What is Cloud Resource Provisioning?

As you may already know, cloud-based resources come in many forms - such as servers, storage, or databases. When IT administrators/cloud engineers allocate these resources based on certain application requirements or to meet specific workloads, the process is what's called cloud resource provisioning. This ensures smooth business operations and application efficiency, because the right resources are available at the right time.

There are three main types of resource provisioning:

Advanced Provisioning. The customer signs a formal contract of service with the cloud provider. The provider then prepares the agreed-upon resources or services for the customer and delivers them. The customer is charged a flat fee or is billed every month.

Dynamic Provisioning. Cloud resources are deployed to match a customer's fluctuating demands. Cloud deployments typically scale up to accommodate spikes in usage and scale down when demands decrease. The customer is billed on a pay-per-use basis. When dynamic provisioning is used to create a hybrid cloud environment, it's sometimes referred to as cloud bursting.

User Self-Provisioning. With user self-provisioning, also called cloud self-service, the customer buys resources from the cloud provider through a web interface or portal. This usually involves creating a user account and paying for resources with a credit card. Those resources are then quickly spun up and made available for use -- within hours if not minutes. Examples of this type of cloud provisioning include an employee purchasing cloud-based productivity applications via the Microsoft 365 suite or Google Workspace.