> (is this the right approach btw?)

This is why I use hipache for load balancing / routing - it is the only solution I've found where you can change the routing or add new backends in a live system without any downtime. Here is the main problem though: Its load balancing isn't exactly smart, for example it won't keep the same client IP on the same replica, thus creating problems when a client writes something on one replica, then gets switched to another that didn't get the update yet.

I'd love a better solution for this btw. Is noone working on Hipache anymore? Other than this problem I find it very elegant.