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Cloud Computing · Foundational

On-Demand Self-Service

NIST cloud characteristic: consumers provision compute, storage or network resources automatically without human interaction with the provider.

Definition

On-demand self-service means a customer can unilaterally provision capabilities such as server time and storage as needed, typically through a web portal, CLI or API, without filing a ticket or waiting for provider staff. It is a core enabler of agility and automation in cloud environments.

Example

A developer launches three virtual machines from the console in minutes without contacting the provider.

Exam tip

Self-service is about the consumer acting without provider involvement; do not confuse it with rapid elasticity, which is about scaling capacity up and down.

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