraform:** Supports quick and efficient initialization and management of Load Balancers using Terraform.