Node-pool model

This page covers the node-pool model in depth. For step-by-step instructions on creating and managing pools, see the Node pools guide.

Identical nodes per pool

A node pool is a set of identical worker nodes. Every node in a pool has the same size, so your workloads see uniform capacity wherever they’re scheduled within the pool. To run different node sizes in one cluster, you create multiple pools.

Exact sizing

There are no machine tiers. You specify the exact resources for each node in a pool:

• vCPUs
• Memory (GB)
• Disk (GB)

This lets you size nodes to your actual workload rather than rounding up to the nearest predefined tier.

Fixed vs autoscaling

A pool’s node-count configuration determines its kind:

• Fixed pool — minimum node count equals maximum node count. The pool holds a constant number of nodes. Predictable capacity and predictable cost.
• Autoscaling pool — maximum node count is greater than the minimum. Aether automatically scales the node count up and down within that range in response to demand, adding nodes when workloads need more capacity and removing them when they don’t.

The kind also determines billing — fixed pools bill a flat monthly fee, while autoscaling pools bill per node by the hour. See the Billing model.

Lifecycle states

The portal surfaces each pool’s current state so you always know what’s happening:

• Provisioning — the pool’s nodes are being created and joined to the cluster.
• Scaling — nodes are being added (e.g. after you raise the count, or when an autoscaling pool grows).
• Running — the pool is at its target size and healthy.
• Degraded — one or more nodes are unhealthy or not at the expected state; Aether works to reconcile it.
• Deleting — the pool is being torn down and its nodes removed.

These states let you follow scaling and provisioning operations in real time and confirm a pool is healthy before relying on it.

Learn more

• Node pools — add, scale, and delete pools.
• Billing model — how each pool kind is charged.