What is the benefit of elasticity in the cloud?

The benefit of elasticity in the cloud primarily relates to the ability to create systems that automatically scale the required capacity based on changes in demand. This characteristic allows cloud services to dynamically adjust their resources in real time, accommodating fluctuations in workload. For example, during peak usage times, such as during a major sale or a special event, additional resources can be deployed to handle the increased demand. Conversely, during periods of low demand, the system can scale down, reducing resource utilization and costs. This capability results in both improved performance during high-demand scenarios and cost efficiency during quieter periods, ensuring that resources align closely with actual usage.

While reducing operational costs and increasing data storage capacity are important aspects of cloud computing, they are not the fundamental essence of elasticity. Elasticity specifically focuses on the ability to automatically adjust resources, rather than simply maximizing resource utilization or storage capacity at all times, which can lead to inefficiencies and unnecessary expenses.