Elasticity in Cloud Computing
A company hosts a critical web application on a virtual machine (VM) in a public cloud. The application experiences sudden, unpredictable traffic spikes that require additional CPU and memory resources for a few hours at a time. The cloud provider automatically provisions and releases these resources based on real-time demand, without any manual intervention from the IT team. Which essential characteristic of cloud computing does this scenario BEST describe?
Quick Answer
This question describes the same core cloud characteristic as other elasticity scenarios, but frames it around CPU and memory resources on a single VM rather than adding whole additional virtual machines, testing whether you can recognize elasticity regardless of exactly which resources are being scaled. The defining elements are all present: the scaling happens automatically in response to real-time demand, it happens in both directions, provisioning resources when traffic spikes and releasing them once the spike passes, and it requires no manual action from the IT team at any point. That automatic, bidirectional, demand-driven adjustment is precisely what elasticity means as an essential cloud characteristic, distinct from concepts like high availability, which is about minimizing downtime through redundancy, or fault tolerance, which is about continuing to operate correctly despite a failure, neither of which describes resource scaling in response to demand. The scenario also specifies the resource changes last only a few hours at a time and track unpredictable spikes, reinforcing that this is about short-term, reactive capacity adjustment rather than a permanent infrastructure change. Whenever a cloud scenario describes resources being added and later released automatically to match fluctuating demand, regardless of whether those resources are entire VMs or CPU and memory allocated to an existing one, elasticity is the essential characteristic being described.
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the distinction between elasticity and high availability, where candidates mistakenly choose high availability because they conflate automatic resource scaling with system uptime, but elasticity specifically addresses dynamic resource adjustment to meet changing demand, not just keeping the service running.
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
✓
Elasticity
The scenario describes elasticity, which is the ability of a cloud system to automatically scale resources (CPU, memory) up or down in real-time based on demand, without manual intervention. This is a core characteristic of cloud computing, distinct from high availability or fault tolerance, as it focuses on dynamic resource provisioning to match workload spikes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
High availability
Why it's wrong here
High availability ensures a service remains accessible through redundancy and failover, not by dynamically adding CPU and memory. It is tempting because both address uptime, but the scenario's automatic provisioning and release of resources based on real-time demand describes rapid elasticity.
- ✓
Elasticity
Why this is correct
Elasticity matches because the provider automatically scales CPU and memory out and back in as real-time demand rises and falls, with no manual intervention. This satisfies the stem's requirement for sudden, unpredictable spikes lasting only a few hours, distinguishing it from broader scalability, which adds capacity but not necessarily automatic, demand-driven release.
- ✗
Load balancing
Why it's wrong here
Load balancing distributes incoming requests across multiple servers; it does not provision or release CPU and memory in response to demand. It is tempting because load balancing often accompanies scaling, but the scenario describes rapid elasticity, where resources scale automatically with real-time usage.
- ✗
Fault tolerance
Why it's wrong here
Fault tolerance keeps a system operating despite component failure through redundancy, not by adding CPU and memory during traffic spikes. It is tempting because both concern reliability under load, yet the automatic provisioning and release of resources on demand is rapid elasticity.
Go deeper
Related to this question
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Public, Private, Hybrid, Community Cloud
Key term
Anything As A Service
A model where you rent any IT resource or service over the internet instead of owning it.
Key term
Software as a Service
Software as a Service (SaaS) is a cloud computing model where users access software applications over the internet on a subscription basis, without installing or maintaining the software locally.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1101
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 company runs a critical web application on a virtual machine in a public cloud IaaS environment. The application experiences predictable spikes in traffic every weekday from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. During the spike, the single VM (4 vCPUs, 8 GB RAM) becomes slow. The company wants to ensure consistent performance during the spike without permanently increasing the VM's resources. Which of the following cloud characteristics should the administrator configure to meet this requirement?
hard- A.Scalability
- ✓ B.Elasticity
- C.High availability
- D.Fault tolerance
Why B: Elasticity is the cloud characteristic that allows resources to automatically scale up during predictable traffic spikes and scale down afterward, ensuring consistent performance without permanently increasing VM resources. In this scenario, the administrator can configure auto-scaling rules to add additional VM instances or CPU/RAM during the 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM window, then remove them when demand subsides.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1101 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 220-1101 exam.