{"id":69490,"date":"2023-09-18T05:32:13","date_gmt":"2023-09-18T11:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/?p=69490"},"modified":"2026-01-22T07:19:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T13:19:46","slug":"scaling-options-for-managed-vps-hosting-exploring-vertical-and-horizontal-scaling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/scaling-options-for-managed-vps-hosting-exploring-vertical-and-horizontal-scaling\/","title":{"rendered":"VPS Scaling: Vertical vs Horizontal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a website owner, you want to see rising traffic levels. More traffic usually means more revenue<\/strong>, and it shows that the project is going in the right direction. <\/strong>However, things could quickly turn sour if you don’t know how to handle the influx of fresh visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of your key priorities is to ensure that your hosting account<\/strong><\/a> doesn’t buckle under the extra load. To do that, you must know how your hosting infrastructure <\/em>works. You must also have a clear idea of what you can do to adapt (or scale) so it deals with the extra traffic without any drops in the performance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, we’ll examine the available scaling options for managed VPS users<\/strong><\/a> and hopefully help you build a solid strategy going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Scaling and Why Is It So Important?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we can get to the most popular scaling models<\/strong>, we should examine the problem in more detail and figure out how important it is to take the right approach when you need to accommodate the wave of new clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More traffic means more requests sent to the hosting server<\/strong>. And more requests means more load. If you get near the upper limit of the server’s capacity, you’ll see a drop in loading speeds<\/strong>, which has all sorts of negative implications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For one, internet users are used to blistering performance<\/strong>, and if your server isn’t quick enough, they’ll click away and go to another site. The increased bounce rates<\/strong> will inevitably be noticed by Google and will affect your search engine rankings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don’t do anything about the excessive load, it could continue to grow to a point where the entire server goes offline<\/strong>. And this will have an even more significant impact on your revenue and reputation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To avoid all this, you must know how to scale your hosting environment. <\/strong>Mind you, this sounds easier than it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are quite a few things to consider. You want to ensure swift performance and future-proof the server to make room for further growth. At the same time, you want to avoid paying for hardware resources you don’t use.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By hosting your website on a managed VPS, you’ve given yourself an advantage. Virtual servers are renowned for their flexibility<\/strong>, and they usually present users with more than enough upgrade options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there are two very different approaches<\/strong> to scaling your VPS environment<\/strong>. Distinguishing between them and picking the right model is critical for your project’s future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vertical Scaling Overview<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"VPS<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you scale your hosting account vertically, you add hardware resources<\/strong> without increasing the number of servers<\/strong> hosting your website. Vertical scaling<\/strong> (also called scaling up<\/strong>) is what people usually think of when they hear the term in the context of managed VPS servers \u2013 adding CPU cores and RAM and\/or increasing the storage capacity<\/strong> of an existing virtual machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the main touting points of VPS hosting<\/strong> is the ability to upgrade a virtual server’s hardware configuration<\/strong> on-the-fly<\/strong>. This is also one of the reasons why virtual machines are now preferred over their physical counterparts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To upgrade a physical server<\/strong>, you need to power it off and have someone go to the device and replace actual hardware components. By contrast, adding more power to a virtual machine usually means clicking a couple of buttons<\/strong> in your client area. You can often do it without even rebooting the server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a good idea to incorporate vertical scaling in your growth strategy. It’s a simple, logical solution, and if you use a VPS, the results are visible pretty much immediately.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horizontal Scaling Overview<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"VPS<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Horizontal scaling is also referred to as scaling out<\/strong>. Instead of upgrading a server, you deploy a whole new machine and configure it to work with your current device to collectively support your website<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, the reasoning behind horizontal scaling<\/strong> is easy to see. If one machine can’t handle all the traffic, then two servers should be able to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of all the requests coming from the internet being fired at a single server, they are evenly spread among all the machines in your network. The load on each server remains relatively low, leading to shorter response times <\/strong>and quicker loading speeds<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horizontal scaling is possible with both virtual and physical servers<\/strong>. You can find many solutions that will allow you to connect your machines to a network and utilize their resources in the most efficient way possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vertical Scaling Options for a Managed VPS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you use a physical server, the steps for upgrading are pretty straightforward.<\/strong> You determine what sort of hardware you’ll need, buy the necessary components, and install them. If your server is located in a data center<\/strong><\/a>, you may need to ask a technician to do the legwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a virtual server, the procedure depends primarily on your hosting provider<\/strong>. Some hosts offer a range of preset plans<\/strong> you can choose from. Every package has a predetermined number of CPU cores, RAM, and storage space<\/strong><\/a>. Sometimes, your account’s bandwidth may also be limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, you can move to a more powerful VPS tier without too much fuss. Often, however, you can’t customize the configuration to your specific needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, with some VPS hosts, you can’t just add a couple of CPU cores to your virtual machine<\/strong>. You’ll need to move to the next plan, which has more RAM and a bigger SSD. And you’ll pay for these resources regardless of whether you use them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, the development of cloud technology has enabled many VPS providers to give you a much more customizable environment. During sign-up, they let you tailor your virtual server’s hardware configuration to your exact specifications<\/strong>. You’re not confined to a preset plan and can instead specify the processing power, memory, and storage you need. The same goes for when you need to vertically scale your virtual server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if you’re running out of storage, you can add SSD space without touching the RAM<\/strong> or the CPU cores. It is also possible to downscale<\/strong> the processor and memory if the load is light (due to complexities related to the filesystem, you usually can’t shrink the server’s storage capacity).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autoscaling<\/strong> is also offered by some providers. They implement complex automated tools that keep a close eye on the server load. When resource usage peaks, they automatically add additional CPU cores and\/or memory <\/strong>to ensure the server can handle the extra traffic without a drop in performance. When the load settles down, the same automated tools can revert the changes and return the VPS to its original configuration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the obvious advantages of such a system, it also has its downsides. First, for the time being, the feature is primarily available on self-managed servers<\/strong>, so the extra convenience could be offset by the requirement to maintain the machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And because upgrades are fully automated and can happen at any time, sudden traffic spikes can bring an unexpectedly high hosting bill<\/strong> at the end of the month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last but not least, autoscaling is not supported by all virtualization solutions, so many hosts can’t implement it without overhauling the entire infrastructure is impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All in all, the vertical scaling options available to you depend largely on your provider and the technology it uses. If you’re looking for a new host, it may not be a bad idea to look into what’s available before you make your decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horizontal Scaling Options for a Managed VPS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In theory, horizontal scaling is simple <\/strong>\u2013 you just add more machines to increase the pool of resources available to your application or website. In reality, things are a whole lot different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are multiple approaches to horizontally expanding your hosting infrastructure<\/strong>. \u0422\u043e determine which one suits your project the best, you need to carefully consider your needs and the specific performance issues you’re trying to fix. Sometimes, combining two or more techniques<\/strong> yields the best results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if you’re running a standard setup and notice that MySQL queries<\/strong><\/a> are taking longer than usual, one of the solutions would be to set up<\/strong> a separate database server<\/strong>. It’s a pretty standard configuration, and integrating popular web applications like WordPress<\/strong><\/a> is actually quite easy<\/strong>. This is one of the simplest forms of horizontal scaling, and if the database’s speed is the only issue, it’s bound to solve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if there are other bottlenecks, you’ll need a setup that involves more servers and a load balancer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, you expand your infrastructure by deploying as many virtual or physical servers<\/em> (known as nodes) as you need and connecting them in<\/strong> a distributed network<\/strong> \u2013 a type of network in which your website’s components are spread across multiple computers but can communicate and work with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deploying your site on this network of servers is the most crucial job<\/strong>. How difficult it’s going to be depends on your website. Built-from-scratch sites may require some custom development work, while the ones powered by a CMS will likely be easier to adapt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, it’s time to set up the component that makes the multi-node network so efficient \u2013 the load balancer<\/strong>. A load balancer could be a purpose-built device with a specialized operating system. However, system administrators nowadays usually rely on software products like Nginx or HAProxy<\/strong> to do the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The load balancer sits between your visitors and your site and redirects every request it receives to a server on your distributed network<\/strong>. Depending on the configuration, it may choose a node at random, pick the one that responds the quickest, or use the server under the lightest load<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The job of a load balancer is to guarantee peak performance for your site as the traffic increases<\/strong> while also ensuring the efficient utilization of the available hardware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vertical Scaling Pros and Cons<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"VPS<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Vertical scaling often sounds like the most logical answer to the increasing popularity of your website<\/strong>, especially when it comes to managed VPS hosting<\/strong>. Indeed, having the ability to easily add more resources on the go is what makes virtual servers the preferred option for so many people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before you get started, it may be a good idea to check out some of the advantages and disadvantages of vertical scaling<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s the rundown:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n