Target Groups

Scalable and Efficient RPC Load Balancing

Backpac’s Target Groups enable efficient management of RPC resources by grouping RPC endpoints of the same blockchain network together. These groups work seamlessly with Backpac’s Load Balancer Listeners to distribute incoming traffic across multiple RPC endpoints, optimizing performance, scalability, and reliability.

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What Are Target Groups?

Target Groups are collections of RPC endpoints (or targets) that belong to the same blockchain network. Backpac’s Load Balancer uses these groups to ensure that traffic is distributed evenly among the endpoints, enhancing the reliability of your blockchain operations.

Key Features:

• Network-Specific: Targets in a group belong to the same blockchain network.
• Load Distribution: Balances incoming traffic across all targets in the group.
• Custom Routing: Configured to work with Load Balancer Listeners and their rules.
• Dynamic Updates: Targets can be added or removed as needed without affecting service.

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How Target Groups Work

1. Target Definition

A Target is an RPC endpoint (e.g., https://rpc.provider.com) that serves requests for a blockchain network.

2. Grouping Targets

Targets serving the same blockchain network are grouped into a Target Group. For example:

• Ethereum Target Group: Contains Ethereum RPC endpoints.
• Solana Target Group: Contains Solana RPC endpoints.

3. Load Balancer Integration

Each Target Group is assigned to a specific Listener Rule of the Load Balancer. When a request matches the rule, traffic is routed to the corresponding Target Group for balanced distribution.

4. Intelligent Routing

• Listener Rules determine which Target Group to use based on request conditions (e.g., method, headers, or parameters).
• Traffic is then evenly distributed among the active targets in the group.

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Configuring Target Groups in Backpac

Step 1: Create a Target Group

1. Log in to your Backpac dashboard.
2. Navigate to the Target Groups section.
3. Click Create Target Group.
4. Configure the following:
   • Name: Give the Target Group a descriptive name (e.g., Ethereum-Network-Group).
   • Blockchain Network: Select the blockchain network (e.g., Ethereum or Solana).
   • Targets: Add RPC endpoints to the group.
5. Save the Target Group.

Step 2: Assign Target Groups to Listener Rules

1. Navigate to the Listeners section.
2. Select a Listener Rule or create a new one.
3. Assign the Target Group to the Listener Rule based on your routing strategy.
4. Save the configuration.

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Example Use Case: Ethereum Target Group

Scenario

You have multiple Ethereum RPC endpoints from different providers:

• Provider A: https://rpc.provider-a.com
• Provider B: https://rpc.provider-b.com
• Provider C: https://rpc.provider-c.com

Steps:

1. Create a Target Group:
   • Name: Ethereum-Group.
   • Blockchain Network: Ethereum.
   • Targets: Add the endpoints from Provider A, B, and C.
2. Assign to Listener Rule:
   • Listener Rule: Matches requests for Ethereum network RPC methods.
   • Target Group: Ethereum-Group.
3. Traffic Distribution:
   • Requests for Ethereum are distributed across the three endpoints.

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Benefits of Using Target Groups

• Scalability: Distribute traffic across multiple RPC providers to handle increasing load.
• Reliability: Ensure high availability by balancing traffic among active endpoints.
• Flexibility: Dynamically update Target Groups to add or remove endpoints as needed.
• Optimization: Reduce latency by routing traffic to less congested endpoints.

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Dynamic Target Management

Backpac allows for real-time updates to Target Groups:

• Add Targets: Easily add new RPC endpoints to accommodate growth.
• Remove Targets: Disable endpoints temporarily or permanently without affecting service.
• Health Checks: Monitor target health and automatically exclude unresponsive endpoints.

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Conclusion

Backpac’s Target Groups provide a robust solution for managing RPC traffic across blockchain networks. By grouping endpoints and integrating them with Listener Rules, Backpac ensures efficient load distribution, enhanced scalability, and improved reliability for your blockchain applications.