Auto Scaling
Auto Scaling is a cloud computing feature that automatically adjusts the number of compute resources (such as virtual machines or containers) in a system based on real-time demand, such as traffic load or CPU utilization. It ensures applications maintain performance and availability during traffic spikes while minimizing costs during low usage by scaling resources up or down dynamically. This is commonly implemented in cloud platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure to manage infrastructure elasticity.
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. 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.