AutoScaling in Databases

 

AutoScaling in Databases

Autoscaling is about increasing the number of nodes (instances – computers – servers) in OCI, increasing an instance pool. 

AutoScaling Features 

• Use performance metrics and their configured thresholds to decide whether or not to scale a pool;
• When the metrics exceed the threshold, scale-out will occur, that is, the number of instances in the pool will increase;
• If your application is behind a Load Balancer, it is able to “attach” the new instance to the Load Balancer(s) also configured in OCI;
• The AutoScaling configuration can be based on metrics (as mentioned above) or on schedule, where you need to create policies informing when the pool will increase and when the pool will decrease;
• The instance pool must, obligatorily, use an Instance Configuration, guaranteeing standardization in the creation of instances, always using the same configurations.

Well, having said that, the AutoScaling of the Autonomous Database is quite different, but with the common objective of increasing the computational capacity of the resource that will be used, in this case, the Autonomous Database.

Some features about AutoScaling of Autonomous Database:

• Allows you to use up to three times the amount of OCPUs originally allocated. The originally allocated amount is called the base number of OCPUs;
• If the workload increases, autoscaling will increase the number of OCPU cores at that time;
• If the workload decreases, autoscaling will decrease the number of CPU cores at that time;
• You will be billed for the average OCPUs used per hour;
• It is enabled by default and can be enabled or disabled at any time;
• The status of AutoScaling (whether it is enabled or not) can be seen on the Autonomous details page;
• The base number of OCPUs allocated to an Autonomous is always guaranteed. For Autonomous running on dedicated Exadata infrastructure, the maximum number of colors available to a database depends on the number of colors available on the Exadata infrastructure, and is further limited by the number of free colors that are not in use by autoscaling other banks of data to meet high workload demands.

More details about the maximum amount of available OCPUs can be seen here: 

CPU Scaling Oracle Autonomous Database

Oracle Cloud provides a set of data management services built on self-driving Oracle Autonomous Database technology to deliver automated patching, upgrades, and tuning, including performing all routine database maintenance tasks while the system is running, without human intervention.

When you create an Autonomous Database, you can deploy it to one of two kinds of Exadata infrastructure:

• Shared, a simple and elastic choice. Oracle autonomously operates all aspects of the database life cycle from database placement to backup and updates.
• Dedicated on Public Cloud, a private cloud in public cloud choice. A completely dedicated compute, storage, network and database service for only a single tenant, providing for the highest levels of security isolation and governance.
• Dedicated on Cloud@Customer, Autonomous Database on dedicated infrastructure running on on Exadata Database Machine system in your data center, together with the networking configuration that connects it to Oracle Cloud.