How does REST API improve scalability?

How does REST API improve scalability?

• A. By storing session data on the server
• B. By allowing multiple HTTP methods
• C. By treating each request independently
• D. By supporting both XML and JSON

Answer: (C)

REST APIs improve scalability primarily by treating each request independently. This stateless nature means that each API call contains all the information needed for the server to fulfill that request. As a result, the server does not need to maintain any session or context information between requests, which significantly reduces the overhead on server resources. This independence allows servers to handle requests more efficiently because they can process each one without relying on previous interactions or maintaining session state. When the server can scale horizontally—adding more servers to handle increased traffic—it can do so without concern for session management complexities; any server can process any request at any time. In contrast, storing session data on the server can create dependencies that hinder scalability because it requires the server to remember previous interactions. Allowing multiple HTTP methods does indeed enhance flexibility but does not directly relate to scaling the architecture. Lastly, supporting various data formats like XML and JSON helps in interoperability, but it does not factor into how well a REST API can scale in response to increased load or traffic.

REST APIs improve scalability primarily by treating each request independently. This stateless nature means that each API call contains all the information needed for the server to fulfill that request. As a result, the server does not need to maintain any session or context information between requests, which significantly reduces the overhead on server resources.

This independence allows servers to handle requests more efficiently because they can process each one without relying on previous interactions or maintaining session state. When the server can scale horizontally—adding more servers to handle increased traffic—it can do so without concern for session management complexities; any server can process any request at any time.

In contrast, storing session data on the server can create dependencies that hinder scalability because it requires the server to remember previous interactions. Allowing multiple HTTP methods does indeed enhance flexibility but does not directly relate to scaling the architecture. Lastly, supporting various data formats like XML and JSON helps in interoperability, but it does not factor into how well a REST API can scale in response to increased load or traffic.