What is a major goal of implementing load balancing in cloud networks?

Implementing load balancing in cloud networks primarily aims to prevent a single server from being overwhelmed. This is crucial because when a single server is tasked with handling too many requests, it can lead to performance degradation, slower response times, and potential downtime. Load balancing distributes incoming traffic across multiple servers or resources, ensuring that no single server bears the brunt of the load. This not only improves the overall efficiency and responsiveness of the cloud applications but also enhances reliability and availability by reducing the risk of server overload.

Other options mentioned do not directly relate to the core function of load balancing. While improving cloud pricing strategies and simplifying management tasks are important aspects of cloud computing, they are not the main focus of load balancing. Similarly, while data privacy protection is critical in cloud architecture, it does not relate to the distribution of workload across servers. Thus, the most accurate goal associated with load balancing is the prevention of server overload, safeguarding the performance and stability of cloud services.