mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: A cloud architect is designing a solution where a…
A cloud architect is designing a solution where a company's web application automatically scales out to handle increased traffic and scales in during low demand. The application runs on multiple virtual machines. Which cloud characteristic is being utilized?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Rapid elasticity
Rapid elasticity is the ability to automatically scale resources up or down based on demand. This is a key characteristic of cloud computing. Other options like measured service or resource pooling are related but do not directly describe auto-scaling.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Resource pooling
Why it's wrong here
Resource pooling refers to the cloud provider's ability to aggregate and abstract physical computing resources, such as CPU, memory, storage, and network bandwidth, to serve multiple consumers from a shared pool. This multi-tenant architecture allows for efficient utilization and allocation of resources across various workloads. While it enables the underlying infrastructure for cloud services, resource pooling itself describes the shared nature of the resources, not the automatic, dynamic scaling of those resources in response to fluctuating demand.
- ✗
Measured service
Why it's wrong here
Measured service is an essential characteristic of cloud computing where resource usage is monitored, controlled, and reported, providing transparency for both the provider and consumer. This metering capability tracks metrics like CPU cycles, storage consumption, and data transfer, which are crucial for implementing a 'pay-per-use' billing model. However, measured service focuses on the accounting and reporting of resource consumption rather than the automatic provisioning and de-provisioning of resources to match real-time demand fluctuations.
- ✓
Rapid elasticity
Why this is correct
Rapid elasticity is the capability of cloud computing resources to be provisioned and released quickly and automatically to scale both outward (up) and inward (down) commensurate with demand. This characteristic ensures that computing capabilities can be elastically expanded or contracted, often within minutes, to handle sudden spikes or drops in workload without manual intervention. It directly addresses the need for systems to adapt dynamically to changing requirements, preventing over-provisioning and ensuring optimal performance during peak loads.
- ✗
On-demand self-service
Why it's wrong here
On-demand self-service allows consumers to unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, automatically without requiring human interaction with each service provider. Users can access a web portal or API to request and configure resources independently, reducing lead times and administrative overhead. While it empowers users to provision resources quickly, this characteristic describes user-initiated provisioning rather than the system's automatic, reactive scaling based on real-time workload metrics.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Cloud Computing for A+
Key term
Elasticity
Elasticity is the ability of a cloud system to automatically add or remove computing resources (like servers, storage, or bandwidth) in response to real-time changes in demand.
Key term
Anything As A Service
A model where you rent any IT resource or service over the internet instead of owning it.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 220-1201 question from scratch — 972 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1201
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A technician is setting up a cloud-based application that must handle unpredictable spikes in user traffic. The application should automatically add more virtual servers during peak times and remove them when traffic decreases. Which cloud concept is this?
medium- A.Scalability
- ✓ B.Elasticity
- C.High availability
- D.Load balancing
Why B: Elasticity is the ability to automatically scale resources up and down in response to demand. This is a key benefit of cloud computing, allowing cost efficiency while handling spikes. Scalability is a broader term that includes manual scaling, but elasticity specifically implies automatic, dynamic adjustment.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1201 exam.