MS-900 Describe cloud concepts — 40 Questions

Question 1

A company plans to migrate its on-premises workloads to the cloud. They will use Virtual Machines (VMs) for their legacy applications and a serverless computing service for new microservices. The cloud provider will manage the physical hardware, but the company is responsible for patching the operating system of the VMs. Which two cloud service models are being used?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

IaaS and PaaS. The company uses Virtual Machines (VMs) for legacy applications, where it manages the OS patching while the cloud provider handles the physical hardware — this is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). For new microservices, it uses a serverless computing service, which is a form of Platform as a Service (PaaS) where the provider manages the runtime and scaling, and the company only deploys code. Therefore, the two models are IaaS and PaaS, making option A correct. Option D (IaaS only) is incorrect because it ignores the PaaS component introduced by the serverless service.

Answer

IaaS and SaaS

Answer

PaaS and SaaS

Answer

IaaS only

Question 2

A business stakeholder asks how Microsoft 365 can help them identify what remains a customer responsibility in Microsoft 365. Cloud concept or benefit best matches this requirement?

Accepted Answer

Managing users, permissions, and data governance. The question asks which cloud concept or benefit helps identify customer responsibilities in Microsoft 365. Managing users, permissions, and data governance directly aligns with the shared responsibility model, where the customer is always responsible for their own data, user identities, and access policies. This option encapsulates the customer's duty to control who has access and how data is governed, which is a core cloud concept.

Answer

Microsoft Planner

Answer

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Answer

Sensitivity labels

Question 3

A company wants to ensure that their cloud resources can automatically increase during peak traffic and decrease during low usage. They also want to be billed only for the resources they consume. Which two cloud characteristics are described? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Elasticity and Measured service. The question describes two cloud characteristics: automatic scaling in response to demand (elasticity) and pay-per-use billing (measured service). Both of these are part of option A. Option B focuses on availability and recovery, not scaling or billing. Option C includes scalability (which may be manual) and fault tolerance (redundancy), neither of which directly address automatic scaling or consumption-based billing. Option D includes agility (rapid provisioning) and resource pooling (shared infrastructure), which do not match the requirements. Therefore, only option A is correct.

Answer

High availability and Disaster recovery

Answer

Scalability and Fault tolerance

Answer

Agility and Resource pooling

Question 4

Which three of the following correctly describe the shared responsibility model in Microsoft 365? (Choose three.)

Accepted Answer

Microsoft is responsible for the physical security of its datacenters.. The shared responsibility model delineates security obligations. Microsoft is responsible for maintaining network infrastructure and physical datacenter security. The customer is responsible for managing user identities, access, and protecting their own client devices, including physical security. Therefore, options A, B, C, and D are correct. Option E is wrong because Microsoft patches Exchange Online servers. Option F is wrong because Microsoft does not guarantee customer data backup in all scenarios.

Answer

Microsoft is responsible for ensuring customer data is backed up in all scenarios.

Answer

The customer is responsible for physical security of client devices used to access Microsoft 365.

Answer

The customer is responsible for patching the operating system of Exchange Online servers.

Question 5

Which of the following are key characteristics of cloud computing as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)? (Choose all that apply. There are four correct answers.)

Accepted Answer

On-demand self-service. The NIST SP 800-145 definition identifies five essential characteristics of cloud computing: on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service. On-demand self-service allows users to provision computing capabilities automatically without requiring human interaction with each service provider. Broad network access means capabilities are available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, workstations). Resource pooling enables the provider's computing resources to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to consumer demand. Rapid elasticity allows capabilities to be elastically provisioned and released, in some cases automatically, to scale rapidly outward and inward commensurate with demand.

Answer

Fixed, non-scalable capacity

Answer

Locally installed software only

Question 6

Your organization uses Microsoft 365 and wants to provide employees with access to corporate resources from their personal devices without managing the entire device. Which cloud service model is being used?

Accepted Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS). Software as a Service (SaaS) provides fully managed applications delivered over the internet, such as Microsoft 365. Employees can access corporate resources from personal devices without the organization managing the underlying infrastructure or the entire device, which aligns with the SaaS model.

Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Answer

Desktop as a Service (DaaS)

Question 7

Your organization is deploying Microsoft 365 and wants to ensure data is stored within a specific geographic region to comply with regulatory requirements. Which concept describes the ability to choose data residency?

Accepted Answer

Data residency. Data residency refers to the physical or geographic location where data is stored. Option A (Latency) is incorrect because latency is about network delay, not storage location. Option B (Data sovereignty) is incorrect because data sovereignty deals with legal and jurisdictional control over data, not physical location. Option C (Compliance) is incorrect because compliance refers to adhering to standards and regulations, not the physical storage location.

Answer

Latency

Answer

Data sovereignty

Answer

Compliance

Question 8

Your company uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to generate meeting summaries. These summaries are processed using AI models that may use customer data to improve the service. Which cloud computing responsibility model applies to data usage by the AI service?

Accepted Answer

Shared responsibility model. The shared responsibility model applies because it defines how security and compliance responsibilities are divided between the cloud provider (Microsoft) and the customer. In this case, Microsoft is responsible for the security of the cloud, including the AI models and infrastructure, while the customer is responsible for data classification, consent, and usage policies. The question of whether customer data is used to improve the service falls under the shared responsibility model, as it involves both parties' obligations regarding data usage and privacy.

Answer

Data sovereignty

Answer

Data residency

Answer

Customer data protection

Question 9

Which TWO cloud benefits are most directly related to cost savings for an organization moving to Microsoft 365?

Accepted Answer

Consumption-based pricing. Consumption-based pricing (A) is correct because Microsoft 365 shifts IT spending from large upfront capital expenditures on servers and perpetual licenses to predictable per-user, per-month subscription fees, so organizations pay only for the licenses and services they actually use and can scale seats up or down as staffing changes. Reduced maintenance overhead (E) is correct because Microsoft hosts and patches the Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Teams infrastructure in its datacenters, eliminating costs for on-premises server hardware refresh, OS/application patching, backup infrastructure, and the IT labor required to maintain those systems. Self-service (B) is a usability and productivity benefit that lets users provision resources or reset passwords without tickets, but it is not itself a direct cost-saving mechanism. Global scale (C) refers to the reach and performance of Microsoft's worldwide datacenter footprint, which improves availability and latency rather than directly reducing an organization's costs. Hybrid capabilities (D) describe coexistence between on-premises and cloud workloads (for example, Exchange hybrid or Microsoft Entra Connect), which adds architectural flexibility but can actually introduce additional management complexity and cost rather than being a direct saving.

Answer

Self-service

Answer

Global scale

Answer

Hybrid capabilities

Question 10

Which TWO cloud deployment models involve using public cloud services?

Accepted Answer

Public cloud. Option A (Public cloud) is correct because in a public cloud deployment model, the cloud services (compute, storage, networking) are owned and operated by a third-party provider such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud and are delivered over the public internet to multiple tenants. Option D (Hybrid cloud) is correct because a hybrid cloud combines a private cloud or on-premises infrastructure with public cloud services, so it inherently involves using public cloud services alongside the private environment. Option B (Private cloud) is not correct because a private cloud is dedicated to a single organization and does not involve public cloud services. Option C (Community cloud) is not correct because it is shared by several organizations with common concerns but is provisioned for a specific community rather than being a public cloud offering. Option E (Multi-cloud) is not marked correct because, while it can involve public clouds, the question asks for the two models specifically defined by the use of public cloud services, and multi-cloud is a strategy of using multiple cloud providers rather than a deployment model involving public cloud services in the sense intended here.

Answer

Private cloud

Answer

Community cloud

Answer

Multi-cloud

Question 11

Refer to the exhibit. A Contoso administrator configures a Conditional Access policy as shown. Users report they cannot access email on their Android phones using the default email app. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The default Android email app uses legacy authentication.. The default Android email app uses legacy authentication (Basic Auth), which is blocked by the Conditional Access policy configured to block legacy authentication. Option A is incorrect because the policy does not exclude the user; exclusion would allow access regardless of the client. Option C is incorrect because the policy requires multi-factor authentication, but that is not the issue—modern auth clients could still satisfy MFA; the problem is the legacy auth client is blocked entirely. Option D is incorrect because the policy applies to all devices, including mobile devices like Android phones.

Answer

The user is excluded from the policy.

Answer

The policy requires multi-factor authentication.

Answer

The policy does not apply to mobile devices.

Question 12

A company wants to migrate their on-premises file servers to Microsoft 365. Which cloud service model describes this approach?

Accepted Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS). Migrating on-premises file servers to Microsoft 365 means moving to a fully managed, cloud-hosted application service, which is the definition of Software as a Service (SaaS). Microsoft 365 delivers applications like SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange Online where Microsoft manages the infrastructure, platform, and application layers. The customer only manages data and user access, which is characteristic of SaaS.

Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Answer

Desktop as a Service (DaaS)

Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Question 13

A startup wants to build a custom application with minimal infrastructure management and only pay for the resources consumed. Which cloud service model should they choose?

Accepted Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS). PaaS provides a complete development and deployment environment in the cloud, with resources that enable you to deliver everything from simple cloud-based apps to sophisticated, cloud-enabled enterprise applications. You manage the applications and services you develop, and the cloud service provider manages everything else (servers, storage, networking, and middleware). This aligns with the startup's need for minimal infrastructure management and pay-as-you-go pricing. While FaaS also offers minimal management, PaaS is more suitable for building a custom application that may require a runtime environment, databases, and other services without managing the underlying infrastructure.

Answer

Functions as a Service (FaaS)

Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Question 14

A hospital needs to ensure patient data remains in a specific geographic region due to regulatory requirements. Which cloud deployment model should they consider?

Accepted Answer

Private cloud. (Private cloud) is correct because a private cloud is dedicated to a single organization and can be deployed on-premises or in a datacenter, ensuring data residency and compliance. Option A (Community cloud) is shared by several organizations, not ideal for strict data residency. Option C (Hybrid cloud) combines public and private but doesn't guarantee data stays in one region. Option D (Public cloud) may store data across regions.

Answer

Community cloud

Answer

Hybrid cloud

Answer

Public cloud

Question 15

A company uses Microsoft 365 and wants to enable their sales team to draft emails using AI suggestions based on CRM data. Which capability should they use?

Accepted Answer

Microsoft Copilot for Sales. Microsoft Copilot for Sales, is correct because it integrates AI to help salespeople draft emails based on CRM data. Option A (Microsoft Viva Sales) is a sales acceleration tool but does not provide AI email drafting. Option C (Dynamics 365 Sales) is a full CRM platform, not an AI drafting tool. Option D (Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365) is a general AI assistant across Office apps, but it lacks the CRM-specific integration needed for this scenario.

Answer

Microsoft Viva Sales

Answer

Dynamics 365 Sales

Answer

Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365

Question 16

A company wants to reduce capital expenditure on hardware and shift to an operational expense model for IT resources. Which cloud characteristic enables this?

Accepted Answer

Measured service. Measured service is the cloud characteristic that enables pay-as-you-go billing, shifting from capital expenditure to operational expenditure. With measured service, cloud providers monitor and meter resource usage, and customers are billed based on consumption.

Answer

On-demand self-service

Answer

Broad network access

Answer

Resource pooling

Question 17

A global company must comply with data sovereignty laws that require customer data to be stored and processed within the country of origin. Which cloud concept should they evaluate?

Accepted Answer

Data residency. Data residency refers to the physical or geographic location where data is stored and processed, which is exactly the concept a company must evaluate to satisfy data sovereignty laws requiring in-country storage and processing. Data sovereignty is the legal principle that data is subject to the laws of the country where it resides; data residency is the operational control that implements it. The question asks which concept to evaluate for storing and processing data within the country of origin, making data residency the correct answer.

Answer

Data classification

Answer

Data sovereignty

Answer

Data encryption

Question 18

Refer to the exhibit. A tenant administrator runs this PowerShell command in Exchange Online. Which behavior will result?

Accepted Answer

The retention policy will be applied but processing is suspended. The command enables a retention hold on the mailbox, which suspends the processing of the assigned retention policy. Retention actions such as deletion or archiving are paused until the hold is removed. Option A is incorrect because the retention policy is still assigned and will apply once hold is removed. Option C is incorrect because the policy is not deleted; it remains assigned but its processing is suspended. Option D is incorrect because the command does not place the mailbox on litigation hold; it only enables a retention hold.

Answer

The mailbox will have no retention policy applied

Answer

The retention policy will be deleted from the mailbox

Answer

The mailbox will be placed on litigation hold

Question 19

An organization uses Microsoft 365 E5 licenses. Users report that Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise (e.g., Word, Excel) are slow to open. The IT team considers deploying a cloud-based solution to improve performance. Which cloud service model should they use?

Accepted Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS). The organization is already using Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, which are delivered as a SaaS offering. To improve performance for slow-opening desktop apps, deploying a cloud-based solution means leveraging the same SaaS model—Microsoft 365 Apps are already SaaS. The issue is likely related to local installation or network latency, and using the web-based versions (also SaaS) or optimizing the existing SaaS delivery can help. Option B is correct because SaaS provides ready-to-use applications like Word and Excel via the cloud, eliminating local installation overhead.

Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Answer

Function as a Service (FaaS)

Question 20

Which TWO cloud deployment models allow an organization to run some workloads on-premises and some in the public cloud?

Accepted Answer

Hybrid cloud. Hybrid cloud is the deployment model that explicitly combines on-premises infrastructure (private cloud) with public cloud services, allowing workloads to run in both environments. The other options do not specifically enable this combination: private cloud is typically on-premises only; public cloud is off-premises; multi-cloud involves multiple public clouds but not on-premises; and community cloud is a shared model that may or may not span on-premises and public cloud, but it is not defined by that combination.

Answer

Community cloud

Answer

Private cloud

Answer

Multi-cloud

Answer

Public cloud