Does MongoDB support sharding?
Yes, MongoDB supports sharding natively, distributing data across multiple servers. This makes it better for very large datasets that one server cannot hold, compared to vertical-only scaling.
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More FAQs in Database Scalability: SQL vs NoSQL for Growing Node.js Apps
SQL scales vertically (bigger servers) with some horizontal support like read replicas. NoSQL scales horizontally (sharding across multiple servers) natively, which is better for very large datasets.
When you expect data to exceed one server's capacity, or when you need geographic distribution. Start simple with one database server, and plan for horizontal scaling only when you actually need it, since sharding adds complexity.
Modern SQL databases like PostgreSQL support read replicas and partitioning, but horizontal scaling is harder than with NoSQL. Vertical scaling works up to a point, then becomes expensive for very large datasets.
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