This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Clinton Mbilitem
**VISUALIZATION
Virtualization in cloud computing is the process of creating a virtual (rather than actual) version of something—such as a server, storage device, network resource, or operating system—using software. It allows multiple virtual systems to run on a single physical system, making cloud computing more efficient, flexible, and scalable.
**SCALABILITY
Scalability in cloud computing refers to the ability of a system, network, or application to handle increased workload or demand by adding or reducing resources dynamically—without impacting performance.
**AGILITY
Agility in cloud computing refers to the ability of an organization to rapidly develop, test, deploy, and scale applications or services in response to changing business needs—with minimal effort and cost.
**HIGH AVAILABILITY
High availability (HA) in cloud computing refers to a system’s ability to remain continuously operational and accessible with minimal downtime, even in the event of failures such as hardware issues, software bugs, or network problems.
**FAULT TOLERANT
Fault tolerance in cloud computing is the ability of a system to continue operating properly even when some of its components fail. A fault-tolerant system is designed to detect, isolate, and handle failures without interrupting the overall service or performance.
**GLOBAL REACH
Global reach in cloud computing refers to the ability of cloud service providers to deliver services and applications to users anywhere in the world by using a network of globally distributed data centers and infrastructure.
**What is the difference between Elasticity and Scalability?
Elasticity is the ability of a system to automatically increase or decrease resources (like CPU, memory, or storage) on demand, often in real time. Its gaol is to match resource supply with demand instantly.
Example:
A web application experiences a sudden spike in traffic during a flash sale. The cloud platform automatically adds more servers to handle the load and reduces them when the traffic drops.
Key Characteristics:
Real-time adjustments
Dynamic resource allocation
Cost-effective for fluctuating workloads
Common in auto-scaling setups.
On the other hand Scalability is the ability of a system to handle increased workload by adding resources, but this is typically a planned, manual, or semi-automated process.Its gaoal is to grow the system’s capacity in response to long-term or predictable growth.
Example:
An e-commerce platform plans to expand into new markets, so they provision more servers and storage in anticipation of increased traffic.
Key Characteristics:
Planned growth
Can be vertical (more power to existing machines) or horizontal (more machines)
Focused on long-term performance and capacity.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Clinton Mbilitem