CompTIA Tech+ (FC0-U71)InfrastructureHard
A retail company experiences a huge, unpredictable spike in website traffic during a holiday sale and needs its cloud-hosted application to automatically add server capacity during the spike and reduce it afterward. Which cloud characteristic makes this possible?
- ARapid elasticity
- BBroad network access
- CMetered service
- DResource pooling
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Rapid elasticity
Rapid elasticity is the cloud characteristic that allows resources to be automatically and dynamically scaled up or down based on demand, making it ideal for handling unpredictable traffic spikes. Metered service refers to pay-per-use billing, resource pooling refers to shared infrastructure, and broad network access refers to availability over various devices/networks.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Broad network access means resources are available over the internet from various devices, not scaling.
- C. Metered service describes pay-as-you-go billing, not the ability to scale capacity.
- D. Resource pooling refers to sharing infrastructure among multiple customers, not scaling.
Rapid Elasticity
A key cloud computing characteristic allowing resources to be automatically scaled up or down to match changing demand.
- Enables handling of traffic spikes without manual intervention
- One of the essential characteristics of cloud computing (NIST definition)
- Works closely with on-demand self-service and resource pooling
Memory trick: Elasticity = a rubber band that stretches and snaps back with demand.