Which AWS component handles high-scale traffic efficiently with millions of requests per second?

The Network Load Balancer is specifically designed to handle extreme levels of traffic, allowing it to manage millions of requests per second while maintaining ultra-low latencies. It operates at the connection level (Layer 4 of the OSI model), which enables it to quickly route incoming traffic to the appropriate targets based on IP protocol data without the overhead of processing any application-layer data. This efficiency in handling TCP and UDP connections makes it ideal for applications that demand high performance and scalability.

The design of the Network Load Balancer leverages AWS’s infrastructure, allowing it to automatically scale to accommodate the demands of fluctuating traffic levels seamlessly. It also can provide features such as static IP addresses and the ability to handle connections using elastic IPs, which further supports its capability to deliver performance at scale.

In contrast, other load balancers, such as the Application Load Balancer, while excellent for managing HTTP and HTTPS traffic with features like path-based routing and host-based routing, are generally suited for workloads that involve more complex request handling. The Gateway Load Balancer combines a transparent network gateway with the ability to scale, but it is focused on integrating third-party appliances rather than direct high-traffic handling. The Classic Load Balancer, while effective for basic load balancing, is