Elastic cloud computingis a handy feature where a cloud service can quickly adjust its resources to handle more or less work. This means if a business suddenly needs more storage or computing power, the cloud service can provide that extra boost right away.

Or, if the business needs less, the service can reduce the resources, and the business won't have to pay for what it isn't using. It's all about being flexible and responsive to what a company needs at any given time, ensuring there's just the right amount of computing resources available.

What Is Elastic Computing?

Elastic computing is part of cloud computing that lets you adjust computing resources based on your needs. It lets a cloud provider quickly increase or decrease things like storage space, processing power, and memory for you. This way, as your need for resources goes up or down, your cloud services can change to match.

This kind of computing is more efficient than traditional IT setups. It can keep running smoothly, even when there's a sudden increase or decrease in user demand.

This is because it automatically fine-tunes the resources used, ensuring no interruptions or slowdowns in the service.

Using elastic computing can also save money on IT. It reduces the need for more people to manage resources and helps to spend less on infrastructure. With elasticity, your business only pays for what it uses, which means you're not wasting money on extra resources that sit there unused.

What Are The Benefits Of Elastic Computing?

Pay-per-use Feature

The great thing about elastic cloud computing is that you only pay for what you use. This is a big reason why it's becoming so popular and so many businesses choose it. It's different from traditional computing, where you own the equipment and pay for it all the time, even if you're not using it.

With elastic computing, you don't waste money on resources that aren't being used. This can lead to big savings for companies that used to spend a lot on unused computing power.

Cost-effectiveness & Flexibility

Elastic computing lets businesses skip the big expenses of adding more stuff to their data centers. You don't have to pay for extra things you're not using. In the past, companies had to buy more resources than they needed just in case of a sudden increase in demand.

Now, with the pay-as-you-go approach, you only pay for what you use. This setup is perfect for handling when you suddenly need more capacity without the extra permanent cost.

On-demand Computing

Nowadays, when more people visit a website or use a lot of data at once, you don't need to buy more servers to keep up. Before, you had to guess how much computer power you'd need and spend much money ahead of time. But with elastic computing, businesses don't have to stress about having enough capacity.

It's always there, ready to grow or shrink with their needs. This makes things much easier and saves money because you only use what you need.

What Are Some Examples Of Elastic Computing?

E-commerce Applications

Amazon is a prime example of how elasticity works. Picture Amazon during a big sale, like Christmas, Halloween, or Black Friday. Shoppers worldwide are eager to snatch deals, check out their saved items, and buy things they've been eyeing.

During these times, Amazon's website gets many visitors all at once. People are searching, adding to carts, checking out, paying, and reading reviews.

This means Amazon's computers need to handle a lot more work. With elastic computing, Amazon can ramp up its resources to ensure the website works well during these busy times.

Once the sale's over, Amazon can scale back down to save resources and costs, keeping only what it needs for normal times. This ensures customers have a smooth shopping experience. Amazon only spends a little on resources. It only needs them occasionally.

Ticket Booking Applications

If BTS were to hold a concert in your city, the rush of fans, known as the BTS Army, would rush to book tickets for their favorite band's live performance. This sudden increase in people trying to buy tickets all at once can overload the servers of the booking app.

This might cause the website to run slowly, delay ticket sales, or, in the worst case, cause the website to crash.

But with elastic computing, these problems are much less of a worry. The system can handle the extra traffic by automatically increasing its capacity. This means even with the rush of fans all trying to buy tickets at the same time, the website can keep running smoothly. Once the rush is over and sales return to normal, the system can reduce capacity, so you're using only what you need. This flexibility is great for handling big events without running into technical difficulties.

Streaming Services

Think about when Netflix drops a new season of a popular show like 'The Crown.' When this happens, millions of fans flock to the platform to stream or download the latest episodes, causing a huge jump in the number of people using the service all at once.

Elastic computing comes to the rescue in situations like this. It allows Netflix to increase its computing resources to handle the sudden viewer rise. This means that no matter how many people watch, the service remains smooth and uninterrupted.

So, as millions of viewers tune in to their favorite show simultaneously, they get a seamless experience, all thanks to the flexibility of elastic computing. After the initial surge, Netflix can reduce the extra resources, ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Temporary Projects

Elastic computing fits today's needs, especially as it supports a business's shift to more digital operations. When COVID-19 hit and so many people began working from home, elastic computing showed its strength. It allows companies to provide more virtual desktops through the cloud. This is perfect for remote employees, temporary staff, and freelancers.

Plus, it's for more than just regular work. Elastic computing can quickly give extra power for unexpected projects that have to be done fast or short-term tasks like processing lots of data, analyzing information, or creating media.

This adaptability ensures businesses can handle any challenge without wasting time or money on computing resources they will only sometimes need.

Data Backups

Elastic computing isn't just about handling busy times; it's also crucial for behind-the-scenes tasks like backing up data, especially when that data is super important. This flexibility is a big help in protecting a business from data loss. If something goes wrong, like a system failure or a natural disaster, elastic computing can be a lifesaver.

It supports disaster recovery efforts by making sure there's enough computing power available to get systems back online quickly, which helps keep the business running smoothly no matter what happens.

5 Key Components Of Elastic Computing

Operating System Support

Businesses like to have choices regarding the operating systems they use. Different companies have different needs, so they might pick different operating systems. For example, one company might use Microsoft Windows Servers, while another uses Linux or Oracle's version.

This means that cloud service providers should be ready to support all kinds of operating systems. Giving businesses this flexibility lets them work with the tools and systems they're most comfortable with, or that best fit their needs.

Instances And Images

An instance in elastic cloud computing is like a personal workspace in the cloud. It's a virtual server that has everything you need to get started

• An operating system.
• Some computing power (that's your CPU).
• Memory (RAM).
• Storage space for your files.
• Ways to connect to other computers (network configurations).

You can select from different types of instances, each set up for different jobs. Some are big and strong for heavy-duty tasks, and others are smaller for less demanding work. For operating systems like Linux and Microsoft Windows, these instances come with a special image.

This image has the OS set up and often has some common software ready. This makes it quicker and easier to get started with whatever work you need to do.

Storage Options

Elastic Block Storage, or EBS, is like a bonus storage space that a cloud service provider offers so that a business can handle its workload better. The great thing about EBS is that it works really fast and doesn't make you wait, which means less waiting time for saving or opening files. It's like having an extra hard drive that you can count on to be both speedy and reliable.

Snapshot

A snapshot in the computing world works like a photo that saves your data at a specific moment. Imagine taking a picture of everything on your computer's hard drive—every file and program at that second. That's what a snapshot does. You can use a snapshot to make a backup of your entire drive.

If something goes wrong, like if you lose your data because of a crash or a virus, you can use the snapshot to get everything back just the way it was at the moment you took that "picture." This makes snapshots a really important tool for keeping your data safe. They're like a safety net for your digital information.

Networks And Regions

Upgraded networks that handle more data packets every second (PPS) generally work better. They have fewer delays (latency issues) and less jitter, which is when the connection is shaky.

You usually see two types of networks in use. One is built on a shared setup that many people can use, while the other is a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), like a separate, private network in the cloud.

Elastic cloud computing services let users set up their virtual servers (instances) in different places, which are called availability zones. These zones are like separate areas connecting easily and cheaply within the same region.

If something goes wrong in one zone, it will ensure your applications run in another zone. And "regions" are larger areas that can be spread across different countries, each with its own set of these connected zones.