# Auto-Scaling for Virtualization Access Nodes

Auto-scaling is critical for backup and recovery operations, especially for large-scale operations. Auto-scaling allocates resources dynamically, based on demand, preventing resource bottlenecks and optimizing performance. It then decommissions access nodes when they're not needed. When you need to use auto recovery in a disaster scenario, where the volume of data and the number of workloads to restore can vary significantly, auto-scaling ensures that the necessary computing resources are available, without provisioning more than you need.

## Supported Operations

Auto-scaling for is supported for most data protection operations, including file indexed backups. Only restores of guest files and instance files don't use auto-scaling.

## Number of Access Nodes That Are Created

The number of access nodes that are required increases or decreases based on the amount of data you back up and the settings you configure for automatic scaling. By default, an unix access node is used for backup and restore operations.

### For Backups

For backups, the software determines the number and size of access nodes (if not explicitly set in the scale configuration) to create based on the following characteristics:

- The Recovery Point Objective (RPO)

- The throughput rate

- The number of disks being backed up

- The Maximum number of access nodes setting in the scale configuration

- Required resources such as CPU, RAM, and disk space vary based on the job type (backup, restore, or file indexing)

Important

To increase the number of access nodes, change the Maximum number of access nodes setting instead of changing the number of data readers for each access node.

### For Restores

For restores, the software determines the number of access nodes to create based on the following characteristics:

- The number of VMs that are being restored

- The load on auto-scaled access nodes

- The Maximum number of access nodes setting in the scale configuration.

### For File Indexing

For file indexing, the number of auto-scaled access nodes that are created is based on the number of CPUs for each access node and the number of streams for each CPU.

### For Threat Scan

For Threat Scan, auto-scale access nodes are deployed based on the VM's storage MediaAgent OS and region. For each pairing, at least one auto-scale access node is created if one does not already exist.

By default (Threat Analysis configuration), a single node can handle up to 50 VMs. A maximum of three nodes can be deployed per OS and region pairing.

## Operating System of Access Nodes That Are Created

For file indexing, the operating system of auto-scaled access nodes matches the OS of the VMs that are indexed.

## Decommissioning of Access Nodes

Automatically commissioned access nodes are deleted from the cloud service provider portal if no active jobs are running across workloads for more than 10 minutes.

## Log Files

The log files from dynamically deployed access node are streamed to the access node on which the job was initiated and are available at the following location:

StreamedLogs:/StreamedLogs/

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