Load balancing algorithms in cluster systems

The State Higher School of Technology and Economics in Jarosław, Poland  

^* Corresponding author: andrzej.imielowski@pwste.edu.pl

Abstract

The beginning of XXI century brought dynamic rise in popularity of the Internet. It was connected with the development of telecommunications technology, especially the spread of broadband access to the global network. The key issue became ensuring satisfactory access to the services available through the network. Therefore, the challenge caused the development of various clusters. The paper presents an overview of algorithms for load balancing used in modern cluster systems. Load balancing is a key issue in cluster systems. It is a method that uses multiple nodes (servers) and dynamically distributes the load between them so that no node is not overloaded. The main goal of load balancing is the optimal use of resources, thereby enhancing system performance and minimizing resource consumption. This allows for reducing operations costs of information systems and is also compatible with Green Computing. The paper focuses on analysis of existing algorithms in terms of load balancing and comparing them on basis of various quality indicators, such as throughput, reliability, energy saving, performance, scalability, etc. The paper takes into account the specificities of different solutions, from the classic cluster through systems of blade servers with virtualization to cloud systems.