hardMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: Adopting a cloud-first strategy and wants to…
A company is adopting a cloud-first strategy and wants to minimize vendor lock-in. They plan to use multiple cloud providers for different workloads. Which cloud deployment model does this describe?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse multi-cloud with hybrid cloud; candidates often think 'multiple clouds' means hybrid, but hybrid specifically requires a private cloud component, while multi-cloud involves multiple public providers.
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
✓
Multi-cloud
Multi-cloud specifically refers to using two or more public cloud providers (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) for different workloads, which directly minimizes vendor lock-in by avoiding dependence on a single provider's proprietary services. The scenario explicitly states the company will use multiple cloud providers, which is the definition of multi-cloud. Hybrid cloud involves a mix of private and public clouds, not necessarily multiple public providers. Public cloud alone means using a single provider's shared infrastructure, which increases lock-in risk. Community cloud is shared by several organizations with common concerns, not multiple public providers.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Public cloud
Why it's wrong here
A public cloud model involves a single third-party cloud service provider offering computing resources, such as servers, storage, and applications, over the public internet. While convenient and scalable, relying solely on one public cloud provider significantly increases vendor lock-in. This makes it difficult and costly to migrate services or data to a different provider, directly contradicting a strategy aimed at reducing dependency.
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Hybrid cloud
Why it's wrong here
A hybrid cloud architecture integrates a private cloud (on-premises or hosted) with one or more public cloud services, allowing data and applications to move between them. Its primary benefit is extending private infrastructure to the public cloud for burst capacity or specific workloads, maintaining some control over sensitive data. However, it does not inherently reduce vendor lock-in across multiple public providers because the public component often remains tied to a single major vendor, and the integration itself can create dependencies.
- ✓
Multi-cloud
Why this is correct
Multi-cloud specifically refers to the use of cloud services from multiple distinct public cloud providers simultaneously. This strategy is explicitly designed to mitigate vendor lock-in by distributing workloads, applications, and data across different vendors like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. By avoiding over-reliance on a single provider, organizations gain greater flexibility, improved resilience against outages from one vendor, and enhanced negotiation power, directly aligning with a goal to reduce dependency.
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Community cloud
Why it's wrong here
A community cloud is a collaborative cloud infrastructure shared by several organizations that have common concerns, such as security requirements, compliance, or mission. It can be managed internally or by a third party, but its resources are exclusive to the participating community. While it offers shared benefits for specific groups, its design does not inherently address or reduce vendor lock-in from the perspective of diversifying across multiple public cloud providers; its focus is on shared governance and resources within a defined community.
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Cloud Computing for A+
Key term
Community cloud
A community cloud is a multi-tenant cloud infrastructure shared by several organizations with common concerns, such as compliance, security, or industry regulations.
Key term
Hybrid cloud
A hybrid cloud is a computing environment that combines a private cloud (on-premises infrastructure) with one or more public cloud services, allowing data and applications to be shared between them.
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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
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