CompTIA Cloud+ Practice Test

Which process improves system performance by distributing workloads across multiple resources?

1. Vertical scaling

2. Horizontal scaling

3. Load balancing

4. Elasticity

The correct answer is: Load balancing

Load balancing is the process that enhances system performance by distributing workloads across multiple resources. This is achieved by intelligently distributing incoming traffic to various servers or resources, ensuring that no single resource becomes overwhelmed while others are underutilized. By balancing the load, the system can handle more requests simultaneously, reduce response times, and enhance availability. Additionally, load balancing contributes to fault tolerance; if one resource fails, the load balancer redirects traffic to other operational resources, thereby maintaining service continuity. This mechanism is crucial in cloud environments, where services must remain responsive to user demands while ensuring efficient resource utilization. Vertical scaling, on the other hand, involves adding more power (CPU, RAM) to an existing resource, which does not address workload distribution. Horizontal scaling refers to adding more resources (like servers) to handle increased loads but does not inherently manage how the tasks are distributed among these resources. Elasticity describes the ability to dynamically allocate and deallocate resources based on demand but does not specifically refer to the distribution of workloads.