Microsoft 365 FundamentalsDescribe cloud conceptsMedium

A company is considering migrating its existing applications to the cloud. They are particularly interested in the benefit of 'elasticity'. Which scenario best demonstrates the concept of elasticity in cloud computing?

  1. AThe company uses cloud storage that automatically replicates data across different data centers for disaster recovery.
  2. BThe company pays a fixed monthly subscription for a set amount of computing resources, regardless of actual usage.
  3. CThe company deploys its application to multiple geographic regions to reduce latency for global users.
  4. DThe company automatically scales its web servers up during peak traffic hours and scales them down during off-peak hours.
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D. The company automatically scales its web servers up during peak traffic hours and scales them down during off-peak hours.

Elasticity refers to the cloud's ability to automatically and rapidly scale computing resources up or down to meet fluctuating demand, ensuring optimal performance and cost efficiency. Scaling web servers up during peak and down during off-peak hours is a prime example.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. This describes high availability and disaster recovery, not elasticity.
  • B. This describes a fixed subscription model, which is antithetical to the dynamic nature of elasticity.
  • C. This describes geographic distribution or global reach, not elasticity.

Elasticity (Cloud)

The ability of a cloud system to automatically and rapidly provision or de-provision computing resources to match varying workload demands.

  • Automated scaling up and down.
  • Responds to real-time demand fluctuations.
  • Optimizes performance and cost by avoiding over-provisioning.

Memory trick: Elasticity expands and contracts with ease.

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