Vertical scaling, also known as “scaling up”, involves enhancing the capacity of a single server by adding more resources such as CPU or RAM. This method is simple to implement but has limitations due to hardware constraints.
Horizontal scaling, or “scaling out”, on the other hand, involves adding more servers to distribute the load evenly. It offers greater flexibility and reliability since it doesn’t rely on a single server’s capacity. However, it requires sophisticated load balancing and data distribution strategies.
While vertical scaling can lead to better performance for individual tasks, horizontal scaling supports larger, distributed systems and helps in handling increased traffic or load effectively. The choice between these two depends on the specific needs and architecture of the system being scaled.
