What is the concept of scaling in cloud services?

Scaling in cloud services refers to the ability to adjust compute capacity in response to varying workloads. This flexibility allows organizations to allocate more resources when demand is high—such as during peak usage times—and to reduce resources when demand decreases, optimizing performance and cost-effectiveness. This dynamic resource management is one of the key benefits of cloud computing, enabling businesses to be more responsive and efficient.

In this context, the ability to increase or decrease compute capacity directly addresses the fluctuating needs of applications and services, ensuring they can operate effectively without the need for significant upfront investment in physical infrastructure. This characteristic supports scalability, whether vertical scaling (adding more power to existing machines) or horizontal scaling (adding more machines to a pool). As a result, organizations can maintain performance levels while controlling expenses.