Vertical Scaling

Vertical scaling allows you to resize a running virtual server instance by changing its plan (CPU, RAM, and disk allocation). This is useful when your workload requirements change and you need more or fewer resources on an existing instance.

How Vertical Scaling Works

When you trigger a vertical scaling operation, the system:

1. Stops the instance gracefully.
2. Applies the new plan configuration (CPU, RAM, disk).
3. Restarts the instance with the updated resources.

Note: Vertical scaling requires a brief downtime while the instance is resized. Plan your scaling operations during maintenance windows when possible.

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API Usage

Resize an Instance

Use the cloud/server/resize endpoint to change the plan for an existing instance:

curl -X POST "https://api.netactuate.com/api/v2/cloud/server/resize" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "server_id": 12345,
    "plan": "VR8192x4x100"
  }'

Check Resize Status

curl -X GET "https://api.netactuate.com/api/v2/cloud/server/12345" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

The response includes the current plan and server status. During a resize operation, the status will show as resizing.

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Scaling Limits

• You can scale up to any available plan at your instance's location.
• Disk size can only be increased, not decreased. If you need a smaller disk, deploy a new instance and migrate your data.
• The new plan must be available at the instance's current location. Use the cloud/sizes endpoint to check availability.

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Billing

Billing adjusts automatically when you resize an instance:

• Scale up: The new higher rate takes effect immediately. You are billed pro-rata for the remainder of the billing period.
• Scale down: The new lower rate takes effect at the start of the next billing period.
• There is no additional fee for the resize operation itself.

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Vertical vs. Horizontal Scaling

Aspect	Vertical Scaling	Horizontal Scaling
What changes	Instance size (CPU/RAM/disk)	Number of instances
Downtime	Brief (during resize)	None (new instances added)
Use case	Growing workload on a single server	Distributing load across multiple servers
Limit	Maximum available plan size	Configurable instance ceiling

For automatic horizontal scaling, see Autoscaling.

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Best Practices

• Monitor resource utilization before scaling to confirm the bottleneck (CPU, RAM, or disk).
• Schedule vertical scaling during low-traffic periods to minimize the impact of the brief downtime.
• Consider horizontal scaling with autoscaling if your workload is variable and you need zero-downtime scaling.
• Test your application after scaling to verify it correctly uses the new resources.

Need Help?

If you need assistance with vertical scaling, visit our support page.