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Discussion on: Horizontal scaling vs Vertical Scaling in System Design

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Shyju Kanaprath

Could you explain how to scale a database instance horizontally?

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Soma

Hello Shyju, to horizontally scale a database instance, consider employing techniques such as sharding, replication, or partitioning, which involve distributing data across multiple servers based on a chosen key or strategy.

Sharding breaks the database into independent pieces (shards), replication creates copies of the database on multiple servers, and partitioning divides large tables into smaller partitions. Load balancing, achieved through a load balancer, helps distribute queries evenly among multiple database servers, suitable for read-heavy workloads.

Alternatively, utilizing distributed databases, containerization with orchestration tools, and implementing caching mechanisms are effective approaches. These methods collectively enable the efficient handling of increasing data, traffic, or request loads while ensuring optimal performance and resource utilization