What is a Scalable Database?
A scalable database is a type of database system designed to handle growing amounts of data and increasing numbers of users or requests without sacrificing performance or reliability.
Scalable databases often employ techniques such as sharding (partitioning data across multiple servers), replication (copying data across multiple servers for redundancy and load balancing), and distributed computing to achieve scalability while maintaining data consistency and integrity.
Scalability in databases typically refers to two aspects: vertical scalability and horizontal scalability.
- Vertical Scalability: Involves adding more resources (CPU, RAM, storage) to a single server to handle increased load. While vertical scaling can provide immediate relief, it has inherent limits and can become prohibitively expensive.
- Horizontal Scalability: Involves distributing the workload across multiple servers or nodes. Horizontal scaling offers greater flexibility and can accommodate virtually unlimited growth by adding more servers to the cluster.
Building a Scalable Database
In modern technology, the ability to scale databases efficiently is important for organizations seeking to accommodate growing volumes of data and user traffic. Scalability isn’t just about handling increased loads. it’s also about ensuring performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.
In this article, we’ll explore the key principles and best practices for building a scalable database infrastructure, supplemented with real-world examples to illustrate these concepts.