New Training: Secure Network Design

In this 9-video skill, CBT Nuggets trainer Keith Barker discusses and demonstrates concepts regarding secure network design. Watch this new Cyber Security training.

Watch the full course: Implementing Secure Network, Cloud, and Mobile Solutions Training

This training includes:

• 9 videos

• 1.2 hours of training

You’ll learn these topics in this skill:

• Intro to Secure Network Design

• Network Segmentation

• Network Firewalls

• ACL Case Study

• Load Balancing

• Virtual private network (VPN)

• Layer 2 Security

• Network-based IDS/IPS

• Quiz and Review

What is a Load Balancer?

Servers can only handle so much data flowing to and from them at any given time, but what do you do if you need to be able to serve more data than what your server can handle? More importantly, what happens if your server experiences an issue and isn't available? One of the ways to solve this problem is by using a load balancer.

It's common for an IT environment to have multiple points of redundancy in its infrastructure. This includes using multiple servers. A load balancer is a device that sits between those redundant servers to even out the workload between them.

Think of a load balancer like a traffic cop. A load balancer will balance the congestion between two servers much like a traffic cop will control the number of vehicles driving down a multi-lane road.

Likewise, if a server experiences an issue, a load balancer will redirect traffic to the functioning, redundant server in the same way a traffic cop will divert traffic away from an accident.

Load balancers are an integral part of any IT environment, but you should understand how and when to use one. They are not a magic bullet that fixes all networking traffic issues.