Definition:
Vertical Sharding is a database partitioning technique where columns of a table are split across multiple databases or servers, rather than splitting rows. Each shard contains a subset of columns from the original table, typically grouping related columns together based on access patterns or data characteristics.
Key Characteristics ✅ Column-based partitioning ✅ Reduces table width ✅ Improves query performance for specific column groups ✅ Enables specialized storage optimization
Example:
- E-commerce User Database
users_table:
- user_id (Primary Key)
- username, email, password_hash
- first_name, last_name, phone, address
- profile_image, bio, preferences
- last_login, created_at, updated_at
- account_balance, subscription_planAfter Vertical Sharding
| Shard | Database | Columns | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authentication | auth_db |
user_id, username, email, password_hash |
Login/Security |
| Profile | profile_db |
user_id, first_name, last_name, phone, address |
User Management |
| Content | content_db |
user_id, profile_image, bio, preferences |
Social Features |
| Billing | billing_db |
user_id, account_balance, subscription_plan |
Payment Processing |