Question

In Cloud Spanner, what is the difference between horizontal scaling and vertical scaling?

a) Horizontal scaling adds more processing power, while vertical scaling adds more storage capacity.
b) Horizontal scaling increases network bandwidth, while vertical scaling improves data encryption.
c) Horizontal scaling adds more storage capacity, while vertical scaling adds more processing power.
d) Horizontal scaling and vertical scaling are identical in Cloud Spanner.

Answer 1

Horizontal scaling in Cloud Spanner involves adding more nodes to increase storage capacity, while vertical scaling would involve upgrading existing machines to increase processing power. However, Cloud Spanner focuses mainly on horizontal scaling for global distribution and scalability.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Cloud Spanner, horizontal scaling and vertical scaling are two different approaches to handling increased load on a database system. Horizontal scaling, also known as scaling out, involves adding more machines to a system, such as additional nodes in a distributed database, to spread the workload across a greater number of resources.

This typically increases storage capacity and allows the database to handle more concurrent requests. On the other hand, vertical scaling, also known as scaling up, refers to adding more power to an existing machine, such as a more powerful CPU, additional memory, or more disk space, which can increase its processing power.

Thus, the correct option would be c) Horizontal scaling adds more storage capacity, while vertical scaling adds more processing power. Cloud Spanner is designed primarily for horizontal scaling, as it is a distributed database that allows for virtually limitless scaling across the globe.