Scaling Connections

Elastic Load Balancing (ELB) is the gateway to your server fleet. Choosing between ALB and NLB depends on your protocol needs.

1. Application Load Balancer (ALB) - Layer 7

Operates at the HTTP/HTTPS level. It can 'Read' the request and route based on Path (/api vs /web) or Hostname. Use this for 99% of web applications and REST APIs.

2. Network Load Balancer (NLB) - Layer 4

Operates at the TCP/UDP level. It is extremely fast and handles millions of requests per second with ultra-low latency. Use this for **gRPC**, Games, or any high-performance non-HTTP traffic.

3. Architect Insight

Q: "Should I terminate SSL at the Load Balancer or the Instance?"

Architect Answer: "Terminate at the **Load Balancer**. This is called **SSL Offloading**. It frees up your .NET app's CPU from the heavy math of encryption/decryption. AWS also provides free SSL certificates via **ACM (Certificate Manager)** if you terminate at the LB. It's a win-win for security and performance."