What is referred to as a content switch that distributes incoming requests across servers?

A load balancer is a device or software that acts as a content switch to distribute incoming requests across multiple servers. This distribution helps ensure that no single server is overwhelmed with too many requests, which can lead to performance degradation or failure. By evenly distributing the load, a load balancer enhances the reliability and availability of applications, allowing for better resource utilization and improved response times.

In addition to spreading the workload, load balancers can also provide other functionalities, such as health checks for servers, ensuring that traffic is only sent to servers that are operational and capable of handling requests. They may also support various load-balancing algorithms, such as round-robin, least connections, or IP hash, to determine how requests are routed.

The other options listed do not function in the same capacity as a load balancer. Traffic mirroring involves copying traffic from one network device to another for analysis or security purposes. Internal Border Gateway Protocol (iBGP) is a routing protocol used to exchange routing information within an autonomous system, and Virtual Network Computing (VNC) is used for remote desktop sharing, allowing users to access graphical desktops remotely. None of these options specifically handle the distribution of incoming requests across servers as effectively as a load balancer does.