Which load-balancing method would direct new connections to the server with the smallest expected response time?

• A. Least connections
• B. Least bandwidth
• C. Least response time
• D. Least packets

Answer: (C)

The method tested uses latency as the decision criterion. It keeps track of how quickly each server responds and, for a new connection, sends it to the server with the smallest expected response time. This directly targets minimizing the time a user waits for a response, since the metric reflects both server processing and any current queueing or network delays.

Why this fits best: response time is a practical measure of end-user experience. It accounts for how busy a server is and how fast it can handle requests right now, not just how many connections it has or how much data it’s currently sending.

In contrast, least connections would favor the server with the fewest active connections, which can miss latency issues if a busy server still has low connection counts. Least bandwidth looks at current data throughput and may ignore how long requests take to complete. Least packets focuses on the number of packets, not the time to complete a request, so it can mislead about actual performance.