Scaling options

Current version: 9.3

You can vertically and horizontally scale the Sitecore Experience Platform to meet your requirements. Choose a default topology as a starting point or design your own.

Scaling vertically

You can vertically scale the Sitecore Experience Platform by:

  • Adding more resources (RAM, CPU) to a server or web application in your topology.

  • Combining or splitting web application roles.

A single web application can be configured to perform multiple roles. The following diagram shows a subset of roles in an XP topology where Content Management, xDB Reporting, and xDB Processing run as a single combined application:

Two servers, each hosting a single web application. One application combines Content Management, xDB Processing, and xDB Reporting. The other performs the Content Delivery role only.
Note

In an on-premise or IaaS setting, combined roles run as a single application with one web root and one application pool in IIS. In Azure, combined roles run as a single web app.

In a fully vertically scaled environment, each role runs as a standalone application:

Four servers, each hosting a single web application. Each application performs one role - Content Delivery, Content Management, xDB Processing, or xDB Reporting. There are no combined roles.

You can split or combine roles to suit your scaling needs. For more information about supported combinations, refer to the scaling section of each role's configuration page. For example: Content Delivery, xConnect Collection.

Scaling horizontally

You can horizontally scale the Sitecore Experience Platform by dedicating multiple web applications to the same role within a topology. For example, you can deploy two instances of the Content Delivery role behind a load balancer:

Two load-balanced servers, each hosting a copy of the Content Delivery role.
Note

Some roles, such as the xConnect Search Indexer, do not support horizontal scaling.

For more information about support for horizontal scaling, refer to the scaling section of each role's configuration page. For example: Content Delivery, xConnect Collection.

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