Scalability is the ability of a system to handle increased load by adding resources to meet demand. Vertical scaling (scaling up) adds more power to existing servers, while horizontal scaling (scaling out) adds more servers to distribute the load. Scalable architectures use techniques like load balancing, database sharding, caching, and microservices to maintain performance as user numbers grow. Cloud platforms excel at scalability through auto-scaling features that automatically adjust resources based on demand patterns.
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