220-1201 Virtualization and Cloud Computing Practice Question
A company is migrating its on-premises file server to a public cloud provider. The IT team must ensure that the shared storage remains accessible to multiple virtual machines simultaneously and that the data is replicated across multiple geographic regions for disaster recovery. Which two of the following should the team implement? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse block storage multi-attach or network connectivity with a fully managed, replicated file share.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure a cloud file storage service with SMB protocol support.
A cloud file storage service with SMB support enables multiple VMs to access the same share concurrently, and enabling cross-region replication ensures the data is copied to a secondary region for disaster recovery. Together they satisfy shared access and geographic redundancy. Block storage, RAID across zones, and VPN gateways do not meet both requirements.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Attach the same block storage volume to all VMs using iSCSI.
Why it's wrong here
Block storage volumes are typically designed for single-attach or limited multi-attach with cluster-aware file systems. Attaching the same volume to multiple VMs without a cluster file system causes data corruption. While iSCSI can be used, it does not provide built-in cross-region replication, and it is not a shared file service.
- ✗
Deploy a VPN gateway between the on-premises network and the cloud.
Why it's wrong here
A VPN gateway secures connectivity between on-premises and cloud networks but does not provide shared storage access or cross-region replication. It addresses network transport, not the storage service itself. The requirement is for shared file access and geographic redundancy, which a VPN alone cannot deliver.
- ✓
Configure a cloud file storage service with SMB protocol support.
Why this is correct
A cloud file storage service that supports SMB allows multiple VMs to mount the same file share concurrently, meeting the shared access requirement. It also integrates with identity services for permissions, and the provider can replicate the share across regions when configured, satisfying the disaster recovery need without managing a separate file server.
- ✗
Create a RAID 5 array across multiple cloud availability zones.
Why it's wrong here
RAID 5 across availability zones is not a supported cloud storage construct; RAID is a local disk technology and cannot span geographic regions. Cloud providers offer durability through replication, not RAID. This option confuses on-premises RAID with cloud redundancy and does not provide a shared file protocol.
- ✓
Enable cross-region replication on the storage account or file share.
Why this is correct
Cross-region replication asynchronously copies the file share to a secondary region, providing a disaster recovery copy. Combined with SMB access, it ensures the data remains available to VMs in another region if the primary fails. This directly addresses the geographic redundancy requirement and is a native feature of major cloud file services.
Quick reference
RAID Level Comparison
| RAID Level | Min Disks | Fault Tolerance | Read | Write | Usable Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | 2 | None | Excellent | Excellent | 100% |
| RAID 1 | 2 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 50% |
| RAID 5 | 3 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 67–94% |
| RAID 6 | 4 | 2 disks | Good | Lower | 50–88% |
| RAID 10 | 4 | 1 disk per mirror | Excellent | Good | 50% |
RAID is not a backup strategy — it protects against disk failure but not against accidental deletion, ransomware, or site-level events.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1201 exam.