Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)Describe cloud conceptsMedium
A startup company is developing a new social media application that needs to handle millions of concurrent users during peak times but will have very low usage during off-peak hours. They want to minimize costs by only paying for resources when they are actively being used. Which cloud benefit is MOST relevant to this cost-optimization goal?
- AHigh Availability
- BFault Tolerance
- CScalability
- DElasticity
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Elasticity
Elasticity allows resources to automatically scale in and out based on demand, which is crucial for minimizing costs when usage fluctuates dramatically, as it ensures you only pay for what you use.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. High availability focuses on uptime, not dynamic resource adjustment for cost efficiency.
- B. Fault tolerance focuses on resilience against failures, not automatic cost-optimized scaling.
- C. Scalability is the ability to handle increased load, but elasticity specifically refers to the automatic and dynamic nature, which is key for cost optimization in this scenario.
Elasticity
The ability of a cloud system to automatically and dynamically expand or shrink computing resources to match varying workloads in real time.
- Automatic scaling (in and out)
- Cost optimization (pay-per-use)
- Handles unpredictable demand
Memory trick: Elasticity is the 'rubber band' of the cloud.