Multi-tenancy (also known as multi-instance or multi-server) is a term used in computing that describes a system architecture in which multiple tenants share a single instance of a software application, platform, or service. While each tenant can configure the system to their own needs, there is a single system architecture and codebase. The goal of multi-tenancy is to improve the scalability, cost efficiency, and performance of the application.
Multi-tenancy can be used across a range of computing environments, including cloud, web, or enterprise software applications. It is commonly used by software as a service (SaaS) providers, allowing them to host a single application that can serve multiple customers at the same time. In this scenario, each customer is called a tenant, and the applications, platforms, or services that are hosted are referred to as “tenant instances”.
Multi-tenancy is also used in virtual environments, such as virtual private servers (VPS) and virtual desktop infrastructures (VDI). In these scenarios, tenants are able to gain access to the server resources of a single physical server, or the virtualized resources of a single machine. This allows for a much more efficient use of resources and cost savings.
In order to maintain user security and privacy, each tenant’s data needs to be isolated from the other tenants. This is accomplished through a combination of authentication and authorization measures, such as role-based access control and administrative control separation.
Multi-tenancy is an increasingly popular form of software architecture, used to maximize efficiency and reduce costs. The increased scalability and security it provides makes it a viable solution for a wide range of applications.
