The 5 Characteristics of Cloud
Learn the 5 essential characteristics that define cloud computing, with concrete examples.
This lesson is purely conceptual — no AWS usage required.
Why these 5 characteristics matter
Cloud can feel like a vague buzzword until you have a checklist that tells you, "Yes, this is cloud."
These five characteristics are a widely cited way to define cloud computing. If a service matches them well, it behaves like cloud.
The 5 characteristics
Definition Guide
The 5 characteristics of cloud
Each term includes a definition and a concrete example.
On-demand self-service
Meaning
You can create or remove resources yourself, immediately, without calling someone.
Examples
You click a button to create storage or a server, and it’s ready within minutes.
Broad network access
Meaning
You can access cloud services over the network, usually the internet, using standard devices and protocols.
Examples
You can manage and access your app from your laptop at home, your phone, or a school computer if you have permission.
Resource pooling
Meaning
Cloud providers run huge pools of shared computing resources, and many customers use them at the same time while staying isolated from each other.
Examples
You and thousands of other people might be using the same physical data center, but your data and systems stay separate.
Rapid elasticity
Meaning
Cloud resources can grow or shrink quickly to match demand.
Examples
A website gets 10x more visitors in one hour, expands to handle it, then shrinks later so you are not paying for unused capacity.
Measured service
Meaning
Cloud usage is metered. Your consumption is measured and reported, and billing is often based on that usage.
Examples
You pay for storage based on how much you store and for how long, and for compute based on how much you run.
Cloud is self-serve computing over a network, from shared pools, that scales fast, and is metered.
Micro-activity
Match the characteristic to the example
Match the characteristic to the example
Work through each example and choose the cloud characteristic that fits it best.
Examples
Choose one, then match it on the right
Characteristics
Select an example first
0 of 5 matched so far.
Common confusion
If it’s online, is it cloud?
Does cloud always scale automatically?