How This BaaS Platform Is Pushing the Boundaries of Scalable Data Storage
Tags: appwrite, database, cloud, webdev
Published: 2023-03-13 13:07:20

As your company grows, so does the amount of data you need to store and manage. In an era where businesses are expected to grow and expand quickly, working with a scalable data storage solution has never been more important.

To help meet the ever-changing growth demands of your business, you need to select a cloud data storage provider that can grow with you and effectively meet your business requirements. Without scalability, you may experience performance issues and potentially lose customers. 

This article will cover scalability, its role in cloud computing, and why you need scalable data storage.

##Meaning of Scalability

In terms of cloud computing, [Scalability](https://www.section.io/blog/scaling-horizontally-vs-vertically/) refers to the ability to reduce or increase the number of computing resources in response to changes in demand. Scaling is one of the benefits of working with the cloud as it allows companies to manage their resources better and avoid waste. 

With cloud scalability, you can quickly scale your business operations without making significant upfront investments in hardware and other infrastructure. Implementing cloud scalability enables your resources to grow or reduce cost-effectively and in tandem with your traffic. Scalability protects you from future downtime and ensures the quality of your product.

##Types of Scalability in Cloud Computing
There are three types of scalability in cloud computing, and they are:
- **[Vertical Scaling](https://phoenixnap.com/glossary/vertical-scaling)**: It is the addition of resources to an existing instance or server to increase capacity. No code alterations are required for this type of scaling as you only need to add additional units to expand.
    Vertical scaling involves increasing and upgrading your server by adding more CPU cores, hard disks, or solid-state drives to improve the server's memory, storage, network speed, and computing power.
- **[Horizontal Scaling](https://wa.aws.amazon.com/wellarchitected/2020-07-02T19-33-23/wat.concept.horizontal-scaling.en.html)**: It involves adding several servers or nodes to your existing cloud infrastructure. It is also referred to as scaling out. Where vertical scaling focuses on giving your server stronger CPUs to boost their performance, horizontal scaling deals with increasing the number of servers available. 
    While horizontal scaling is more complex and time-consuming than vertical, it pays off in the long run by allowing you to handle traffic efficiently, connect multiple servers, and execute concurrent workloads.
- **[Diagonal Scaling](https://www.kamatera.com/Solutions/475/How_it_Works)**: 
It is a combination of vertical and horizontal scaling that is aimed at giving you the best of both worlds. This method handles scaling vertically and horizontally by allowing you to be agile and flexible in scaling up or down. 
    It involves upgrading a single server until it reaches its limit and replicating the server's settings and configurations to a new server.

##Cloud Scalability vs Elasticity
While cloud scalability and elasticity both deal with the cloud, they have some distinct differences.

| Cloud Scalablilty                                                                        | Cloud Elasticity                                                                                       |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| It focuses on adjusting resources to meet the expected increase or decrease in workload. | It deals with meeting a sudden increase or decrease in demand at any given time.                       |
| It involves long-term planning and allocation of resources.                              | It is primarily used in situations where there are unexpected spikes or drops in user demand workload. |
| It requires the manual allocation of resources.                                          | It is entirely automated to adjust to the sudden change in demand.                                     |
| It enables you to meet long-term and strategic needs.                                    | It allows you to meet unexpected and short-term.                                                       |



##Why the Need for Scalable Storage?

Scalable storage infrastructures are needed for the following reasons:

- **Planning**: While you may not always be able to account for sudden spikes or drops in demand, with scalable storage, you can stay prepared for every demand outcome. 


- **Resource Management**: With scalable storage, you can rest assured knowing that you only use the resources you need. When traffic is low, you can quickly scale down and reduce the amount of computing power.


- **Saves Cost**: Scalable storage solutions are cost-effective and help prevent wastage because you only pay for what you use. Also, you can avoid buying expensive hardware that can become obsolete in a few years.


- **Improves Performance**: By enabling you to react quickly to unexpected spikes in demand, scalable storages help boost performance, offering quick response times. 


##How do you Achieve Cloud Scalability?

Cloud scalability gives you maximum flexibility and helps your business save time and money while also helping you stay agile and competitive. Cloud architecture's scalability is one reason why more businesses are switching from on-premise.

Here are some strategies and techniques you can deploy to achieve cloud scalability:

-  **Using Virtual Machines (VMs)**: Cloud scalability is impossible without VMs. You can easily scale and adapt to virtual machines, unlike physical ones. Technological advancements like 5G internet connections boost the efficiency and speed of VMs, making them even more powerful and performant.


- **Automation**: Automating tasks like provisioning servers and deployment helps to scale applications quickly without requiring manual input or intervention. This is particularly important when responding to unexpected changes in demand.


- **Load Balancing**: This deals with efficiently distributing incoming traffic across a group of servers, also known as a server farm or server pool. Splitting computational workload between multiple servers ensures optimal performance and that no single server overloads from too much strain.


- **Containerization**: This is the process of bundling all the components of an application's code into a single package that you can easily scale up or down. Containerized applications don't take up much space, which makes it much easier to scale your deployments. 


##How to Determine Optimal Cloud Scalability

You may need to frequently change your scalable cloud's setup at different times due to fluctuating business needs and the rise or fall of traffic. The question is, how can you know the amount of storage space and processing capacity required?

This is where continuous performance testing and monitoring come in. Continuously monitoring request volume, response time, memory utilization, and CPU load will help you evaluate your system's current performance. The data gotten back from the test will help you know if you should scale up or down.


##Where can you find Scalable Solutions?

There are many great vendors out there that offer scalable data storage solutions and Appwrite is one of them.

[Appwrite](https://appwrite.io/?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=hackmamba-blog) is an open-source Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform that abstracts and simplifies everyday development tasks behind easy-to-use APIs. It supports web and mobile technologies and Jamstack frameworks like Next.js, Gatsby, and Nuxt.js.

By utilizing Appwrite's data storage capabilities, you can scale up and down to match your business needs. Appwrite provides maximum performance and eliminates physical servers' cost and maintenance implications.

Appwrite also has a cloud service called [Appwrite Cloud](https://appwrite.io/cloud/?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=hackmamba-blog). It is currently in a closed beta, but you can get early access and cloud credits through the beta program.

Beyond its extensive data storage system, Appwrite also has other valuable features and functionalities, including databases, cloud functions, and user authentication and management. 


##Conclusion

Cloud architecture and computing are changing the face of the software industry and how businesses store, manage, and process data. More businesses will continue moving to cloud-based solutions due to their cost-effective approaches to increasing storage and performance.

Working with a data storage solution that can scale up or down to meet your needs is important. By building with Appwrite, you can rest assured knowing that your data storage needs will be adequately met in response to the requirements of your product.

As of this writing, Appwrite has over 29,000 stars on [GitHub](https://github.com/appwrite) and an active developer community on [Discord](https://appwrite.io/discord). These stats are great social proof of why leveraging Appwrite and its capabilities is a great choice. 

Appwrite is widely adopted by developers and is an excellent BaaS solution for your data storage needs. 

##Resources

The following resources can help you get started with Appwrite:

- [Appwrite documentation](https://appwrite.io/docs?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=hackmamba) 
- [Getting started with Appwrite for web](https://appwrite.io/docs/getting-started-for-web)