Vertical vs. Horizontal Scaling in Web Apps

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Questions and Answers

What is the main advantage of horizontal scaling compared to vertical scaling?

Increased risk of a single point of failure

Easier management of resources

Lower overall cost by spreading load across multiple servers (correct)

Simpler application architecture

What does diagonal scaling refer to?

Only increasing the number of CPU cores in existing servers

Combining vertical and horizontal scaling strategies (correct)

A method to reduce the number of servers while increasing their capabilities

Scaling by adding more servers without upgrading existing resources

Which of the following is a risk associated with vertical scaling?

Increased operational costs as components are upgraded (correct)

Challenges in synchronization between multiple nodes

Higher complexity in application code

Limitations in improving CPU performance over time

What challenges may arise from horizontal scaling?

Increased complexity in managing more failure points Signup and view all the answers

Which performance metric is particularly important when considering the scaling strategy for an application?

The average load time per user Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to consider both vertical and horizontal scaling methods?

To maximize resource utilization with the least number of servers Signup and view all the answers

In the context of scaling, what does the term 'single point of failure' (SPOF) refer to?

A server that, if fails, can take down the entire system Signup and view all the answers

What is a key consideration when designing applications for horizontal scaling?

Level of database abstraction and distribution Signup and view all the answers

What is necessary for server statistics to meaningfully characterize system usage?

They need to be tied to actual site metrics. Signup and view all the answers

What does each server's ceiling represent?

The critical level of a resource that cannot be crossed without failure. Signup and view all the answers

Which hybrid approach is likely to yield better insights for capacity planning?

Measuring user interaction metrics alongside server performance. Signup and view all the answers

How can understanding the types of user interactions benefit server capacity planning?

It provides context to prioritize attention based on resource consumption. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key benefit of horizontal scaling?

Allows for the addition of similar functioning nodes to the infrastructure. Signup and view all the answers

What does measuring web server hits against user interaction metrics allow you to infer?

The cost of providing service to users. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately differentiates vertical scaling from horizontal scaling?

Vertical scaling increases resources within a single server, whereas horizontal scaling adds more servers to share the load. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of scaling involves adding more resources to a single server?

Vertical scaling Signup and view all the answers

What factors should be evaluated before purchasing server hardware?

The specific workloads such as CPU work or memory work it needs to perform. Signup and view all the answers

Which resource is NOT mentioned as a critical hardware resource that servers possess?

GPU Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines horizontal scaling?

Adding more servers to distribute load. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception about diagonal scaling?

It combines both vertical and horizontal scaling strategies. Signup and view all the answers

What does 'small pieces, loosely joined' refer to in server architecture design?

The modular approach to building and scaling architectures. Signup and view all the answers

What is 'diagonal scaling' commonly understood to imply?

A hybrid approach that combines both horizontal and vertical scaling strategies. Signup and view all the answers

In terms of server architecture, which aspect does NOT contribute to understanding system performance?

Monitoring the geographical location of the server. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes disk throughput?

The speed at which data can be written to or read from the disk. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Scaling Architectures

Vertical scaling involves increasing internal server resources like CPU, memory, disk, and network.
Horizontal scaling is preferred for web applications due to tiered and shared-nothing architectures, enabling the addition of more nodes to manage load.
Relying solely on vertical scaling can lead to high costs and the risk of a single point of failure (SPOF).

Diagonal Scaling

Diagonal scaling combines vertical and horizontal methods, allowing upgrades to horizontally scaled nodes.
Ongoing advancements in CPU, RAM, and disk storage reduce costs and can lead to fewer servers with more robust capabilities.

User Metrics and Server Statistics

Server statistics must be linked to actual site metrics to evaluate system health and usage effectively.
Understanding the relationship between web server performance and user activity (requests per second vs. simultaneous users) is crucial.
Measuring user interactions over time helps prioritize capacity planning and resource allocation based on feature demands.

Resource Limits and Capacity Planning

Servers have finite resources: disk throughput, disk storage, CPU, RAM, and network.
Identifying ceilings—critical resource levels—prevents system failures, aiding the capacity planning process.
Small modifications in architecture help contextualize resource utilization and site usage.

Hardware Choices

Selecting appropriate hardware impacts operational costs and aligns with server workload requirements.
Assess whether a server will perform CPU-intensive tasks, memory-heavy processes, or serve as a network gateway before making hardware decisions.
Understanding horizontal and vertical scaling distinctions is vital for effective capacity planning and ensuring architecture suits project goals.

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Description

This quiz explores the differences between vertical and horizontal scaling, specifically in the context of web applications. It examines the advantages of horizontal scaling, especially with tiered and shared-nothing architectures. Test your understanding of how scaling impacts application design and resource management.