Under the economy scaling policy, what triggers starting a new cluster?

• A. Enough query load to keep the least-loaded cluster busy for at least 6 minutes.
• B. Always when a new query arrives.
• C. Only during peak hours.
• D. When there is idle capacity.

Answer: (A)

Economy scaling looks to add capacity only when there is sustained demand, not for every single query. The trigger is when there is enough query load to keep the least-loaded cluster busy for a defined minimum period—six minutes in this policy. This keeps the system cost-efficient by avoiding spin-ups for short spikes or isolated requests. It won’t scale just because a new query arrives, it won’t wait for peak hours alone, and it won’t scale simply because there’s idle capacity—the decision is driven by achieving sustained useful work across the existing clusters.