# Cluster A cluster is a group of interconnected computers or servers that work together as a unified system to provide higher availability, improved performance, or both. Clusters distribute workloads across multiple nodes, so if one node fails, others can take over its responsibilities. Clusters are commonly used in database systems, application servers, and container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes. They can be configured for high availability (failover clusters), load balancing (distributing traffic across nodes), or high-performance computing (parallel processing of large workloads). In API infrastructure, clustering ensures that backend services remain available even during hardware failures or traffic spikes. While serverless platforms abstract away cluster management from developers, the underlying infrastructure still relies on clusters. API gateways themselves may be deployed as clusters to handle high request volumes and provide zero-downtime deployments. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.serverlessapigateway.com/glossary/c/cluster.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.