As of 2024, more than a quarter of a million new websites are created daily, and there are about 1.09 billion existing ones. Even though a new website is launched every three seconds, no website is immune to high-traffic events.
What is server scaling?
Server scaling means adjusting available resources to handle varying loads and demands. This is an essential aspect of modern computing, particularly for web applications and services that need to maintain performance and availability as use patterns change. Scaling is more difficult with shared hosting.
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| Strategies for Managing High-Traffic Events With Temporary Server Scaling |
Vertical vs. horizontal scaling
Vertical scaling involves increasing or decreasing the capacity of a single server. You can achieve this by adding more CPU, RAM, or storage to an existing server.
It is easier to implement and manage since it involves only one server. Applications can continue running on a single server without needing changes.
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However, hardware limits server scalability. The hardware typically requires downtime to upgrade.
Horizontal scaling is where you add or remove servers to distribute the load. This method is often used in cloud environments and for applications requiring high availability and redundancy.
It is easier to add and remove servers based on demand. If one server fails, others can take over, improving availability. As long as resources are sufficient, you can scale out indefinitely.
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Horizonal scaling requires more sophisticated management and orchestration, often involving load balancers and distributed systems. What’s more, you need to design applications to run in a distributed manner, which can complicate development.
In 2024, organizations that employ 50-499 people, or midsize organizations, prefer horizontal scaling.
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The difference between permanent and temporary server scaling
Permanent server scaling involves making long-term changes to the infrastructure to handle expected increases in demand. These changes are meant to stay in place for an extended period.
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Permanent scaling typically involves strategic planning based on expected growth, consistent traffic patterns, or a long-term increase in user base. It often requires significant investment in infrastructure, such as purchasing new hardware or committing to higher cloud service tiers. The changes made are infrequent and meant to handle sustained load increases.
You would opt for permanent scaling if you were launching a product that’s expected to have steady user growth or expanding services to a new region with anticipated consistent traffic.
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Temporary server scaling involves making short-term changes to the infrastructure to handle spikes in demand. You reverse these changes once the demand returns to normal levels.
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With temporary scaling, you don’t need to configure a single server that will run indefinitely. You take advantage of server elasticity: changes to a resource over a fixed period. For example, you can scale the server to accommodate a brief, high-traffic event. This event can be seasonal in nature or involve marketing campaigns or unexpected traffic surges.
Temporary scaling involves using cloud services to add and remove resources as needed quickly. You only pay for the resources you need when you need them. You can add or eliminate them based on real-time demand.
Temporary scaling would be useful for e-commerce websites handling traffic during holiday shopping seasons or apps experiencing temporary spikes due to promotions or viral content. It would also benefit a streaming service experiencing a sudden spike in viewers.
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Final thoughts
Cloud-based servers can run for a brief period of time, sometimes less than a few days. When users view a server as a temporary resource, they can shift their architecture to a more dynamic view, which can handle huge variations in workflow and scale. The potential of cloud computing is well-known, with this market expected to reac
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