# Scalability **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [September 18, 2018, 8:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scalability/148939 "2018-09-18T08:57:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Arun\_Murugappan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/arun_murugappan/32/101630_2.png) [@Arun\_Murugappan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Arun_Murugappan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2018, 8:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scalability/148939/1 "2018-09-18T08:57:43Z")
W ![IANT2121%5B1%5D](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/a/d/ad10b7bf345d955b0985c783d234cdf5b6d40954.jpeg) hy is the graph as shown below in the attachment. Explain ---
**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2018, 9:04am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scalability/148939/2 "2018-09-18T09:04:55Z")
Which graph? ---
**Author:** ![Arun\_Murugappan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/arun_murugappan/32/101630_2.png) [@Arun\_Murugappan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Arun_Murugappan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2018, 11:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scalability/148939/3 "2018-09-18T11:52:49Z")
the graph in the attachment. Cost vs users ---
**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2018, 12:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scalability/148939/4 "2018-09-18T12:04:58Z")
I think you need to elaborate a bit more on your question as it is not clear what you are asking. It also seems quite general and not directly Elasticsearch related. Maybe [this link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalability) is useful? ---
**Author:** ![Arun\_Murugappan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/arun_murugappan/32/101630_2.png) [@Arun\_Murugappan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Arun_Murugappan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2018, 12:25pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scalability/148939/5 "2018-09-18T12:25:04Z")
It is related to the link that you have attached. Thanks. It is related to ES. As ES scales well as compared to rdbms. My question there in lies, in horizontal scaling--why does the system cost rise at a constant rate but in vertical scaling the system cost rise steeply. Likeise application performance is maintained in horizontal scaling but dips a little in vertical scaling. Why so? ---
**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2018, 12:29pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scalability/148939/6 "2018-09-18T12:29:20Z")
Typically scaling out by buying cheap commodity hardware is a cheaper way to add computing resources rather than buying larger and larger servers, which tend to get more expensive. There is also often a limit to the size of server you can get, so when your needs exceed what one maxed out server can handle you might find yourself in a tricky situation. Why the graph dips at the end I do not know as I did not create the graph. ---
**Author:** ![Arun\_Murugappan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/arun_murugappan/32/101630_2.png) [@Arun\_Murugappan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Arun_Murugappan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2018, 12:33pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scalability/148939/7 "2018-09-18T12:33:28Z")
Thanks Christian. With respect to cost, probably yes. If there is limit to the size of servers (vscal), isnt there a limit to the number of servers as well(hscal)? ---
**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2018, 12:44pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scalability/148939/8 "2018-09-18T12:44:06Z")
There may naturally be limits to horizontal scalability as well, but it often depends on what type of system you are running. ---
**Author:** ![Arun\_Murugappan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/arun_murugappan/32/101630_2.png) [@Arun\_Murugappan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Arun_Murugappan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2018, 3:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scalability/148939/9 "2018-09-18T15:04:55Z")
okay. yes. But there is always preference to horizontal scaling than vertical scaling. Am I right? ---
**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2018, 3:14pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scalability/148939/10 "2018-09-18T15:14:39Z")
I do not think there is any easy answer to that as it depends on the system you are deploying. ---
**Author:** ![Arun\_Murugappan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/arun_murugappan/32/101630_2.png) [@Arun\_Murugappan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Arun_Murugappan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 5:15am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scalability/148939/11 "2018-09-19T05:15:13Z")
got that ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 5:15am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scalability/148939/12 "2018-10-17T05:15:20Z")
This topic was automatically closed 28 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.