Scalable applications in a distributed environment

Abstract: As the amount of simultaneous users of distributed systems increase, scalability is becoming an important factor to consider during software development. Without sufficient scalability, systems might have a hard time to manage high loads, and might not be able to support a high amount of users. We have determined how scalability can best be implemented, and what extra costs this leads to. Our research is based on both a literature review, where we have looked at what others in the field of computer engineering thinks about scalability, and by implementing a highly scalable system of our own. In the end we came up with a couple of general pointers which can help developers to determine if they should focus on scalable development, and what they should consider if they choose to do so.