Merge pull request #313146 from aatsang/host-scaling-revamp

Host scaling revamp

Author: JamesJBarnett

articles/bastion/.openpublishing.redirection.bastion.json

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+    "redirections": [
+        {
+            "redirect_url": "/azure/bastion/configure-host-scaling",
+            "source_path_from_root": "/articles/bastion/configure-host-scaling-powershell.md",
+            "redirect_document_id": true
+        }
+    ]
+}

articles/bastion/TOC.yml

@@ -89,11 +89,7 @@
   - name: Platform
     items:
       - name: Configure host scaling
-        items:
-        - name: Azure portal
-          href: configure-host-scaling.md
-        - name: Azure PowerShell
-          href: configure-host-scaling-powershell.md
+        href: configure-host-scaling.md
       - name: Design architecture
         href: design-architecture.md
       - name: Availability zones and disaster recovery 

articles/bastion/configuration-settings.md

@@ -67,18 +67,9 @@ Refer to the table below for creating/using public IP addresses for zonal Bastio
 
 ## <a name="instance"></a>Instances and host scaling
 
-An instance is an optimized Azure VM that is created when you configure Azure Bastion. It's fully managed by Azure and runs all of the processes needed for Azure Bastion. An instance is also referred to as a scale unit. You connect to client VMs via an Azure Bastion instance. When you configure Azure Bastion using the Basic SKU, two instances are created. If you use the Standard SKU or higher, you can specify the number of instances (with a minimum of two instances). This is called **host scaling**.
+An instance is an optimized Azure VM that is created when you configure Azure Bastion. Azure fully manages each instance for you. An instance is also referred to as a scale unit. You connect to client VMs via an Azure Bastion instance. When you configure Azure Bastion using the Basic SKU, two instances are created. If you use the Standard SKU or higher, you can specify the number of instances. This is called **host scaling**.
 
-Each instance can support 20 concurrent RDP connections and 40 concurrent SSH connections for medium workloads (see [Azure subscription limits and quotas](../azure-resource-manager/management/azure-subscription-service-limits.md) for more information). The number of connections per instances depends on what actions you're taking when connected to the client VM. For example, if you're doing something data intensive, it creates a larger load for the instance to process. Once the concurrent sessions are exceeded, another scale unit (instance) is required.
-
-Instances are created in the AzureBastionSubnet. To allow for host scaling, the AzureBastionSubnet should be /26 or larger. Using a smaller subnet limits the number of instances you can create. For more information about the AzureBastionSubnet, see the [subnets](#subnet) section in this article.
-
-You can configure this setting using the following methods:
-
-| Method | Value | Links | Requires Standard SKU or higher|
-| --- | --- | --- | ---|
-| Azure portal |Instance count  | [How-to](configure-host-scaling.md)| Yes |
-| Azure PowerShell | ScaleUnit | [How-to](configure-host-scaling-powershell.md) | Yes |
+To configure host scaling, see [Configure host scaling](configure-host-scaling.md).
 
 ## <a name="ports"></a>Custom ports
 
@@ -110,6 +101,7 @@ When a user without Azure credentials clicks a shareable link, a webpage opens t
 
 ## Next steps
 
-For frequently asked questions, see the [Azure Bastion FAQ](bastion-faq.md).
-Choose the right Azure Bastion SKU for your needs by reading [Choose the right Azure Bastion SKUs to meet your needs](bastion-sku-comparison.md).
-Review the cost optimization recommendations for Azure Bastion in [Optimize Azure Bastion costs](cost-optimization.md).
+* Learn about [frequently asked questions for Azure Bastion](bastion-faq.md).
+* Learn about the different [Azure Bastion SKU tiers](bastion-sku-comparison.md) and choose the right one for your requirements.
+* Learn how to [optimize Azure Bastion costs](cost-optimization.md) while maintaining secure remote access.
+* Learn how to [add more instances (scale units) to Azure Bastion](configure-host-scaling.md).

articles/bastion/configure-host-scaling-powershell.md

@@ -1,31 +1,61 @@
 ---
-title: 'Add scale units for host scaling: Azure portal'
+title: Configure host scaling
 titleSuffix: Azure Bastion
 description: Learn how to add more instances (scale units) to Azure Bastion.
 author: abell
 ms.service: azure-bastion
 ms.topic: how-to
-ms.date: 03/31/2025
+ms.date: 03/13/2026
 ms.author: abell
-# Customer intent: As someone with a networking background, I want to configure host scaling using the Azure portal.
+# Customer intent: As a network administrator, I want to configure scale units and understand what the impact it will be on my cloud environment.
 
 ---
 
-# Configure host scaling using the Azure portal
+# Configure host scaling for Azure Bastion
 
-This article helps you add more scale units (instances) to Azure Bastion to accommodate additional concurrent client connections. The steps in this article use the Azure portal. For more information about host scaling, see [Configuration settings](configuration-settings.md#instance). You can also configure host scaling using [PowerShell](configure-host-scaling-powershell.md).
+This article helps you configure host scaling for your Azure Bastion deployment. Host scaling lets you adjust the number of instances (scale units) to support more concurrent client connections.
+
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> Host scaling requires the Standard SKU tier or higher. Any changes to scale units disrupt active Bastion connections. Plan changes during maintenance windows.
+
+## Considerations
+
+Each instance can support 20 concurrent RDP connections and 40 concurrent SSH connections for medium workloads (see [Azure subscription limits and quotas](../azure-resource-manager/management/azure-subscription-service-limits.md) for more information). The number of connections per instance depends on what actions you're taking when connected to the client VM. For example, if you're transferring large files or streaming media, data-intensive tasks reduce the number of concurrent connections your instance can handle. When concurrent sessions exceed the instance limit, you need to add another scale unit to handle additional connections.
+
+Instances are created in the AzureBastionSubnet. To allow for host scaling, the AzureBastionSubnet should be /26 or larger. Using a smaller subnet limits the number of instances you can create. For more information about the AzureBastionSubnet, see the [Azure Bastion subnet](configuration-settings.md#subnet) section.
+
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> Host scaling requires the Standard SKU tier or higher. Any changes to scale units will disrupt active Bastion connections.
 
 ## Configuration steps
 
+# [Azure portal](#tab/portal)
+
 1. Sign in to the [Azure portal](https://portal.azure.com).
-1. In the Azure portal, go to your Bastion host.
-1. Host scaling instance count requires Standard SKU or higher. On the **Configuration** page, for **SKU**, verify the SKU is Standard or higher. If the SKU is Basic, select a higher SKU. To configure scaling, adjust the instance count. Each instance is a scale unit.
+1. Go to your Bastion host.
+1. On the **Configuration** page, for **SKU**, verify the SKU is **Standard** or higher. If the SKU is Basic, select a higher SKU.
+1. Adjust the **Instance count**. Each instance is a scale unit.
 1. Select **Apply** to apply changes.
 
-   >[!NOTE]
-   > Any changes to the host scale units will disrupt active bastion connections.
-   >
+# [PowerShell](#tab/powershell)
+
+1. Get the target Bastion resource. Use the following example, modifying the values as needed.
+
+   ```azurepowershell-interactive
+   $bastion = Get-AzBastion -Name bastion -ResourceGroupName bastion-rg
+   ```
+
+1. Set the target scale unit, also known as "instance count". In the following example, the scale units are set to 5.
+
+   ```azurepowershell-interactive
+   $bastion.ScaleUnit = 5
+   Set-AzBastion -InputObject $bastion
+   ```
+
+1. Confirm **Y** to overwrite the resource. After the resource is overwritten, the specified value is shown in the output for **Scale Units**.
+
+---
 
 ## Next steps
 
-For more information about configuration settings, see [Azure Bastion configuration settings](configuration-settings.md).
+* Learn about the [available configuration settings for Azure Bastion](configuration-settings.md).