Blockchain Scalability via Vertical Scaling
When it comes to scaling, there are two groups: horizontal scaling and vertical scaling. This article will cover vertical scaling. Vertical scaling simply scales the network by improving the nodes that process transactions, like raising the hardware requirements to participate as a validator. Thus, the increased hardware requirement would enable the validators to compute more transactions per second, thus scaling the network. In other words, vertical scaling expands the network by increasing the power of the processors. While vertical scaling does seem sort of limited in its potential to improve the scalability of blockchains, there are many aspects where it shines.
Bottleneck Issue
A bottleneck is simply an issue where the system is being limited by a component of the system, or when a part of the system faces high demand/pressure and thus leads to the system performance lowering. In this situation, a vertical scaling solution is mandatory because it improves the system at its core to prevent such a bottleneck from occurring. For example, if the incoming transactions cannot be processed because the virtual machine lacks memory, a virtual scaling solution, like increasing the virtual machine’s memory, would solve the problem. However, bottlenecks are just one type of issue in regards to scalability, other issues may require different types of scaling solutions.
Advantages
- Lack of Complexity/Straightforward: Improving/updating the base processing layer of a blockchain is a simple task. Overall, vertical scaling is a simple scaling mechanism to implement.
- High-Computing Validators/Nodes: Vertical scaling improves the nodes/validators of a blockchain, making them capable of running transactions quickly, leading to lower transaction costs.
Disadvantages
- Limitations of Scaling: At a certain point, vertical scaling reaches a limit where it isn’t possible to continue upgrading the hardware. This would require other scaling solutions to help further the scalability of a blockchain.
- Decentralization: Vertical scaling raises the requirements for validators/nodes to participate, which in turn results in less decentralization. The validators are limited to those who meet the hardware requirements, which results in fewer validators.
- Costs: There are costs involved in implementing vertical scaling solutions, and sometimes these costs outweigh their benefits. Therefore, other scaling solutions can bring more to the table for a lower cost.
Overall, vertical scaling is a solution that involves increasing the power and capability of the processing layer. This type of solution has the potential to counter many issues, like bottlenecks, yet it must be coupled with other scaling solutions to properly improve the scalability of a blockchain.
If you want to learn more, check out the links below:
Horizontal vs Vertical Scaling: Key Differences
Blockchain Scalability: Execution, Storage, and Consensus
Thank You for Reading
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