Methods of forwarding data packets using transient tables and related load balancers

A load balancer (LB) configured to forwarding data packets to a plurality of servers with each server being identified by a respective server identification (ID), the load balancer comprising:

• a network interface configured to receive data packets from an outside network;
• a server interface configured to forward data packets to the servers;
• and
• a processor coupled to the network interface and the server interface, wherein the processor is configured to,
• receive a non-initial data packet of a data flow through the network interface wherein the non-initial data packet includes information for the data flow,
• compute a bucket ID for the non-initial data packet as a function of the information for the data flow, and
• transmit the non-initial data packet through the server interface to one of the first and second servers using one of the first and second server IDs based on a flow identification of the data flow being included in a transient table for the bucket ID responsive to the bucket ID for the data packet mapping to first and second server identifications (IDs) of respective first and second servers and responsive to the non-initial data packet being a non-initial data packet for the data flow.