What is a cluster in cloud computing?

In cloud computing, a cluster refers to a group of servers that work together to improve performance, enhance reliability, and provide redundancy. This configuration allows multiple servers to collaborate on tasks, share workload, and provide failover support, which means that if one server fails, others in the cluster can take over its responsibilities, ensuring high availability of services. Clusters are commonly used to handle large datasets or to run complex applications that require significant computational power, thus benefiting from distributed computing capabilities.

A standalone server, in contrast, operates independently and does not share its resources with other servers in a collaborative manner, which limits scalability and failsafe options. A type of data storage, such as a database or file storage system, serves a different purpose, focusing primarily on data preservation rather than on processing capabilities or computational tasks. Proprietary software refers to software that is owned by an individual or a company and is not made available for public use or modification, which does not align with the concept of a cluster in cloud computing.