Auto-scaling

Adding and removing instances automatically based on a metric such as CPU. New instances take minutes to become useful, so scaling follows gradual trends well but does not absorb an instant spike alone.

Where it shows up in real systems

  • Auto-scaling group

    Instances are added when CPU exceeds the target and removed when it falls. New instances need a warm-up period before taking traffic, so sudden spikes still hurt: keep enough minimum capacity. Failed instances are replaced automatically.

    In production: AWS Auto Scaling groups, Azure VM Scale Sets, GCP Managed Instance Groups, Kubernetes HPA

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