Vertical Scaling
Overview
Vertical scaling (scale-up) involves adding more resources (CPU, RAM, storage) to a single machine.
Key Concepts
- Upgrade existing server capacity
- Increase hardware resources
- Single machine enhancement
Advantages
- Simpler application architecture
- No distributed system complexity
- Easier data consistency
- Less network overhead
Disadvantages
- Hardware limits
- Higher costs at scale
- Single point of failure
- Downtime during upgrades
When to Use
- Monolithic applications
- Legacy systems
- Database servers
- Applications with tight consistency requirements
Limitations
- Physical hardware constraints
- Cost increases exponentially
- Not suitable for cloud-native apps
Best Practices
- Monitor resource utilization
- Plan capacity carefully
- Consider hybrid approach
- Implement proper backups