How to figure out your realistic IT infrastructure scaling needs

Scaling effectively is the key to a successful business. But for many non-technical people, getting a grasp on infrastructure scalability is a complex task. Surprisingly, even the most seasoned professionals in technical roles often grapple with the nuances of scalability, leading to costly missteps.

Scalability is more than avoiding downtime or managing costs. It’s the key to sustainable business growth; without a good grasp of your scalability needs, your business could face unexpected outages or overspend on infrastructure. It isn’t a simple check box activity either - even the most well-established businesses continue to navigate infrastructure challenges as a strategic and ever-evolving exercise.

What is infrastructure scalability?

Infrastructure scalability is the ability to handle increased or decreased demand for resources without compromising on performance. In simple terms, a highly scalable system can seamlessly manage traffic spikes, whether it’s due to a surge in online shoppers during Black Friday or millions of gamers logging on for a new game release. 

When it comes to managing scalability, businesses need to have a clear sense of their demand spikes and these businesses typically fall into two categories: those with predictable scaling requirements, and those with unpredictable requirements.

Those with a clear idea of when demand will spike can plan ahead, provisioning additional bare metal servers and/or virtual machines as needed. For example, any retail business will know that traffic will spike during Black Friday, enabling adequate prep time. These predictable events eliminate the need for auto scaling so dedicated servers are the most suitable - and straightforward - option.

Conversely, businesses with unpredictable demand spikes need to be prepared for volatility at any given time, making the use of a fixed number of dedicated servers a potentially risky move. It would only take one big spike to render a website or service slow or even unavailable to customers, opening a business up to a whole number of secondary challenges ranging from unsatisfied customers to lost revenue. Major streaming platforms like Netflix, which experience unpredictable surges in demand, need cloud auto scaling solutions that can instantly adjust to - and keep pace with - real-time demand.

Figuring out your scaling requirements

For any business unsure of its scalability requirements, there are two key stages to gaining a better insight. The first stage is understanding your business model, and the second is taking a thorough look at how your business can scale within its current set up.

It’s difficult to determine how any new business is going to scale right off the bat, so a good first option is to adopt some sort of cloud or hybrid infrastructure until your scaling patterns become clearer.

For B2C businesses, demand is usually volatile. It’s hard to predict an unexpected celebrity endorsement that blows up traffic, and unfortunately, there’s no crystal ball that gives us sight of the next viral trend. B2C businesses need to be on top of holidays, internet trends, seasonal events and more, and technical teams should closely collaborate with marketing teams to determine when these spikes may occur. And, given that scaling needs are not 100% predictable as a result, adopting hybrid infrastructure is probably the safest option. That means deploying a mix of bare metal hosting to accommodate steady resource requirements, alongside access to the cloud for emergency scaling as and when needed.

For B2B businesses, scaling is a little more straightforward as scaling events tend to be less volatile. That said, collaborating closely with the sales team to understand pipelines and forecasts is still essential. One large enterprise deal alone could require multiple additional servers, making quick provisioning in the form of cloud or an agile bare metal provider a must-have.

Regardless of business type, how can an organization scale within its current set up? If your business is operational, it’s easy to look at existing data to understand your scaling behavior. It’s surprising how many infrastructure as a service (IaaS) users don’t take advantage of their existing data to make decisions. Rising service bills indicate continuous growth and the need for rapid provisioning, suggesting that a hybrid infrastructure approach could be optimal. Conversely, steady or declining bills could suggest stable or decreasing demand, making bare metal hosting a cost-effective choice. Occasional spikes in costs point to a need for flexible scaling solutions, favoring a hybrid approach.

A solution to fit your needs

Navigating the huge variety of infrastructure options on offer requires a clear understanding of your scalability needs. Whether you’re a CTO under pressure to cut costs, or a startup founder facing uncertain demand, it’s essential to move beyond the superficial question of costs and engage deeply with what your business needs in order to thrive.

The moral of the story? Don’t just approach an infrastructure provider to request a quote, but instead start the conversation with an informed background of what you may need and why. If you’re serious about finding a solution that meets your performance, cost and scalability needs, understanding your scaling patterns and how they translate to your infrastructure requirements is one of the best investments you’ll make.