Which two statements reflect benefits of performing per-flow load balancing over per-packet load balancing? (Choose two.)
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A. B. C. D.BC
Per-flow load balancing is a technique used to distribute network traffic across multiple paths in a network. It differs from per-packet load balancing in that it distributes traffic based on flows, which can be thought of as a sequence of related packets between a source and destination. In contrast, per-packet load balancing distributes each packet individually across available paths.
The two benefits of performing per-flow load balancing over per-packet load balancing are:
All physical links in the network are used equally: Per-flow load balancing ensures that all the available physical links in the network are utilized evenly, which helps prevent link congestion and improves overall network performance. This is because traffic is divided based on the flow, and all packets belonging to a flow are sent across the same path, thus preventing packet reordering and ensuring that packets reach their destination in order.
Provides easier implementation of class of service policies: Per-flow load balancing provides an easier implementation of class of service (CoS) policies, which is a way of prioritizing traffic in a network based on specific requirements. Since per-flow load balancing sends all packets belonging to a flow across the same path, it makes it easier to apply CoS policies to specific flows, which is not possible with per-packet load balancing.
The following two statements are incorrect:
B. Packets arrive at the destination in the order they were sent: This statement is not true for per-packet load balancing, where packets are sent independently across different paths, and hence they can arrive at the destination out of order. However, per-flow load balancing ensures that packets belonging to the same flow are sent across the same path, thus preventing packet reordering.
D. Allows the destination host to re-order packets and increase performance: This statement is also incorrect. While per-flow load balancing can prevent packet reordering, it does not allow the destination host to reorder packets. In fact, reordering packets at the destination host can be challenging and can reduce performance.