> # Load Balancing

> Two methods support the load-balancing functionality:

> - Flow based—All frames between source and destination follow the same links for a given flow. That is, whichever link is selected for the first exchange of the flow is used for all subsequent exchanges.
> - Exchange based—The first frame in an exchange picks a link and subsequent frames in the exchange follow the same link. However, subsequent exchanges can use a different link. This provides more granular load balancing while preserving the order of frames for each exchange.

> For more information on configuring load balancing and in-order delivery features, see the Cisco MDS 9000 Family NX-OS Fabric Configuration Guide.

> Copyright 2010-2015, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.