--- title: "TIR Load Balancer FAQ" description: "Short answers about TIR Load Balancers, from the types and regions on offer to backends, rules, domains, certificates, plans, logs, and delete." content_type: "faq" product: "tir-load-balancer" platform: "TIR" url: "/tir/tir-load-balancer/faq/" --- # TIR Load Balancer FAQ For help with a specific message, see [Troubleshooting TIR Load Balancer](/tir/tir-load-balancer/troubleshooting/tir-load-balancer/). ## Getting started ### Where do I find Load Balancer in TIR? In the side menu, under **Compute**, select **Load Balancer**. It is available in Delhi and Chennai. To make one, see [Create a Load Balancer](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/create-a-load-balancer/). ### Which types of Load Balancer can I create? One. The portal creates a web (HTTP/HTTPS) Load Balancer that is external, reachable from the public internet. It routes by path, method, header, or query parameter, and handles HTTPS for you. See [Create a Load Balancer](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/create-a-load-balancer/). ### Can I create a Load Balancer without any backends? Yes. **Backends** is optional on the create form, and you can add backend groups later from the details page. See [Create a backend group](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/create-a-backend-group/). ### Can I add rules when I create the Load Balancer? No. You add rules from the details page once the Load Balancer is **Running**. See [Add a rule](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/add-a-rule/). ### Which permissions do I need? The Load Balancer service has four: read, create, update, and delete. Read opens the list, the details page, logs, metrics, certificates, and alerts. Create covers **Create Load Balancer**, update covers **Scale Capacity** and the buttons on the tabs, and delete covers **Delete**. See [TIR Access Control](/tir/tir-iam/). ### Is a Load Balancer billed? Yes. An hourly Load Balancer is billed while it is **Running**. One that fails to be created is free. Prices are on the [pricing page](https://www.e2enetworks.com/pricing). See [Billing for TIR Load Balancer](/tir/tir-load-balancer/concepts/billing-options/). ## Backends and rules ### Why does my running Load Balancer return 503? A **Running** Load Balancer answers every request with a 503 error until a rule forwards to a backend group, and the details page warns about it. Add a backend group and a rule. See [Add a rule](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/add-a-rule/). ### What can be a backend? A VM, an inference endpoint, or an Auto Scaling Group, each chosen in its own tab of a backend group. You pick each backend in its tab; you cannot type an IP address in as a backend. See [Create a backend group](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/create-a-backend-group/). ### Can a backend group mix VMs and an Auto Scaling Group? No. A backend group holds one kind of backend. Clear the backends of one kind before you pick another. See [Create a backend group](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/create-a-backend-group/). ### Which ways can a Load Balancer spread requests? **Round Robin**, **Least Connection**, and **Source IP Hash**, chosen in **Distribute requests by**. **Round Robin** spreads requests evenly across all backends, and **Source IP Hash** sends the same client IP address to the same backend. See [Create a backend group](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/create-a-backend-group/). ### Is the health check on? Yes. A new backend group starts with the **Health check** on. It probes the backends and stops sending traffic to unhealthy ones. See [Create a backend group](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/create-a-backend-group/). ### Can I send a small share of traffic to a new version? Yes. A rule can forward to two backend groups with weights. Weights of 90 and 10 send roughly 90% of requests to the first group and 10% to the second. See [Add a rule](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/add-a-rule/). ## Domains and certificates ### Do I need my own domain? No. Every Load Balancer gets an E2E hostname ending in .e2enetworks.net, and it answers there with HTTPS. You can add your own domain as well. See [Use a custom domain and certificate](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/use-a-custom-domain-and-certificate/). ### How do I point my domain at the Load Balancer? Add a **CNAME** record at your DNS provider, with your domain as the name and the Load Balancer's E2E hostname as the value. Use a **CNAME**, never an IP address. See [Use a custom domain and certificate](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/use-a-custom-domain-and-certificate/). ### Is the certificate renewed for me? Yes, for a free certificate: E2E renews it automatically. You renew an uploaded certificate yourself, by uploading a new one. See [Use a custom domain and certificate](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/use-a-custom-domain-and-certificate/). ## Changes, monitoring, and delete ### Can I change the plan of a Load Balancer? Yes, with **Scale Capacity**, which changes the plan and the **High availability** setting. It works only on a **Running** Load Balancer. See [Change the plan](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/change-the-plan/). ### Can I control which traffic reaches the Load Balancer? Yes, with security groups. Attaching the first one turns off the open access every Load Balancer starts with, so only what its rules allow gets through. See [Manage security groups](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/manage-security-groups/). ### Where can I see what my Load Balancer is serving? On the **Monitoring** tab, as charts for the last 5 minutes to 12 hours. The **Logs** tab has a snapshot of its output. See [Monitor a Load Balancer](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/monitor-a-load-balancer/) and [View logs](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/view-logs/). ### Can I be warned when something goes wrong? Yes. Attach an alert you have made to the Load Balancer, and its monitoring integrations get email, Slack, or webhook messages when it fires. See [Set up alerts](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/set-up-alerts/). ### Can I delete a Load Balancer that failed to create? Yes. You can delete a Load Balancer in any status, even while it has rules, backend groups, an Auto Scaling Group, or alerts. Deleting is permanent. See [Delete a Load Balancer](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/delete-a-load-balancer/). ### Are my certificates deleted with the Load Balancer? No. Your certificates stay in the project. The one exception is the free certificate of a custom domain you removed, which is deleted with that domain. See [Delete a Load Balancer](/tir/tir-load-balancer/how-to/delete-a-load-balancer/).