What is Scalability?

In cloud computing, the term cloud scalability refers to the capacity to improve or reduce IT
resources, depending on the requirement changing demand. In other words, we can say that
scalability is employed to satisfy the static growth in the workload.

What is Elasticity?
Elasticity refers to the capability of a cloud to automatically boost or shorten the
infrastructural resources, depending on the requirement so that the workload can be handled
efficiently. This elasticity also helps in reducing the infrastructural expenditure.

What is cloud elasticity?

Cloud elasticity is a system’s ability to increase (or decrease) its varying capacity-related
needs such as storage, networking, and computing based on specific criteria (think: total load
on the system). 
Simply put, elasticity adapts to both the increase and decrease in workload by provisioning
and de-provisioning resources in an autonomous capacity.

Here are some of its distinctive characteristics:

Matches the allocated resources with the actual resources in real-time
Widely used in e-commerce and retail, software as a service (SaaS), DevOps, mobile, and
other cloud environments with ever-changing infrastructure demands
Example of cloud elasticity 
As mentioned earlier, cloud elasticity refers to scaling up (or scaling down) the computing
capacity as needed. It basically helps you understand how well your architecture can adapt to
the workload in real time.
For example, 100 users log in to your website every hour. A single server can easily handle
this volume of traffic. However, what happens if 5000 users log in at the same time? If your
existing architecture can quickly and automatically provision new web servers to handle this
load, your design is elastic. 
As you can imagine, cloud elasticity comes in handy when your business experiences sudden
spikes in user activity and, with it, a drastic increase in workload demand – as happens in
businesses such as streaming services or e-commerce marketplaces. 
Take the video streaming service Netflix, for example. Here’s how Netflix’s
architecture leverages the power of elasticity to scale up and down:

What is cloud scalability?

Cloud scalability only adapts to the workload increase through the incremental provision of
resources without impacting the system’s overall performance. This is built in as part of the
infrastructure design instead of makeshift resource allocation (as with cloud elasticity).
Below are some of its main features:
Typically handled by adding resources to existing instances, also known as scaling up
or vertical scaling, or by adding more copies of existing instances, also known as scaling out
or horizontal scaling
Allows companies to implement big data models for machine learning (ML) and data
analysis
Handles rapid and unpredictable changes in a scalable capacity 
Generally more granular and targeted than elasticity in terms of sizing
Ideal for businesses with a predictable and preplanned workload where capacity planning and
performance are relatively stable
Example of cloud scalability 
Cloud scalability has many examples and use cases. It allows you to scale up or scale out to
meet the increasing workloads. You can scale up a platform or architecture to increase the
performance of an individual server. 
Usually, this means that hardware costs increase linearly with demand. On the flip side, you
can also add multiple servers to a single server and scale out to enhance server performance
and meet the growing demand.
Another good example of cloud scalability is a call center. A call center requires a scalable
application infrastructure as new employees join the organization and customer requests
increase incrementally. As a result, organizations need to add new server features to ensure
consistent growth and quality performance.
Scalability vs. elasticity: A comparative analysis
Scalability and elasticity are the two sides of the same coin with some notable differences.
Below is a detailed comparative analysis of scalability vs. elasticity:

Scalability Elasticity

Refers to a software system’s ability to scale up or Refers to the hardware layer, also known
scale out while processing a higher workload on as cloud infrastructure, to increase or 
the current or additional hardware resources decrease physical resources without
without interrupting services or impacting physical service interruption
performance

Describes the characteristics of a software Describes the characteristics of the

architecture related to the provision of a higher physical layer related to hardware budget
workload optimizations

Strengthens the hardware with additional nodes Adjusts the resources to accommodate
and increases the performance of a single dynamic scaling needs – the ability of
computing resource or a group of computer your resources to scale according to
resources specified criteria

The existing resources may increase to meet the The available resources correspond to the
future demands current demands, essential for cloud
environments where you pay-per-use, not
for resources you don’t currently need

Empowers companies to meet the demand for Empowers companies to meet unexpected
services with long-term, strategic needs changes and short-term, tactical needs

Elasticity is not required for scalability Scalability is required for elasticity

 Handles the increase or decrease in resources Handles the increase or decrease in
according to the system’s workload demands and resources as needed to automatically or
doesn’t need to be automated dynamically meet current needs 

More easily deployed in private cloud Deployment in Private Cloud

environments  environments is complex.

Difference between Scalability and Elasticity in Cloud Computing

S.No. Cloud Elasticity Cloud Scalability

1 It is used just to fulfil the sudden requirement in It is used to fulfil the static boost in the
the workload for a short period. workload.

2 It is preferred to satisfy the dynamic It is preferred to handle growth in the

modifications, where the required resources can workload in an organisation.
improve or reduce.

3 Cloud elasticity is generally used by small Cloud scalability is utilised by big

enterprises whose workload expands only for a enterprises.
specific period.

4 It is a short term event that is used to deal with It is a long term event that is used to deal
an unplanned or sudden growth in demand. with an expected growth in demand.

Types of scalability: An overview

Typically, there are three types of scalability:
1. Vertical scaling (scaling up) 
This type of scalability is best-suited when you experience increased workloads and add
resources to the existing infrastructure to improve server performance. If you’re looking for a
short-term solution to your immediate needs, vertical scaling may be your calling.
2. Horizontal scaling (scaling out)
It enables companies to add new elements to their existing infrastructure to cope with ever-
increasing workload demands. However, this horizontal scaling is designed for the long term
and helps meet current and future resource needs, with plenty of room for expansion.

3. Diagonal scaling
Diagonal scaling involves horizontal and vertical scaling. It’s more flexible and cost-
effective as it helps add or remove resources as per existing workload requirements. Adding
and upgrading resources according to the varying system load and demand provides better
throughput and optimizes resources for even better performance.

Benefits of Cloud Scalability and Elasticity

While they may have differences, scalability, and elasticity share the same advantages. With
that said, here are some of the notable advantages that scalability and elasticity bring to the
table:
 Cost Efficiency
Cloud scalability and elasticity enable companies to have the system they need and calculate
power without the expense of purchasing and setting up equipment. Since companies only
pay for things they need and use, there’s no waste on capacity and resources that aren’t being
used. In addition, you can also avoid other expenses, such as resource management and
storage, since scalability allows you to use what you need when you need it.
 Faster Implementation
With scalability and elasticity, companies can quickly scale up resources to meet demand.
This scalability can be accomplished quickly, making scalability and elasticity ideal for
businesses experiencing sudden changes in usage. At the same time, scalability and elasticity
can also scale down resources when use is low, allowing companies to save on costs.
 Service Availability
Companies can plan to meet their usage demands without worrying about downtime. With
scalability and elasticity, companies can quickly scale up or down resources to keep their
services running smoothly during times of need. In addition, scalability and elasticity can
help companies avoid costly over-provisioning of resources by scaling up or down when
needed. 
 Agility
In contrast to the effort required for scalability, scalability and elasticity can be easily
implemented to help businesses quickly respond to changes in usage. This agility provides
companies the flexibility they need to stay competitive in an ever-changing market.
 The bottom line
Scalability and elasticity represent a system that can grow (or shrink) in both capacity and
resources, making them somewhat similar. The real difference lies in the requirements and
conditions under which they function. 
Scalability is largely manual, planned, and predictive, while elasticity is automatic, prompt,
and reactive to expected conditions and preconfigured rules. Both are essentially the same,
except that they occur in different situations.