Which of the following refers to the ability to expand cloud resources as necessary?

The ability to expand cloud resources as necessary is referred to as elasticity. This concept is fundamental in cloud computing, as it allows organizations to dynamically scale their resources based on demand. For example, during peak usage times, a cloud service can automatically provision additional resources, such as computing power or storage, to handle increased traffic or workloads. Conversely, during quieter times, these resources can be reduced, enabling cost efficiency.

Elasticity is a key characteristic that differentiates cloud computing from traditional IT infrastructures, where capacity is often fixed and requires manual intervention to scale up or down.

Decentralization relates to distributing resources across multiple locations or nodes, enhancing resilience but not directly addressing the adaptability of resources. Load balancing refers to distributing workloads or network traffic across resources to optimize performance and prevent any single resource from becoming overwhelmed, but it does not inherently involve scaling resources up or down. High availability focuses on ensuring that services remain operational and accessible even in the event of failures, rather than the dynamic scaling of resources.

Understanding these distinctions helps clarify the crucial role elasticity plays in making cloud computing flexible and responsive to varying demands.