The Basics of Autoscaling: What Is Autoscaling?

Database autoscaling dynamically increases or decreases capacity (CPU, RAM, storage, or connections) to handle varying query loads. In MongoDB Atlas, enabling cluster tier and storage autoscaling options automatically expands resources when query traffic spikes.

A load balancer distributes incoming traffic across existing resources, while autoscaling adds or resizes resources when demand exceeds current capacity.

An autoscaler monitors metrics like CPU, memory, IOPS, and automatically triggers scaling actions based on thresholds, schedules, or predictive patterns.