ARRAY NETWORKS ADC VS MICROSOFT NETWORK LOAD BALANCER

COMPARISON AMONG ARRAY NETWORKS ADC, MICROSOFT NETWORK LOAD BALANCER AND RELIANOID LOAD BALANCER

What is Array Networks APV Series

The Array Networks APV Series is a high-performance Application Delivery Controller (ADC) family available as physical, virtual, and cloud appliances that accelerate, secure and ensure availability of applications across data center and cloud environments. At its core, APV provides Layer-4 to Layer-7 load balancing and intelligent traffic management to keep applications fast and available by directing user requests according to dynamic and policy-based decisions. Array’s APV appliances include SSL/TLS acceleration and interception, connection multiplexing, caching and compression, traffic shaping, DDoS protections, Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB), and an integrated Web Application Firewall (WAF).
Array Networks

Built on Array’s SpeedCore® 64-bit architecture and a kernel-level L7 policy engine, APV delivers efficient processing and low-latency traffic handling suitable for enterprises, service providers and public sector deployments. APV also provides automation and orchestration through REST/XML-RPC and integrations with cloud/virtual platforms, making it flexible for modern CI/CD and cloud-native workflows.

What is Microsoft Network Load Balancer

Microsoft Network Load Balancing (NLB) is a built-in capability in Windows Server that improves application performance and uptime by spreading incoming traffic across multiple servers. This helps prevent any single server from becoming a bottleneck, enhancing both the scalability and dependability of services. Operating at the network layer—specifically Layers 3 and 4—NLB uses methods such as round-robin and client affinity to distribute requests evenly among available resources. With NLB in place, administrators can ensure more efficient handling of client traffic, resulting in better overall system responsiveness.

A key advantage of Microsoft NLB is its support for fault tolerance. In the event that one server in the load-balanced group goes offline, NLB automatically detects the issue and reroutes incoming requests to the remaining active servers. This automatic failover maintains service continuity without requiring manual adjustments. Unlike hardware-based alternatives, Microsoft’s NLB is entirely software-driven, making it a more affordable and easily deployable option for managing traffic distribution in Windows-based networks.

WHAT IS RELIANOID

RELIANOID as alternative to Array Networks ADC and Microsoft Network Load Balancer across key ADC capabilities

RELIANOID combines performance, simplicity, and flexibility, positioning itself as a strong alternative to both Array Networks ADC and Microsoft NLB. While Array offers solid but mid-range capabilities and Microsoft NLB remains a basic, cost-effective option limited to Windows environments, RELIANOID delivers advanced load balancing, reverse proxy, and security features in a lightweight, platform-agnostic solution. It supports modern standards such as HTTP/2, provides zero-downtime updates with hot reload, and integrates seamlessly into cloud-native, containerized, and hybrid infrastructures. This makes RELIANOID the ideal choice for organizations seeking enterprise-grade performance without the heavy costs or complexity of traditional ADC solutions.