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Load balancers are crucial components in modern web infrastructure, designed to distribute incoming network traffic across multiple servers. This ensures no single server becomes overwhelmed, enhancing application availability and reliability. Load balancers can operate at various layers of the OSI model, including Layer 4 (transport) and Layer 7 (application).
The LoadBalancer4xxErrorRate alert in Prometheus indicates that the load balancer is experiencing a high rate of 4xx HTTP status codes. These errors typically signify client-side issues, such as malformed requests or unauthorized access attempts.
When a load balancer returns a 4xx error, it means the request from the client could not be processed due to client-side errors. Common 4xx errors include:
Monitoring these errors is crucial as they can affect user experience and indicate potential issues with client applications or API usage.
Start by analyzing the client requests that are causing the 4xx errors. Check the logs of your load balancer or use monitoring tools to identify patterns or specific requests leading to errors. Ensure that clients are sending requests that conform to the expected API specifications.
Ensure that your API documentation is up-to-date and accurately reflects the current API endpoints and expected request formats. This will help clients send valid requests. Consider providing examples of valid requests and responses in your documentation.
Implement server-side validation to catch malformed requests early. Use middleware or validation libraries to ensure that incoming requests meet the expected criteria before processing them further.
If applicable, review and adjust any rate limiting configurations on your load balancer. Ensure that legitimate traffic is not being inadvertently blocked or throttled, leading to 4xx errors.
For more information on HTTP status codes, visit the MDN Web Docs on HTTP Status Codes. To learn more about load balancing strategies, check out NGINX's Load Balancing Guide.
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