How to scale your systems using CPU utilization

Scaling systems based on CPU utilization is a critical practice in cloud computing to ensure stability and optimize resource usage. CPU usage is a key indicator of system workload, and autoscaling helps manage increased demand by adding or removing compute capacity in real-time. The blog discusses two types of scaling: horizontal, which involves adding more hosts, and vertical, which upgrades existing systems. It emphasizes the importance of setting appropriate CPU scaling thresholds and testing them, using tools like Gremlin for comprehensive CPU scalability tests. AWS EC2's Auto Scaling groups and metrics such as ASGAverageCPUUtilization are highlighted for automating scaling decisions, and Gremlin’s scenarios allow for controlled testing of these autoscaling rules. The blog further explores testing methodologies to ensure systems scale as expected under varying CPU loads, recommending practices like using health checks and adjusting scaling parameters based on observed behavior during tests.