A key benefit of running your apps on Azure Websites is that the cloud gives you the ability to scale out seamlessly. Instead of buying new servers, you simply drag your Instance slider to get more machines. Instead of having to deploy and configure the additional machines, Azure Websites ensures your data and apps are available from all instances immediately. The sizable array of 10 instances available in regular hosting plans is more that most customers will ever need, but for some larger customers it isn’t always enough to deal with high-traffic sites or Web services. If this is a situation that you find yourself in, we are happy to accommodate!

Starting today, Azure Websites supports above 10 instances. If you’re finding that you need more, simply contact your account manager at Microsoft. If you’re not a premier customer, simply call in to Microsoft support and talk to one of our engineers. We will work with you to meet your needs as well as look at additional ways to help you optimize your deployment and save money!

Frequently asked questions:

1. If I need more than 10 instances, how many can I get now?

Answer: Depending on your applications design and configuration options, you might be able to deploy across hundreds of instances in our many datacenters world-wide. If you wish to use only a single datacenter, then the answer depends on the availability of the machine size you require. When you contact us, your support engineer will be able to provide more details based on your region of choice.

2. How do I know how many instances I really need?

Answer: your actual need depends on your applications’ design and functionality, the peak traffic you expect and the level of service you desire to provide during high/peak traffic periods. The best practices is to deploy your application to a pilot group and monitor the performance experienced by the users, as well as other KPI you would define and calculate the expected performance that your server can provide. Based on that, you could adjust your machine size and scale, as well as potentially optimize your applications’ code and design.

3. How long does it take to get additional instances?

Answer: Depending on availability, you could typically get your needs taken care of within a few hours. Often times, our support engineers find other options to optimize your deployment that could get things done much faster.

4. Should I get bigger machines, or additional instances?

Answer: Different applications are optimized for CPU-power or CPU-distributions, so your mileage might vary. Generally speaking, though, additional instances provide more flexibility and cost-effectiveness than scaling up. Ultimately, good design for your applications is key to making the best of your resources.

5. Once I get more instances, how do I control them?

Answer: Once Microsoft support enables your subscription for this, you will be able to use the instance-slider to assign more instances to your deployment, or scale it back down if you need less.