Guides
HPA and KEDA
Napwake works alongside a HorizontalPodAutoscaler or a KEDA ScaledObject, with nothing to set up. While the workload runs, its autoscaler sets the replicas.
The ManagedWorkload’s Autoscaled condition says what scales it:
Autoscaled=True HPA web scales it between 2 and 10 replicas; Napwake pauses it at zero, where the HPA stops scaling, and resumes it within that range| HPA | KEDA ScaledObject | |
|---|---|---|
| paused | Napwake scales it to zero, where an HPA stops scaling | Napwake sets autoscaling.keda.sh/paused-replicas: "0" on the ScaledObject. KEDA then holds it at zero, instead of scaling it back to minReplicaCount or on a trigger |
| resuming | Napwake restores its replicas, within minReplicas and maxReplicas if they changed. Then the HPA takes over |
KEDA holds it at the restored replicas until all are Ready, or Napwake stops waiting. Then Napwake puts back your own paused-replicas, or removes the annotation |
CPU from the workload’s own pods counts as activity whatever the HPA does. So a workload busy enough for its HPA to scale it up isn’t idle.
KEDA is released only once the wake is done. Released sooner, a ScaledObject with minReplicaCount: 0 and no active trigger could take a starting workload straight back to zero. A request the doorman held would then wait for nothing. Letting go of a paused workload releases it the same way. If the ScaledObject or KEDA goes while the workload is paused, it wakes as usual.
The annotation isn’t in your manifests, so Argo CD and Flux leave it alone.
Napwake leaves a workload KEDA took to zero, such as on an empty queue, to KEDA, as already at zero. Pausing it would stop KEDA’s triggers from starting it. Such a workload gains little. Napwake adds waking on the first HTTP request, holding dependencies awake, and the forecast. It also pauses by activity it sees without a trigger. Pausing frees capacity on a KEDA workload with a minReplicaCount above zero, such as one kept warm in working hours.
Without KEDA, Napwake looks for ScaledObjects every 10 minutes, in case it’s installed later. Autoscaled shows a ScaledObject change within 15 seconds, and a pause or wake reads them afresh.