What is STACKIT Network Load Balancer?
STACKIT Network Load Balancer (NLB) is a fully managed Layer 4 load balancer that distributes TCP and UDP traffic across multiple backend instances with very low latency. For content-based routing at the HTTP/HTTPS level, STACKIT offers a separate Application Load Balancer (Layer 7). As a German cloud provider, STACKIT processes traffic in German data centers.
Core Features
- Layer 4 load balancing: Distributes TCP and UDP traffic across target pools without interpreting content
- Health checks: Active TCP/UDP checks; advanced HTTP-based health checks available via API and SDK
- TLS passthrough: Encrypted traffic is forwarded unchanged, with TLS termination handled at the backend
- Session persistence: Source-IP-based session affinity
- Access control: IP-based access control lists (ACLs)
- Observability: Metrics via Prometheus, logs via Loki
- Private network only: Deployed within private STACKIT networks
Typical Use Cases
Latency-sensitive workloads: Applications with high throughput requirements and low tolerance for added latency benefit from the lean Layer 4 approach.
Kubernetes integration: Kubernetes Services of type LoadBalancer on STACKIT Kubernetes Engine (SKE) automatically provision an NLB.
TLS passthrough scenarios: Applications that need to terminate TLS themselves (for example, for compliance reasons) forward encrypted traffic unchanged through the NLB.
Custom protocols: UDP-based services such as streaming or gaming backends that do not use HTTP.
Benefits
- GDPR-compliant: Operated from German data centers
- Low latency: Layer 4 processing without HTTP parsing overhead
- Kubernetes integration: Automatic provisioning for SKE services
- Transparent billing: Pay-per-use with no fixed costs
Integration with innFactory
As an official STACKIT partner, innFactory supports you with load balancer architecture: choosing between Network and Application Load Balancer, health check configuration, TLS strategy, and integration with STACKIT Kubernetes Engine.
Typical Use Cases
Frequently Asked Questions
What is STACKIT Network Load Balancer?
The Network Load Balancer (NLB) is a managed Layer 4 load balancer that distributes TCP and UDP traffic across multiple backend instances with very low latency. It suits workloads where routing decisions do not depend on the content of the connection.
How does the NLB differ from the Application Load Balancer?
The NLB operates at Layer 4 and only understands IP addresses and ports, not HTTP content. For content-based routing by URL path, host, or HTTP headers, STACKIT offers a separate Application Load Balancer (Layer 7).
Does the NLB support SSL/TLS?
The NLB does not terminate TLS itself but supports TLS passthrough: encrypted traffic is forwarded unchanged to the backend instance, which handles TLS termination.
What does the Network Load Balancer cost?
Billing is usage-based (pay-per-use). Current prices are available in the STACKIT pricing calculator.
Does the load balancer work with Kubernetes?
Yes. Kubernetes Services of type LoadBalancer on STACKIT Kubernetes Engine (SKE) automatically provision a STACKIT Load Balancer.
Note: All product information on this page has been compiled with care, but is provided without guarantee and may be outdated or incomplete. Cloud services evolve rapidly — features, pricing, SLAs, and availability change frequently. Authoritative and up-to-date information can only be found on the official product page of STACKIT (official documentation). This page does not represent an offer by STACKIT.
