What does it mean when a system 'scales'?
Options
- It handles more users or data by adding resources (Correct option)
- It becomes smaller in size as it keeps growing
- It is written with fewer lines of code overall
- It is used by only a small number of people
Answer
It can handle more users or data by adding resources, without breaking or becoming too slow
Why
A scalable system keeps working well when load grows from 100 users to 100,000.
You can scale vertically (a bigger machine) or horizontally (more machines).
A system that works for 10 users but collapses at 1,000 does not scale.
Remember
Scalable = still works when load grows.