55a: Vertical Partitioning

Vertical Partitioning is splitting database tables into multiple tables and storing data in fewer columns in each table. Normalization is also one part of vertical partitioning. However, vertical partitioning is much more than normalization. Vertical partitioning is often used when there is a need to split the static and dynamic data. Vertical partitioning is, for example, in a user database, keeping the user’s fundamental—and rarely changing—data in one database and splitting the user’s action into a different database. However, it’s possible to keep both data in the same table and use different rows for storing them; splitting increases the performance of accessing static data. Of course, when we want to reach both static and dynamic data, it will be slower. However, accessing static data is much faster.

• Related Note(s): 60: Database Normalization;