The transport-level server load balancing architectures described in the first half of this article are more than adequate for many Web sites, but more complex and dynamic sites can’t depend on them.

Savvy network managers are using open-source software to provision new, inexpensive virtual servers, fueling the exponential growth of server clusters, server farms and Web applications. However, just ...

Thanks to the low cost of open-source solutions and the falling prices of hardware, network managers are finding it easier than ever to build out networks and grow the capabilities of the data center.