Skaalitavuse

Skaalitavuse, often translated as scalability, refers to the capability of a system, network, or process to handle a growing amount of work, or its potential to be enlarged to accommodate that growth. In computing, it is a fundamental characteristic of systems that allows them to maintain performance as the workload increases.

There are generally two main types of scalability: vertical scalability and horizontal scalability. Vertical scalability, also known as scaling up, involves increasing the resources of a single existing node, such as adding more CPU, RAM, or storage to a server. This approach has physical limitations and can become prohibitively expensive. Horizontal scalability, or scaling out, involves adding more nodes or instances to a distributed system. This typically involves distributing the workload across multiple machines, which can be more cost-effective and offers greater flexibility.

The importance of scalability is evident across various domains, including software applications, databases, and network infrastructure. For businesses, scalable systems are crucial for adapting to changing market demands, accommodating user growth, and ensuring continued service availability. A system that is not scalable may experience performance degradation, increased latency, or even complete failure when subjected to higher loads. Therefore, designing for scalability from the outset is a key consideration in system architecture and development.