What does the term 'load balancing' mean in network management?

Load balancing in network management refers to the distribution of network traffic across multiple servers. This process ensures that no single server becomes overwhelmed with too much traffic, which can lead to performance degradation or downtime. By spreading the workload evenly, load balancing improves the overall efficiency and reliability of a network. It helps in optimizing resource use, maximizing throughput, minimizing response time, and avoiding overload on any single resource.

In essence, load balancing improves the user experience by ensuring that requests are handled promptly and effectively, facilitating better management of server resources. This practice is essential in environments where high availability and performance are critical, such as in web hosting and cloud services.