Tapping network data to perform load balancing

A method, comprising:

• establishing, by a destination endpoint device, a plurality of communication sessions with a plurality of processing devices over a network;
• receiving, by the destination endpoint device, a data stream transmitted from a source endpoint device via a first communication session separate from the plurality of communication sessions, wherein the data stream is addressed to the destination endpoint device and comprises a plurality of transaction requests;
• without requiring the destination endpoint device to process the plurality of transaction requests, obtaining, by the destination endpoint device from each of the plurality of processing devices via a corresponding communication session of the plurality of communication sessions, a set of transaction responses corresponding to a respective portion of the plurality of transaction requests;
• and
• transmitting, by the destination endpoint device, the sets of transaction responses obtained from the plurality of processing devices as responses to the plurality of transaction requests to the source endpoint device via the first communication session.

A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a destination endpoint device to perform operations comprising:

• receiving a data stream transmitted from a source endpoint device via a first communication session, wherein the data stream is addressed to the destination endpoint device and comprises a plurality of transaction requests;
• connecting the destination endpoint device to a plurality of processing devices via a plurality of communication sessions;
• without requiring the destination endpoint device to process the plurality of transaction requests, obtaining, from each of the plurality of processing devices via a corresponding communication session of the plurality of communication sessions, a set of transaction responses corresponding to a respective portion of the plurality of transaction requests;
• and
• transmitting the sets of transaction responses obtained from the plurality of processing devices to the source endpoint device via the first communication session as responses to the plurality of transaction requests.