🚀 Scalability Fundamentals

Scalability is the ability of a system to handle increased load by adding resources. It's a key requirement for modern, high-traffic applications.

🏗️ Vertical Scaling (Scaling Up)

• What: Add more power (CPU, RAM) to a single server.
• Pros: Simple, no code changes needed.
• Cons: There's a physical limit; can be expensive.

🏢 Horizontal Scaling (Scaling Out)

• What: Add more servers to distribute the load.
• Pros: No single point of failure, can scale almost infinitely.
• Cons: Requires distributed system design, more complex.

⚖️ When to Use Which?

• Start with vertical scaling for simplicity.
• Move to horizontal scaling as your traffic grows and you need high availability.

🧰 Tools & Patterns

• Load Balancers: Distribute traffic across servers.
• Auto-scaling Groups: Automatically add/remove servers based on demand.
• Stateless Services: Easier to scale horizontally.

🧠 Final Thoughts

Design for scalability from the start, even if you don't need it yet. It's easier to scale a well-designed system than to retrofit scalability later.