CompTIA Network+ Practice Test

Which balancing method directs all requests for a web page to a single server?

1. Load balancing

2. Content switching

3. TCP offloading

4. Block-level access

The correct answer is: Content switching

The balancing method that directs all requests for a web page to a single server is known as content switching. This technique involves routing client requests based on certain content types or conditions, which can include the URL or type of request. While it may seem counterintuitive compared to traditional load balancing, where requests are distributed across multiple servers for performance and reliability, content switching can ensure that specific types of requests or users are directed to a designated server optimized for those particular requests. This can enhance performance for specific applications, where one server is more equipped to handle certain types of content or heavy processing tasks than others. In contrast, load balancing typically distributes incoming traffic across multiple servers to ensure even resource utilization and prevent any one server from becoming overwhelmed. TCP offloading refers to the practice of transferring TCP processing from a server’s CPU to a dedicated hardware accelerator to improve performance, while block-level access involves managing and accessing data at the storage level rather than through file-level operations, which does not pertain to web traffic management.