Horizontal vs Vertical partitioning of table

 Vertical and horizontal partitioning are two techniques used

in database design to improve performance and manageability

of large tables.

Vertical Partitioning:

Vertical partitioning involves splitting a table into multiple

tables by columns. Instead of storing all the columns in a

single table, the table is divided into multiple tables

based on the logical separation of data. Each partition

contains a subset of the columns.

The main advantages of vertical partitioning are:

Reduced storage requirements: By dividing the table into

smaller tables, the overall storage space can be reduced

as each partition only contains the necessary columns.

Improved query performance: Queries that only require a

subset of columns can be executed faster as they only

need to access the relevant partition(s) instead of

scanning the entire table.

Easier maintenance: Vertical partitioning can make it easier

to manage and maintain the database schema, especially when

dealing with tables with a large number of columns.

However, there are some considerations to keep in mind

when using vertical partitioning:

Join operations: If queries frequently involve joining data

from different partitions, it may introduce additional

complexity and overhead.

Data distribution: The partitioning scheme should be carefully chosen

to ensure an even distribution of data across partitions, avoiding

hotspots or imbalances.

Horizontal Partitioning:

Horizontal partitioning involves splitting a table into multiple tables

by rows. Each partition contains a subset of rows that satisfy a certain

condition or range. The partitions can be stored in the same database

or distributed across different databases or servers.

The benefits of horizontal partitioning include:

Improved query performance: Queries that only require data from a

specific partition can be executed faster as the database system

only needs to scan the relevant partition(s) instead of the entire

table.

Scalability: Horizontal partitioning allows for distributing the data

across multiple servers, enabling better scalability and handling of large

datasets.

Simplified maintenance: Partitioning can make it easier to manage and

perform maintenance tasks on subsets of data without affecting the entire

table.

However, there are some considerations to keep in mind when using horizontal

partitioning:

Data distribution: Careful consideration should be given to how the data is

partitioned to ensure even distribution and avoid hotspots or imbalances.

Join operations: Joining data from different partitions can introduce

complexity and potential performance issues.

Indexing: Appropriate indexing strategies should be employed to optimize

query performance within each partition.

Both vertical and horizontal partitioning techniques can be used together

to further improve performance and manageability, depending on the specific

requirements of the database system and the nature of the data being stored.