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Linux Kernel Load Balancing with IPVS for Modern Distributed Systems

by Ganapathy Subramanian Ramachandran
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International Journal of Computer Applications
Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA
Volume 186 - Number 64
Year of Publication: 2025
Authors: Ganapathy Subramanian Ramachandran
10.5120/ijca2025924460

Ganapathy Subramanian Ramachandran . Linux Kernel Load Balancing with IPVS for Modern Distributed Systems. International Journal of Computer Applications. 186, 64 ( Jan 2025), 22-26. DOI=10.5120/ijca2025924460

@article{ 10.5120/ijca2025924460,
author = { Ganapathy Subramanian Ramachandran },
title = { Linux Kernel Load Balancing with IPVS for Modern Distributed Systems },
journal = { International Journal of Computer Applications },
issue_date = { Jan 2025 },
volume = { 186 },
number = { 64 },
month = { Jan },
year = { 2025 },
issn = { 0975-8887 },
pages = { 22-26 },
numpages = {9},
url = { https://ijcaonline.org/archives/volume186/number64/linux-kernel-load-balancing-with-ipvs-for-modern-distributed-systems/ },
doi = { 10.5120/ijca2025924460 },
publisher = {Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA},
address = {New York, USA}
}
%0 Journal Article
%1 2025-01-31T17:28:36.760873+05:30
%A Ganapathy Subramanian Ramachandran
%T Linux Kernel Load Balancing with IPVS for Modern Distributed Systems
%J International Journal of Computer Applications
%@ 0975-8887
%V 186
%N 64
%P 22-26
%D 2025
%I Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA
Abstract

Load balancing in distributed systems requires efficient mechanisms for traffic distribution across multiple servers. IP Virtual Server, or IPVS in short, is implemented as a kernel-space load balancer in Linux systems and offers specific characteristics in handling network traffic distribution. This paper discusses the implementation of IPVS in modern distributed environments by analyzing its kernel-level architecture, deployment patterns, and integration capabilities. The analysis focuses on the behavior of IPVS in container orchestration platforms, especially Kubernetes, as an alternative to iptables-based load balancing. This paper systematically analyzes various deployment scenarios and identifies key operational characteristics, architectural considerations, and integration patterns. The findings provide insight into the practical applications, limitations, and architectural implications of IPVS for the design of distributed systems.

References
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  9. System Documentation: Kubernetes Documentation. (2023). "IPVS-based In-Cluster Load Balancing." [Online]. Available: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/#proxy-mode-ipvs
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Index Terms

Computer Science
Information Sciences
Load Balancing
Distributed Systems
System Architecture
Performance

Keywords

IPVS Load Balancer Kernel-space eBPF Microservices Cloud Computing Service Discovery

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