Change in Scaling Algorithm? Seeing way more instances than usual.

[Thomas Schranz]

I just wondered if there were any changes made in how the app engine scales up?

We're seeing way more app instances being started than previously.

[Nick (Cloud Platform Support)]

Hey Thomas,

I'm not in a position to say whether the scaling algorithm has changed, but without knowing any details of your app's request load, historical request load, scaling settings, etc. it's not possible to make any comment. The scaling algorithm could change, since it's pretty broadly-defined, and you can read about the configurable parameters in the docs, although any change should be more in line with allowing your instance to respond appropriately to traffic levels.

At any rate, you are only charged for idle instances up to the amount specified in your configuration, so having extra idle instances won't cost anything. You should control your scaling settings through a careful application of the various parameters to ensure that you don't end up scaling to more than you need.

I hope this has helped address any concerns you have. Feel free to reply with more questions if you have any.