How to successfully scale your custom software
Early on in your software project, it’s important to focus on creating a simple, loveable, and complete product that solves a real problem - and getting it to market fast. But that doesn’t mean it’s too early to think about scalability as well.
In fact, not thinking about scalability until after your product is built and launched can be a costly mistake. Choosing a scalable system architecture and infrastructure in advance will help ensure that you’re well positioned to succeed when it comes time to scale your custom software.
What does it actually mean to scale a software product?
Scaling a software product means taking steps to ensure that the software has the capacity to handle an increasing number of user requests, and an increasing quantity of data. If it’s a customer-facing application, you may be experiencing growth in your customer base. If it’s an internal application, your team, complexities, and operations may be growing.
Either way, increased user demand means increased strain on existing resources. The challenge then becomes figuring out how to scale your product quickly and cost-effectively, without degrading performance or user experience.
Laying the groundwork to scale successfully
Here are a couple of key questions to consider when designing your software in order to set yourself up to scale as smoothly as possible when the time comes.
1. How will you store an increasing volume of data?
As your user base expands, you’ll need more memory space and increased response capacity. This means that you’ll need to either scale your system vertically by adding more power to your existing servers, or scale your system horizontally by purchasing additional servers. Vertical scaling has greater limitations, so it’s generally safest to prepare to add servers down the line.
You may also want to consider going the route of cloud storage. The cloud has greater storage capacity, and is generally known to provide superior system availability. Most cloud storage providers also allow you to pay for only what you need, and increase as you grow. If you choose the cloud, though, be mindful of security and data control issues.
Consider also which type of database you will need for both your current and any anticipated future data. For example, will you need a relational (SQL) database, a non-transactional (noSQL) database, or both? Also, be sure to put a reliable process in place to backup all of your data on a regular basis.
2. How will you handle an increasing number of requests?
Implementing a solid networking infrastructure, in the beginning, can save a lot of headaches later on. Your network is the structure supporting the transfer of your data between each node and device. If end-users will reside in disparate locations, consider setting up a CDN (content delivery network) of distributed servers so that data is located closer to the delivery location.
Strategically adding APIs (application programming interfaces) to your software application can also do a lot to help smooth the scaling process. An application programming interface is a special type of software program which allows two different applications to communicate with each other and exchange data.
Setting up an efficient data caching system can also do a lot to help reduce your system’s processing strain. A cache is a form of temporary data storage that has a faster response time than long-term storage. It’s not feasible to store too much data in a cache for too long, but placing some of your most requested data there for a time can greatly improve performance.
Also, consider using asynchronous processing wherever possible to break system processes down into smaller components that can be run both independently and concurrently.
Scalability is achievable with the right plan
At Basecode we care about building best-in-class bespoke software products that impeccably support your business - both now and in the future. Contact us to find out more about how we can help you build and scale a remarkable application.