Load balancing in cloud computing – A hierarchical taxonomical classification

• Published in: Journal of cloud computing : advances, systems and applications Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 1 - 24
• Main Authors: Afzal, Shahbaz, Kavitha, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 23.12.2019; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Algorithms; Classification; Cloud computing; Cloud service consumer; Cloud service provider; Computer Communication Networks; Computer Science; Computer System Implementation; Computer Systems Organization and Communication Networks; Information Systems Applications (incl.Internet); Load balancing; Overloading; Performance degradation; Quality of service; Review; Servers; Software Engineering/Programming and Operating Systems; Special Purpose and Application-Based Systems; Taxonomy; Cloud computing; Cloud service consumer; Cloud service provider; Taxonomy; Classification; Quality of service; Load unbalancing; Load balancing
• ISSN: 2192-113X; 2192-113X
• DOI: 10.1186/s13677-019-0146-7

Load unbalancing problem is a multi-variant, multi-constraint problem that degrades performance and efficiency of computing resources. Load balancing techniques cater the solution for load unbalancing situation for two undesirable facets- overloading and under-loading. In contempt of the importance of load balancing techniques to the best of our knowledge, there is no comprehensive, extensive, systematic and hierarchical classification about the existing load balancing techniques. Further, the factors that cause load unbalancing problem are neither studied nor considered in the literature. This paper presents a detailed encyclopedic review about the load balancing techniques. The advantages and limitations of existing methods are highlighted with crucial challenges being addressed so as to develop efficient load balancing algorithms in future. The paper also suggests new insights towards load balancing in cloud computing.