What is database sharding?

Database sharding is a type of horizontal partitioning that splits large databases into smaller components, which are faster and easier to manage. A shard is an individual partition that exists on separate database server instance to spread load. Auto sharding or data sharding is needed when a dataset is too big to be stored in a single database.

As both the database size and number of transactions increase, so does the response time for querying the database. Costs associated with maintaining a huge database can also skyrocket due to the number and quality of computers you need to manage your workload. Data shards, on the other hand, have fewer hardware and software requirements and can be managed on less expensive servers.