Load Balancing in ScyllaDB’s DynamoDB-Compatible API, Alternator

ScyllaDB's DynamoDB-compatible API, known as Alternator, requires a load-balancing solution to effectively distribute client requests across the database's nodes, as clients are not inherently aware of the cluster's structure. The article discusses both server-side and client-side load balancing solutions, ultimately recommending the client-side approach for its simplicity and efficiency. While server-side load balancing, such as using DNS or TCP load balancers, can add complexity, cost, and latency, client-side load balancing involves minimal changes to the client application itself. This method leverages a small library to allow applications to use the AWS SDK as usual while dynamically routing requests to various nodes, thereby ensuring high availability and balanced loads without overcomplicating the ScyllaDB infrastructure. This approach facilitates an easier transition for applications from DynamoDB to Alternator, maintaining functionality with minimal adjustments.