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> If the trend continues, you should be able to buy a black box
> worth $200 which will have the same features as LVS does; perhaps i am
> exagerating a bit, but if this is the case, why should someone continue to
> use LVS?
Assuming that ever happens (which I doubt), I'd say that maybe, just
maybe, you shouldn't. Maybe you should, though.
It all depends on what you need, of course. Currently, LVS is a rather
primitive load balancer -- it only works off of IP, and is missing a lot
of the features you might see on "professional" level stuff.
So, obviously, you just have to determine what you need, and go for it.
I'd guess that the reasons for using LVS over a black box will be roughly
the same as using Linux over Solaris -- also a newly inexpensive, high
quality product --
1. Freedom/Customizability/Flexiblity
2. It can run a rather large variety of hardware.
I doubt you're going to find any black box where you can modify the source
code, and well, an LVS box is probably more flexible than your average
load balancer, simply because it's not a black box -- you can do more than
just load balance. You could argue that you wouldn't want to, since
the more tasks, the greater the chance for failure, but, hey, the fact
that it's even an option is important.
So, I guess the answer to your question is: Some people won't continue to
use LVS. Some people just want a fire-and-forget method of load
balancing, and if the $200 black box solution works for them, it works for
them.
Of course, there will be some people (like me) who are comforted by the
fact that yes, if I want to, if I need to, I can hack this puppy up to do
something that I need, that it doesn't currently do.
Personally, I find LVS a long-term solution to the problem. It may not
have all the bells and whistles your average black box has, but I'm
reliant on no single company to provide me, and if development stops, I
can continue it myself. That's important to me.
It's so important, that in the short term, I'm willing to give up features
that are neat, but aren't critical to my success. I'm willing to bear
some additional cost, to get it working. I look at it as an investment
that will probably pay off in the future. Who knows where it will be in 5
years? Who knew where Linux would be today, 5 years ago?
*shrug*
Of course, that's just me. You might feel different.
Kyle Sparger
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