What is one main disadvantage of vertical scaling?

Vertical scaling, also known as "scaling up," involves adding more resources, such as CPU, RAM, or storage, to a single server in order to handle increased loads. One main disadvantage of this approach is that it can be more costly. This is because upgrading a single server with higher capacity components often requires significant financial investment, especially when dealing with high-performance hardware. Additionally, the potential limits of this method mean that once the maximum capacity of a single machine is reached, you can no longer scale just by adding more resources to that machine, which can lead to further costs when a complete system overhaul or upgrade is needed.

In contrast, horizontal scaling, or "scaling out," often involves adding more machines to a system, which can provide more flexibility and might be more cost-effective in handling larger loads as it spreads the demand across multiple resources. While vertical scaling can simplify resource management, its higher costs and limitations can be a significant drawback for organizations looking to efficiently manage scaling under heavy workloads.