WikiGalaxy
Traffic Distribution Techniques for Scalability
Load Balancing
Load balancing is a technique used to distribute incoming network traffic across multiple servers. This ensures no single server becomes overwhelmed, thereby improving the responsiveness and availability of applications.
Caching
Caching involves storing copies of files or data in a cache or temporary storage location to reduce access time. This technique helps in reducing the load on the server and speeds up the retrieval of frequently requested data.
Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A CDN is a network of geographically distributed servers that work together to provide fast delivery of Internet content. By caching content close to the user, CDNs reduce latency and improve load times.
Horizontal Scaling
Horizontal scaling involves adding more servers to your pool of resources, rather than upgrading existing servers. This technique is crucial for handling increased traffic and ensuring continuous service availability.
Database Sharding
Database sharding is a method of distributing data across multiple databases to improve performance and scalability. Each shard is a separate database, allowing for parallel processing and reduced load on individual databases.
Load Balancing
Round Robin Load Balancing
This method distributes client requests equally across a group of servers in a sequential manner. It's simple to implement and works well when servers have similar specifications.
Least Connections Method
This technique directs traffic to the server with the fewest active connections, optimizing resource utilization and response time.
IP Hashing
IP Hashing uses the client's IP address to determine which server will handle the request, ensuring consistent routing for clients.
Weighted Round Robin
In this method, each server is assigned a weight, determining the proportion of requests it should handle. This is useful when servers have different capacities.
Geographic Load Balancing
This approach directs traffic based on the geographic location of the client, reducing latency and improving user experience.
Caching
Browser Caching
This involves storing static content like images and scripts in the user's browser, reducing the need for repeated requests to the server.
Server-side Caching
Server-side caching stores dynamic page content on the server, allowing faster access for subsequent requests.
Content Delivery Network (CDN) Caching
CDNs cache content at edge locations, closer to the user, reducing latency and improving load times.
Database Caching
Database caching stores frequently accessed data in a cache to reduce database load and improve response times.
Object Caching
Object caching involves storing the results of expensive queries or computations in a cache for reuse, improving application performance.
Content Delivery Network (CDN)
Edge Locations
CDNs use edge locations to store cached content closer to users, reducing latency and improving load times.
Origin Servers
Origin servers are the source of truth for content, serving as the primary storage for data before it's distributed to edge locations.
CDN Caching Strategies
CDNs employ various caching strategies, such as time-to-live (TTL) settings, to optimize content delivery and freshness.
Dynamic Content Acceleration
Some CDNs offer dynamic content acceleration, optimizing the delivery of non-cacheable content through advanced routing and compression techniques.
Security Enhancements
CDNs often provide security features like DDoS protection and SSL/TLS encryption to safeguard content and user data.
Horizontal Scaling
Adding More Servers
Horizontal scaling involves adding more servers to handle increased traffic, improving capacity and redundancy.
Stateless Applications
Designing applications to be stateless allows for easier horizontal scaling, as any server can handle any request without needing prior context.
Microservices Architecture
Microservices architecture supports horizontal scaling by breaking applications into smaller, independent services that can be scaled individually.
Auto-Scaling
Auto-scaling automatically adjusts the number of active servers based on current demand, optimizing resource usage and cost.
Load Balancers
Load balancers distribute traffic across multiple servers, ensuring even distribution and efficient resource utilization.
Database Sharding
Partitioning Data
Database sharding partitions data across multiple databases, reducing the load on individual databases and improving performance.
Shard Keys
Selecting an appropriate shard key is crucial for evenly distributing data and ensuring balanced load across shards.
Replication
Sharded databases often use replication to ensure data availability and redundancy across multiple nodes.
Cross-Shard Queries
Handling cross-shard queries can be complex, requiring careful design to maintain performance and consistency.
Resharding
Resharding involves redistributing data across shards to accommodate growth or changes in data patterns, which can be challenging and resource-intensive.
