220-1101 Virtualization and Cloud Computing Practice Question
A company wants to deploy a custom web application in the cloud. The development team wants to focus on writing code and does not want to manage the underlying operating system or runtime environment. The company expects the application to experience unpredictable traffic spikes and requires automatic scaling. Which cloud service model would BEST meet these requirements?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse PaaS with FaaS, thinking that serverless functions are the only way to avoid managing infrastructure, but FaaS lacks the persistent runtime environment needed for a full web application, while PaaS provides that environment with automatic scaling.
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
✓
B. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides a managed platform that includes the operating system and runtime environment, allowing developers to focus solely on writing code. It also offers built-in automatic scaling to handle unpredictable traffic spikes without manual intervention, making it the best fit for the described 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.
- ✗
A. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Why it's wrong here
IaaS offers raw virtual machines, storage, and network components that customers provision on demand, but the customer remains responsible for patching the OS, installing the runtime, and configuring load balancers. Scaling a web app on IaaS requires either manual capacity planning, scripts, or separate orchestration tools (e.g., auto-scaling groups). That operational overhead directly contradicts the requirement to 'focus on code' and handle variable traffic with minimal infrastructure management.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs to migrate an existing on-premises application to the cloud with full control over the OS, middleware, and runtime, and is willing to manage patching and scaling manually or via custom scripts.
- ✓
B. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Why this is correct
PaaS provides a fully managed hosting environment—including runtime, middleware, database, and load balancing—so engineers deploy code without provisioning or patching servers. It automatically scales compute resources in response to traffic, making it ideal for a custom web application whose load varies. The platform enforces standard deployment pipelines, letting teams focus strictly on application logic rather than infrastructure operations.
- ✗
C. Software as a Service (SaaS)
Why it's wrong here
SaaS delivers a complete, ready-to-use software application via subscription, where all code runs in the vendor's multi-tenant environment and users only configure options—they cannot deploy custom code. While some SaaS platforms offer customization (e.g., scripts or plugins), they do not provide a general-purpose hosting environment for building and running an original web application. Therefore SaaS cannot meet the need to develop and deploy a custom web application.
When this WOULD be correct
A company wants to use a cloud-based email service without managing servers or software. They need a solution where the provider handles everything, and they just use the application. SaaS would be the correct answer.
- ✗
D. Function as a Service (FaaS)
Why it's wrong here
FaaS (Function as a Service) executes individual functions triggered by events, with each invocation typically running in an ephemeral container for a short duration. A full web application includes persistent state, long-lived connections, and diverse routing/middleware—characteristics that are awkward to implement purely as function handlers. While FaaS can host back-end API endpoints, it is not designed to be the primary deployment target for an entire custom web application with variable traffic.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs to run a small, event-driven data processing function that triggers on file uploads. The team wants to write only the function code and have the cloud provider handle all scaling and infrastructure. FaaS would be the best choice.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The 220-1101 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓B. Platform as a Service (PaaS)Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
PaaS provides a fully managed hosting environment—including runtime, middleware, database, and load balancing—so engineers deploy code without provisioning or patching servers. It automatically scales compute resources in response to traffic, making it ideal for a custom web application whose load varies. The platform enforces standard deployment pipelines, letting teams focus strictly on application logic rather than infrastructure operations.
✗A. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
IaaS provides virtualized computing resources but requires the user to manage the OS and runtime, contradicting the requirement to focus solely on code without managing the underlying environment.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs to migrate an existing on-premises application to the cloud with full control over the OS, middleware, and runtime, and is willing to manage patching and scaling manually or via custom scripts.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think IaaS offers automatic scaling and assume it abstracts management, but IaaS still requires significant OS and runtime administration, unlike PaaS which fully abstracts the platform.
✗C. Software as a Service (SaaS)Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
SaaS provides ready-to-use software, not a platform for custom application development. The company needs to deploy a custom web application, which requires development and deployment capabilities, not just using existing software.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company wants to use a cloud-based email service without managing servers or software. They need a solution where the provider handles everything, and they just use the application. SaaS would be the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse PaaS with SaaS, thinking that 'not managing the OS' means using a fully managed application, but SaaS does not allow custom code deployment.
✗D. Function as a Service (FaaS)Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
FaaS (Function as a Service) is designed for event-driven, stateless functions, not for deploying a custom web application that requires a runtime environment and state management. The development team wants to focus on writing code without managing the OS or runtime, but FaaS abstracts even the application server, which is not suitable for a full web app.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs to run a small, event-driven data processing function that triggers on file uploads. The team wants to write only the function code and have the cloud provider handle all scaling and infrastructure. FaaS would be the best choice.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse FaaS with PaaS because both abstract infrastructure, but FaaS is more granular and stateless, leading them to think it fits when the question emphasizes 'focus on writing code' and 'automatic scaling'.
Analysis generated from the official 220-1101blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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