> Scaling depends a lot of how much data you got, how much data you generate and how much you plan to grow.
No doubt, but 37Signals shouldn't have a lot of relational data. The bulk of their per-project bytes, it seems likely, is non-relational stuff like attachments.
> Given the size of Basecamp and 37 Signal's future projection I doubt it would be wise to hope that they can scale vertically
Isn't it less wise to pay a cost you don't yet need and may never need to pay? You pay a significant price in development velocity by forgoing a relational database and using a non-relational data store. Certainly any reasonable organization should be able to project when they will actually need to pay that cost.
> big sites with millions of users
Single digit millions of users isn't that big.
> and tons of data should not scale vertically (it can't payoff and at some point they'll hit the limit).
It can certainly pay off if you never actually need to convert to a non-relational data store. The limit is a lot higher than you seem to think: banks and financial institutions process billions of transactions for hundreds of millions of users daily on the same ACID, relational data stores that you're saying a site like BaseCamp will hit the limit of. I don't buy it.
No doubt, but 37Signals shouldn't have a lot of relational data. The bulk of their per-project bytes, it seems likely, is non-relational stuff like attachments.
> Given the size of Basecamp and 37 Signal's future projection I doubt it would be wise to hope that they can scale vertically
Isn't it less wise to pay a cost you don't yet need and may never need to pay? You pay a significant price in development velocity by forgoing a relational database and using a non-relational data store. Certainly any reasonable organization should be able to project when they will actually need to pay that cost.
> big sites with millions of users
Single digit millions of users isn't that big.
> and tons of data should not scale vertically (it can't payoff and at some point they'll hit the limit).
It can certainly pay off if you never actually need to convert to a non-relational data store. The limit is a lot higher than you seem to think: banks and financial institutions process billions of transactions for hundreds of millions of users daily on the same ACID, relational data stores that you're saying a site like BaseCamp will hit the limit of. I don't buy it.