peak load
noun
Peak load is the temporarily high demand on a system when many users, requests or tasks need capacity at the same time.
The platform scales up during ticket sales to handle the expected peak load.
Peak load occurs when system usage briefly rises well above its normal level. Examples include a shop during a promotion, a registration platform near a deadline or an app receiving many visitors after a Glossary · In briefpush notificationA push notification is a short message an app or website sends to a user's device, even when that app or website is not open.Read more. Computing resources, memory, the Glossary · In briefdatabaseA database is a structured collection of data that software can store, retrieve and modify. A database management system controls access to that data.Read more and external integrations all need to handle more work at once.
How does software handle a peak?
A system does not need to run at maximum capacity continuously. It can temporarily add capacity as traffic grows. Glossary · In briefload balancingLoad balancing distributes network traffic or other tasks across multiple servers so one server does not have to handle all the work.Read more distributes requests across servers, for example. Queues can control the pace of processing so a sudden influx of tasks does not have to run all at once.
Adding servers alone is not always enough. A slow database query, limited external Glossary · In briefAPIAn API is a defined way for software to exchange data or call functions in other software without needing to know how that software works internally.Read more or memory-intensive step can still slow down the system. Glossary · In briefmonitoringMonitoring systematically tracks software, infrastructure or processes through measurements and checks. Deviations can trigger alerts so an administrator can investigate.Read more therefore measures response times, error rates and capacity usage during busy periods, among other things.
Peak load is not necessarily overload
Under peak load, a system faces high demand but can still work correctly. Overload occurs when demand exceeds what the system can handle. Users may then experience longer waits, errors or outages.
A load test helps determine in advance how much traffic causes problems. The highest request count is not the only factor. The peak's duration and pattern of incoming tasks also determine the required capacity and measures.