---
title: "Use Scale Now"
description: "Run a chosen number of VMs in a TIR Auto Scaling Group right away with Scale Now, and see what a Usage-based group does with the extra VMs."
content_type: "how-to"
product: "tir-auto-scaling"
platform: "TIR"
url: "/tir/tir-auto-scaling/how-to/use-scale-now/"
topic: ["scale"]
---

# Use Scale Now

Use **Scale Now** to ask a running Auto Scaling Group for a set number of VMs right away, instead of
waiting for it to scale by itself, for example before a launch you expect traffic for.

## Before you begin

You need a group in the **Running** state. To raise capacity for good instead,
change **Minimum VMs**; see [Scale on usage](/tir/tir-auto-scaling/how-to/scale-on-usage/).

## Change the number of VMs

1. Open the group's details page and select **Scale Now**. It is also in the **More actions** menu
   of the group's row in the list.
2. Set the number of VMs, between the group's minimum and maximum.
3. Confirm. The group starts scaling to that number. If it cannot, TIR says "Unable to change the
   VM count".

To go past the maximum, raise it from **Edit** first.

## What a Usage-based group does next

On a **Usage-based** group, a count above the saved minimum is held for 180 seconds. Then the group
removes the extra VMs if usage is below the target, and keeps them if usage is still over it.

To keep the VMs permanently, raise the minimum from **Edit**.

The group never runs below its saved minimum. To run fewer VMs, lower the minimum from **Edit**.

## See the result

While a hold keeps the minimum above its saved value, the group list marks its capacity as held,
with the minimum and maximum in force. If a schedule hold is active too, the highest minimum wins, and **Scale Now** changes only the minimum.

**Scaling Activity** records "Manually resized" with the name of the person who did it, and a manual
add or remove when the count changes.

To plan capacity ahead of time, see [Scale on a schedule](/tir/tir-auto-scaling/how-to/scale-on-a-schedule/).