Various embodiments of the invention provide for an unparalleled scalable and reliable load distribution design for use in a large class of network applications, including cloud computing in modern data center networks and similar services, which can benefit from the invention by taking advantage of commonly available network components and systems. In particular, various embodiments of the invention extend a logical load distributor model to include distributed clusters of loosely coupled components. Certain embodiments accomplish this by combining existing silicon-based network components and functionalities with the scalability and reliability provided by virtualized processes in order to improve critical load distribution and load balancing performance without requiring costly upgrades to infrastructure and without negative structural impact on the overall network. Some embodiments take advantage of hierarchical designs to further increase scalability.