What is database scaling, and how do you scale databases vertically and horizontally?

Short answer: Database scaling refers to increasing a database's ability to handle more workload—either by increasing the resources available to a single instance or distributing the load across multiple instances.

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.