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Cloud & DevOps

What is Auto Scaling?

Quick answer

A cloud feature that automatically adds or removes computing resources based on demand, so applications stay responsive without overpaying.

Auto Scaling, explained

Auto scaling watches metrics such as CPU usage, memory, request volume, or queue length. When demand rises past a set threshold, it launches more servers or containers. When demand falls, it removes them. Rules can also follow schedules, such as adding capacity every weekday morning.

For example, a ticketing website might run four servers on a normal day and scale to forty when tickets for a popular concert go on sale, then return to four once the rush ends. Auto scaling improves reliability and can reduce costs, since resources are not left idle. It needs careful setup: applications must be designed to run on multiple instances, limits should cap runaway costs, and new instances must start quickly enough to handle sudden spikes.

Related terms

Cloud Computing

Delivering computing resources such as servers, storage, databases, and software over the internet on a pay-as-you-go basis.

FinOps

A practice that brings engineering, finance, and business teams together to manage cloud spending and get the most value from it.

Kubernetes

An open-source platform that automates deploying, scaling, and managing containerized applications across clusters of machines.

Load Balancer

A system that distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers so no single server is overwhelmed.

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