# Set Amazon GameLift Servers capacity limits
<a name="fleets-capacity-limits"></a>

When scaling hosting capacity for an Amazon GameLift Servers fleet location, either manually or by auto scaling, consider the location's scaling limits. All fleet locations have a minimum and maximum limit that define the allowed range for the location's capacity. By default, limits on fleet locations have a minimum of 0 instances and a maximum of 1 instance. Before you can scale a fleet location, adjust the limits.

If you're using auto scaling, the maximum limit allows Amazon GameLift Servers to scale up a fleet location to meet player demand but prevents runaway hosting costs, such as during a DDOS attack. Set up an [Amazon CloudWatch alarm](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/AlarmThatSendsEmail.html) to notify you when capacity approaches the maximum limit, so you can evaluate the situation and manually adjust as needed. (You can also [create a billing alarm](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/monitor_estimated_charges_with_cloudwatch.html) to monitor AWS costs.) The minimum limit is useful to maintain hosting availability, even when player demand is low.

You can set capacity limits for a fleet's locations in the [Amazon GameLift Servers console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/gamelift/) or by using the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI).

## To set capacity limits
<a name="fleets-capacity-limits-console"></a>

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#### [ Console ]

1. Open the [Amazon GameLift Servers console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/gamelift/).

1. In the navigation pane, choose **Hosting**, **Fleets**.

1. On the **Fleets** page, choose the name of an active fleet to open the fleet's detail page.

1. On the **Scaling** tab, under **Scaling capacity**, select a fleet location, and then choose **Edit**.

1. In the **Edit scaling capacity** dialog box, set instance counts for **Min size**, **Desired instances**, and **Max size**.

1. Choose **Confirm**.

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#### [ AWS CLI ]

1. **Check current capacity settings.** In a command line window, use the [describe-fleet-location-capacity](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/gamelift/describe-fleet-location-capacity.html) command with the fleet ID and location that you want to change capacity for. This command returns a [FleetCapacity](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/gameliftservers/latest/apireference/API_FleetCapacity.html) object that includes the location's current capacity settings. Determine whether the new instance limits can accommodate the current desired instances setting.

   ```
   aws gamelift describe-fleet-location-capacity \
       --fleet-id <fleet identifier> \
       --location <location name>
   ```

1. **Update limit settings.** In a command line window, use the [update-fleet-capacity](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/gamelift/update-fleet-capacity.html) command with the following parameters. You can adjust both instance limits and desired instance count with the same command.

   ```
   --fleet-id <fleet identifier>
   --location <location name>
   --max-size <maximum capacity for scaling>
   --min-size <minimum capacity for scaling>
   --desired-instances <fleet capacity goal>
   ```

   Example:

   ```
   aws gamelift update-fleet-capacity \
       --fleet-id fleet-2222bbbb-33cc-44dd-55ee-6666ffff77aa \
       --location us-west-2 \
       --max-size 10 \
       --min-size 1 \
       --desired-instances 10
   ```

If your request is successful, Amazon GameLift Servers returns the fleet ID. If the new `max-size` or `min-size` value conflicts with the current `desired-instances` setting, Amazon GameLift Servers returns an error.

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