In our previous article, we explored how Ankr's innovative approach to blockchain-native load balancing transformed RPC performance, delivering unparalleled speed and reliability. Now, let's dive deeper into the details of this groundbreaking technology and its profound impact on app user experience.

Why a Custom-Built Load Balancer?

Generic Layer 7 load balancers may excel for traditional web applications, but they're not equipped to handle the unique demands of blockchain RPC traffic. Ankr recognized that blockchain-specific requirements, such as protocol-aware routing, block height tracking, and geo-aware latency scoring, necessitated a tailored solution.

The Birth of Ankr's Custom Load Balancer

"We didn't need a better proxy; we needed a smarter coordinator that understands blockchains at the protocol level," emphasizes Peter Stewart, Head of Infrastructure at Ankr. This proprietary load balancer is built from the ground up with blockchain routing intelligence baked in, leveraging Go as its foundation.

The Power of Protocol-Aware Routing

Ankr's custom-built load balancer excels in protocol-specific decision-making, taking into account factors such as node fullness, block height, regional latency, and query type. This enables it to optimize routing for blockchain RPC requests, reducing unnecessary retries and timeouts.

Key Features That Elevate the User Experience

  1. Protocol-Aware Routing: Expertly routes requests based on protocol-specific context, ensuring seamless communication between nodes.
  2. Block Height Tracking: Automatically deprioritizes nodes that fall behind, guaranteeing users receive fresh data.
  3. Geo-Aware Latency Scoring: Combines real-time RTTs with region-aware thresholds to minimize response time and maintain data consistency across zones.
  4. Smart Caching for Public Endpoints: Caches common static calls intelligently, reducing unnecessary load on upstream nodes.
  5. Failover + Load Shedding: Reroutes traffic cross-region when capacity is strained, ensuring protocol-aware fallbacks without dropping queries.
  6. Observability Built-In: Logs all routing decisions with metadata, enabling precise troubleshooting and per-endpoint metrics.

Real-World Impact: Faster Queries, Fewer Errors, Better Scaling

Ankr's custom load balancer has revolutionized RPC performance, delivering:

  • Faster queries by reducing tail latency and minimizing stale responses.
  • Fewer errors through fallbacks and height-awareness, resulting in fewer retries and 5xxs.
  • Better scaling with caching common queries and distributing load by query type.

What's Next?

Ankr is continuously innovating to further enhance RPC performance. Upcoming developments include AI-based traffic shaping, advanced caching strategies, decentralized telemetry from node operators, and more.

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