Auto Scaling in AZURE VM

Question

Hello,

I'm currently exploring the potential of Auto Scaling in Azure VM. From my understanding, Auto Scaling can automatically increase VM specifications when resources (CPU/RAM) reach a set threshold.

Could you clarify whether Auto Scaling will cause my VM to restart? Additionally, could you provide any pros and cons associated with using this feature?

It's important to note that I cannot afford the VM to restart randomly due to specific requirements.

Answer 1

Hello Muhd Azhar

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Platform, thanks for posting your query here.

You can scale your Azure VM Up & Down (process of increasing or decreasing the capacity of a resource vertically). This means that the resource is scaled by adding or removing resources to the existing VM. For example, if you have a virtual machine with 4 CPUs and 8 GB of RAM, autoscaling up would increase the number of CPUs and RAM to 8 CPUs and 16 GB of RAM. In this method, VM will have interruption.

Autoscaling in and out refers to the process of increasing or decreasing the capacity of a resource horizontally. This means that the resource is scaled by adding or removing instances of the resource. For example, if you have a web application running on a virtual machine, autoscaling in and out would increase or decrease the number of virtual machines running the application.

Azure provides different options for auto-scaling virtual machines, including Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets.

Yes, you are correct that Azure Auto Scaling can automatically increase the number of VM instances or the specifications of existing VM instances when resources such as CPU or RAM reach a set threshold. However, Auto Scaling does not cause your VM to restart.

Regarding the pros and cons of using Azure Auto Scaling, here are some points to consider:

Pros:

• Auto Scaling ensures that your application can handle increased traffic or resource demands without any performance degradation.
• Auto Scaling can help you save costs by automatically scaling down resources when they are not needed.
• Auto Scaling can help ensure that your application is always available by automatically replacing any failed instances.

Cons:

• Auto Scaling requires additional management overhead, such as monitoring and configuring scaling policies.
• While Auto Scaling can help save costs, it can also potentially increase costs if not configured properly.

It's important to note that while Auto Scaling does not cause your VM to restart, scaling up or down can cause a brief interruption in service. However, this interruption is typically minimal and should not cause any significant impact on your application.

Ref:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machine-scale-sets/virtual-machine-scale-sets-faq#autoscale

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/autoscale/autoscale-best-practices

Hope this clarifies your queries.
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