The function of an application load balancer is?

• A. Encrypt TLS at the edge
• B. Manage DNS domain routing policies
• C. Encrypt data at rest
• D. Route and balance HTTP/HTTPS traffic to backend services

Answer: (D)

An application load balancer’s core task is to route and balance HTTP/HTTPS requests across multiple backend services. It sits in front of your servers, examines aspects of each incoming request (like host, path, or headers), and decides which backend should handle it. It also checks the health of backends and forwards traffic only to healthy targets, improving both availability and scalability. That focus on distributing and directing application traffic is why the option describing routing and balancing HTTP/HTTPS traffic to backend services is the best fit. The other statements describe TLS termination at the edge, DNS routing policies, or encryption at rest—functions not central to the traffic-routing role of an application load balancer.