Python Network Load Balancer

A multi-threaded TCP load balancer built in Python that distributes incoming client requests across multiple backend servers using a round-robin algorithm. The project includes fault tolerance, concurrent client handling, and demonstration scripts for backend servers and clients.

Features

• Round-robin load balancing
• Multi-threaded request handling
• Fault-tolerant backend selection
• Simulated backend echo servers
• Interactive client for testing
• Modular and extensible architecture

Project Structure

File	Description
load_balancer.py	Main load balancer that distributes requests across available backends
backend_server.py	Simple echo server simulating a backend server
client_demo.py	Command-line client for sending messages to the load balancer

How to Run

1. Start Backend Servers

Run each backend server on a separate terminal with a unique port and ID:

python backend_server.py 9001 A
python backend_server.py 9002 B
python backend_server.py 9003 C

2. Start the Load Balancer

python load_balancer.py

By default, it listens on 127.0.0.1:8000.

3. Run the Client

python client_demo.py

Enter messages via the terminal to test request routing through the load balancer.

Concepts Demonstrated

• TCP socket programming
• Thread-based concurrency
• Load balancing algorithms (round-robin)
• Basic fault handling and backend failover
• Scalable client-server architecture

Possible Extensions

• Add support for least-connections or IP-hash routing
• Implement health checks for backends
• Add HTTPS/TLS support
• Create a web dashboard for monitoring traffic
• Dockerize and deploy in a containerized environment