One of the negative’s of cloud computing is it’s one-size-fits-all approach to infrastructure. A single load balancing system (and subsequently configuration) is considered acceptable for all applications. After all, it’s just about distributing requests, isn’t it?
Except it isn’t, and neither are myriad other infrastructure services that provide not only customized services for applications but additional benefits not currently offered by what are commoditized versions of functionality.
Even assuming an organization is using a fairly non-customized Load balancer, there is a disparity between the algorithms supported by the industry and those supported today by cloud computing providers. If you don’t think something as simple as the choice of a load balancing algorithm has an impact on availability and performance, think again. The reason there’s a list of more than six «industry standard» algorithms is the maturation of distribution algorithms over time. Different methods are better suited to specific types of applications and usage patterns, while those same algorithms are wholly unsuited for others. Determining the best algorithm is part of the process of deploying said solutions, and one that’s completely ignored by providers of cloud computing load balancing services.