Vertical Scaling (Scaling Up):?

Short answer: Vertical scaling means upgrading the resources (CPU, RAM, disk space) of a single database server. Advantages: Simple to implement since you only need to upgrade the existing server. Disadvantages: There is a physical limit to how much you can scale up. It also increases the risk of downtime during upgrades.

Real-world example (ShopNest)

ShopNest’s SQL Server database stores customers, products, and orders. Good indexes and clear foreign keys keep checkout queries fast and safe.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.