Layer-3 Path

From LB Wiki

Layer 3

With Layer 3 path, the load balancer is the default gateway for the servers. This ensures traffic destined for the Internet passes through the load balancer on the way out. This is true if the servers are on different subnets or on the same subnet as the VIPs.

Figure 1: Layer-3 path

To review, here is the Four-step process:

• 1: Client to load balancer
• 2: Load balancer to server
• 3: Server to load balancer
• 4: Load balancer to client

The third step is what makes this Layer 3-path/route-path. The server either has the load balancer as the default gateway, or the load balancer makes it look like all connections come from the load balancer, so the server responds only to the load balancer.

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