How is "horizontal scaling" defined in cloud computing?

Horizontal scaling in cloud computing is defined as adding more instances of servers to handle increased load. This approach allows organizations to expand their capacity efficiently by distributing workloads across multiple servers rather than enhancing the power of existing machines. By adding additional servers (or instances), applications can accommodate more users or process more data concurrently without bottlenecking the system. This is particularly crucial in cloud environments where demand can vary significantly and rapidly.

Scaling horizontally is typically easier and often more cost-effective than vertical scaling, which involves upgrading existing hardware to higher specifications. As applications require more resources, horizontal scaling provides the flexibility to simply add more server instances, allowing businesses to respond dynamically to changing workload demands. This strategy also enhances redundancy and reliability, as the failure of one server does not bring down the entire system, allowing other instances to handle the load.