Why scalability handles growing traffic in HLD - Quick Recap

Recall & Review

beginner

What is scalability in system design?

Scalability is the ability of a system to handle increased load or traffic by adding resources without affecting performance.

beginner

Why is scalability important for growing traffic?

Because as more users or requests come in, a scalable system can grow to meet demand, preventing slowdowns or crashes.

intermediate

Name two common ways to scale a system.

1. Vertical scaling (adding more power to one machine). 2. Horizontal scaling (adding more machines).

intermediate

How does horizontal scaling help handle growing traffic?

It spreads the load across many machines, so no single machine gets overwhelmed, improving reliability and capacity.

beginner

What can happen if a system is not scalable when traffic grows?

The system may slow down, become unresponsive, or crash because it cannot handle the extra load.

What does scalability allow a system to do?

A Handle more traffic without performance loss

B Reduce the number of users

C Make the system slower

D Limit the system to one user

Scalability means the system can handle more traffic or load without losing performance.

Which is an example of vertical scaling?

A Adding more servers to share the load

B Caching data on the client side

C Distributing traffic to multiple data centers

D Upgrading a server's CPU and RAM

Vertical scaling means making one machine more powerful, like upgrading CPU or RAM.

What is a benefit of horizontal scaling?

A Spreading load across multiple machines

B Decreasing system capacity

C Single point of failure

D Reducing network bandwidth

Horizontal scaling spreads the load across many machines, improving capacity and reliability.

If traffic grows but the system is not scalable, what is likely to happen?

A Traffic decreases automatically

B System performance improves

C System crashes or slows down

D Users get faster responses

Without scalability, increased traffic can cause slowdowns or crashes.

Which of these is NOT a way to improve scalability?

A Optimizing code

B Ignoring traffic growth

C Adding more servers

D Using load balancers

Ignoring traffic growth does not improve scalability; it causes problems.

Explain in simple terms why scalability is important when traffic grows.

Think about a busy store and how it needs more cashiers when more customers come.

Describe the difference between vertical and horizontal scaling and how each helps with growing traffic.

Imagine upgrading one car vs adding more cars to carry more people.