What is the purpose of autoscaling in IT systems?

Autoscaling is primarily designed to automatically adjust the server capacity based on the current workload and performance requirements of an application. This dynamic adjustment allows a system to scale up by provisioning more resources when demand increases, such as during high traffic periods, and scale down by releasing those resources during low demand times to optimize costs.

This capability ensures that applications maintain performance and availability without the need for manual intervention, resulting in efficient resource utilization. By automatically matching the infrastructure to the actual load, autoscaling contributes to improved user experiences, as applications are less likely to become slow or unresponsive during peak usage times.

In contrast, controlling automated scripts, monitoring user traffic, or identifying potential security breaches, while important tasks, do not encapsulate the core functionality and purpose of autoscaling in IT systems.