Cloud computing is known as on-demand access to computer resources like data storage, networking, applications, AI-powered tools, and physical and virtual servers. Cloud computing plays a vital role in creating easy access to all these operations for different-sized organizations and helps in smooth, effortless operational services for business growth.
Cloud computing has revolutionized the functioning of companies and organizations which is way more advanced and different from on-premises infrastructure traditional methods.
Cloud computing offers scalability and elasticity features to different-sized organizations and these features have their importance in companies operational functioning. Understanding the concept, functional approach, and difference can help organizations work better in creating better online server-based resource infrastructure that will help their business grow in this digital landscape.
What is Scalability in Cloud Computing
Every organization has a different workload process. These workloads can differ in the usage of resources according to the demand this is where the scalability feature of cloud computing plays a vital role. Scalability refers to the function that reduces or increases the capacity and supply of IT resources according to the fluctuation in workload and demand. Scalability helps in managing IT resources in companies that require the static growth of workload. The best example to understand the scalability is if 100 users are logging in to your business website every hour daily then this volume is manageable by cloud but if the occasion changes and somehow 5000 users log one hour on a specific day then only scalability with its capacity to reduce or increase IT resources can manage this fluctuation.
What is Elasticity in Cloud Computing
Cloud computing does have two variations infrastructure-based and server-based as mentioned scalability helps in increasing and reducing IT resources on servers similarly elasticity plays a crucial role as well for business. Elasticity holds the capability of automatically boosting and shortening infrastructural resources. Another benefit of elasticity is that it is a very cost-efficient feature for small-size companies. Small startups do have basic infrastructural resources and when it is not managed right it can get costly but those who are mindful enough use elasticity as their support to manage their infrastructural resources to overcome workload spikes and downs to save cost and grow better.
Understanding Scalability vs Elasticity
| Scalability | Elasticity |
| 1) Easily handle increasing workload by adding resources | 1) Adjust IT resources automatically by seeking needs and demands |
| 2) Works in a planned and manual way | 2) Works with automatic and dynamic structure |
| 3) The time frame is a long-term term like weeks to months | 3) Time frame is short-term work within minutes to hours |
| 4) The addition of resources is done permanently or semi-permanently | 4) Temporarily work style adding and reducing the resources according to needs quickly |
| 5) Higher in cost as the resources are added permanently | 5) Cost-efficient because works on the model of pay-per-use |
Major Difference Between Scalability and Elasticity
| Scalability | Elasticity |
| 1) Scalability is used to create a static boost in the workload | 1) Elasticity mainly helps in the fulfillment of sudden requirements in the workload |
| 2) Helps in managing and handling the growth of the organizations | 2) Used to manage only dynamic and automatic modifications according to changes in needs. |
| 3) Used by big enterprises or organizations that have higher workloads. | 3) Used by small enterprises to manage specific period workloads that comes up occasionally. |
| 4) Works long-term in dealing with expected growth of demands for the organization | 4) Short-term event that helps in dealing with workload rise due to sudden and unplanned demand fluctuation. |
Conclusion
Both these features of cloud computing have their benefits for different-sized organizations. Scalability vs Elasticity is not something debatable but to be understood based on the importance they hold in managing workloads on a virtual and physical basis for organizational growth.