Zephyr Professional Practice Test

Which of the following describes 'availability' in non-functional requirements of cloud services?

1. High availability and disaster recovery

2. Scalability of the user base

3. Usability of the platform

4. Cost efficiency of services

The correct answer is: High availability and disaster recovery

The term 'availability' within the context of non-functional requirements for cloud services primarily refers to the ability of a system to remain operational and accessible over time, particularly in the face of potential failures or disasters. High availability ensures that cloud services are consistently up and running, minimizing downtime and maintaining accessibility for users. It encompasses features like redundancy, fault tolerance, and disaster recovery strategies, which are critical for providing uninterrupted service and meeting user expectations. To elaborate, achieving high availability means implementing strategies that allow the system to quickly recover from failures and maintain service continuity. This is especially important in cloud environments, where users rely on the availability of applications and data at all times. Disaster recovery plans complement this by outlining procedures and technologies to restore services in case of catastrophic events. The other options focus on different aspects of cloud service requirements. Scalability pertains to whether the service can expand or contract based on user demands, usability addresses how user-friendly and intuitive a platform is, and cost efficiency relates to how economically the services are provided. While these elements are essential, they do not directly define the concept of availability. Therefore, high availability and disaster recovery accurately capture the essence of availability as a non-functional requirement in cloud services.