Fixed Capacity vs Auto Scaling

Developers should understand fixed capacity when designing systems with predictable, stable workloads, such as embedded systems, legacy applications, or environments with strict regulatory constraints where dynamic scaling is not feasible meets developers should use auto scaling for applications with variable or unpredictable workloads, such as e-commerce sites during sales events, streaming services during peak hours, or batch processing jobs, to handle traffic surges without manual intervention and avoid over-provisioning. Here's our take.

Fixed Capacity

Nice Pick

Developers should understand fixed capacity when designing systems with predictable, stable workloads, such as embedded systems, legacy applications, or environments with strict regulatory constraints where dynamic scaling is not feasible

Pros

• It is also relevant for cost optimization in scenarios where over-provisioning is cheaper than implementing elastic infrastructure, or for performance-critical applications requiring guaranteed resources without interference from other processes
• Related to: system-design, capacity-planning

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Auto Scaling

Developers should use Auto Scaling for applications with variable or unpredictable workloads, such as e-commerce sites during sales events, streaming services during peak hours, or batch processing jobs, to handle traffic surges without manual intervention and avoid over-provisioning

Pros

• It is essential for building scalable, cost-effective, and resilient cloud-native systems that can automatically adapt to changing demands, reducing downtime and operational overhead
• Related to: aws-auto-scaling, load-balancing

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Fixed Capacity is a concept while Auto Scaling is a platform. We picked Fixed Capacity based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Fixed Capacity wins

Based on overall popularity. Fixed Capacity is more widely used, but Auto Scaling excels in its own space.