Given the high CPU and memory utilization during non-peak periods, the cloud administrator should consider vertical scaling to enhance the performance of the existing database instances.
Vertical Scaling:
* Definition: Vertical scaling, or "scaling up," involves adding more resources (CPU, memory, storage) to an existing server or instance to handle increased load.
* Application in This Scenario: By upgrading the current database instances to more powerful ones with higher CPU and memory capacities, the administrator can ensure that the system handles both non-peak and peak loads efficiently. This approach is straightforward and doesn't require changes to the database architecture.
Consideration of Licensing Model:
The database software utilizes an instance-based licensing model, where costs are associated with the number of instances rather than their sizes. Vertical scaling maintains the same number of instances, thus avoiding additional licensing fees that might be incurred with other scaling strategies.
Analysis of Other Options:
* A. Horizontal scaling:
* Definition: Horizontal scaling, or "scaling out," involves adding more instances or nodes to a system to distribute the load.
* Implication: Implementing horizontal scaling would increase the number of database instances, potentially leading to higher licensing costs due to the instance-based licensing model.
Additionally, this approach may require significant architectural changes to ensure data consistency and distribution across instances.
* B. Affinity-based scaling:
* Definition: Affinity-based scaling involves directing specific workloads to particular servers or instances based on predefined rules, often to optimize cache usage or comply with regulatory requirements.
* Implication: While this strategy can optimize performance for specific workloads, it doesn't address the underlying issue of insufficient CPU and memory resources during non-peak times.
* D. Cloud bursting:
* Definition: Cloud bursting is a hybrid cloud strategy where on-premises applications offload excess load to a public cloud during peak demand periods.
* Implication: This approach is typically used to handle unexpected surges in demand and is more applicable to hybrid cloud environments. In this scenario, since the database is already hosted in a public cloud, cloud bursting is not relevant.