What allows customers to scale the number of CPU cores or storage capacity in OCI's Autonomous Database?

Flexible scaling in the context of OCI's Autonomous Database refers to the ability to adjust resources, such as CPU cores and storage capacity, based on changing workloads and demand. This feature allows customers to increase or decrease the resources utilized by their database efficiently without any downtime, ensuring optimal performance while adapting to varying needs.

By employing flexible scaling, customers can respond dynamically to application requirements, effectively managing their resource usage and costs. For instance, during peak usage times, customers can scale up their resources to ensure responsiveness, then scale down during off-peak times to save costs. This flexibility is a crucial benefit of OCI's Autonomous Database, enabling businesses to operate in a more agile and cost-effective manner.

Other options like manual configuration or automatic failover do not provide the seamless adaptability that flexible scaling offers. Manual configuration involves static changes that may require downtime, while automatic failover pertains to system reliability rather than resource scaling. Dynamic provisioning could imply a certain level of resource allocation, but it is the flexible scaling characteristic that truly emphasizes on-demand adjustment capabilities.