What is the best architecture or platforms to make scalable web applications.

This issue has happened to me more than once. We develop an application which runs fine on local host (offline). When we make the web app live, it runs just fine with a few users. But few months later when the number of users increase, the application can’t handle the load and needs to be re-architectured and developed from scratch again.

This is a common issue for most web developers. What are the things that we should consider while developing an application that should accommodate a vast user base. What should be the ideal architecture and which web development platforms are preferred to prevent scalability issues.

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There a re a few things that you can do to make the web application more efficient in handling load.
Typically when more users interact with your web application, client server interactions increase.

Meaning your database will be receiving queries from client (users), which it needs to process and return the data. If you are able to effectively manage the database your web application can handle the maximum load it can, based on the configurations you have.

One way to efficiently manage database is by avoiding web services to connect your web application with the database.

Because using a web service involves a lot more steps and usage of your available resources to get things done. for example, if you are using a web service or REST API for interacting with database, the following things should happen.

  • You will call the REST method using an object in your code
  • Then call http method
  • Code inside your REST API queries the database
  • Database returns the data
  • REST API code stores that data into Json and sends it to your client
  • Client receives Json/XML response
  • Map that response to an object in your code

By doing the above you are over complicating things and wasting your resources.
Instead you could just query the DataBase directly.

When you query the DB directly,

  • You create an object with query string ( to query the database)
  • Database will return the data
  • And the response is mapped to an object in your code

This will reduce the procedures above described while getting things done using minimum resources.

There are many other factors that can influence the scalability of your web application. But this is one is the most favorite mistake which all web developers make.

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I was using web services till few months back, since that was the only method I was used to do it. Querying the DB directly does make a difference, which I learned the hard way :slight_smile:

However, what is your taken on the best framework that could assist in handling few thousands of users. I used ASP.net to develop a survey app, but as it turned out this app was used to take survey from batches of people at multiple locations on same time period, which increased the number of active users when it is put into use and hence crashed. Not a proud moment.

Is Angular JS / Ruby best for apps that demand few thousands of active users (in any given moment).

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