220-1101 Virtualization and Cloud Computing Practice Question
A startup is developing a new web application. They want to write code and deploy it without worrying about the underlying operating system, web server, or scaling. Which cloud service model should they choose?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse PaaS with IaaS because both involve deploying applications, but IaaS requires managing the OS and web server, while PaaS abstracts those layers entirely.
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
✓
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides a managed environment where developers can write and deploy code without managing the underlying OS, web server, or scaling. The cloud provider handles the runtime, middleware, and infrastructure, allowing the startup to focus solely on application code. This aligns with the requirement to avoid worrying about the operating system, web server, or scaling.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Why it's wrong here
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is wrong because it provides only virtualized hardware—servers, storage, and networking—leaving the customer responsible for installing and managing the operating system, runtime, web server, and application stack. With IaaS, the startup would need to handle patching, security, scaling, and high availability themselves, which directly contradicts their need to avoid underlying infrastructure management. This requires significantly more operational effort than PaaS.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs to migrate its on-premises data center to the cloud and requires full control over the operating system, middleware, and applications, while only outsourcing the physical hardware.
- ✓
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Why this is correct
Platform as a Service (PaaS) is the correct choice because it provides a complete managed platform that abstracts away the underlying infrastructure, including the operating system, web server, and runtime environment. Developers can focus solely on writing and deploying their application code without handling provisioning, patch management, or scaling. Services like Heroku, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, and Google App Engine automatically handle load balancing and resource scaling, making them ideal for a startup that wants to develop a custom web application while avoiding infrastructure overhead.
- ✗
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Why it's wrong here
Software as a Service (SaaS) is wrong because it delivers ready-made, fully functional applications to end users over the internet, typically through a subscription model. The startup wants to develop and deploy their own custom web application, not use an existing software product like email or project management tools. SaaS offers no development or deployment platform—the user consumes the application, so it cannot fulfill the requirement to write and launch new code.
When this WOULD be correct
A company wants to use a customer relationship management (CRM) system without installing or maintaining any software, and they need the vendor to handle all updates and infrastructure. In that case, SaaS is the correct choice.
- ✗
Desktop as a Service (DaaS)
Why it's wrong here
Desktop as a Service (DaaS) is wrong because it delivers virtual desktop environments to users, providing access to a full OS and applications from any device. It is designed for end-user computing, not for hosting a server-side web application that processes requests and serves content. Deploying a custom web app on DaaS makes no sense, as DaaS does not offer a runtime environment for application code, and it would not address the startup's development and deployment needs.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs to provide employees with remote access to standardized virtual desktops running specific applications, without managing the underlying desktop OS or hardware. DaaS would be the correct 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.
✓Platform as a Service (PaaS)Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Platform as a Service (PaaS) is the correct choice because it provides a complete managed platform that abstracts away the underlying infrastructure, including the operating system, web server, and runtime environment. Developers can focus solely on writing and deploying their application code without handling provisioning, patch management, or scaling. Services like Heroku, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, and Google App Engine automatically handle load balancing and resource scaling, making them ideal for a startup that wants to develop a custom web application while avoiding infrastructure overhead.
✗Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
IaaS provides virtualized computing resources like servers and storage, but the startup would still need to manage the OS, web server, and scaling, which contradicts their desire to avoid these concerns.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs to migrate its on-premises data center to the cloud and requires full control over the operating system, middleware, and applications, while only outsourcing the physical hardware.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse IaaS with PaaS, thinking that IaaS also abstracts away management, but IaaS still requires the user to handle OS and application stack configuration.
✗Software as a Service (SaaS)Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
SaaS delivers ready-to-use software applications over the internet, not a platform for developing and deploying custom web applications. The startup needs to write code and deploy it, which requires a development platform, not just an application.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company wants to use a customer relationship management (CRM) system without installing or maintaining any software, and they need the vendor to handle all updates and infrastructure. In that case, SaaS is the correct choice.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse SaaS with PaaS because both are cloud services that abstract infrastructure, but SaaS provides finished applications, not a development environment.
✗Desktop as a Service (DaaS)Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
DaaS delivers virtual desktops to end-users, not a platform for developing and deploying web applications. The startup needs a development and deployment environment, not remote desktop access.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs to provide employees with remote access to standardized virtual desktops running specific applications, without managing the underlying desktop OS or hardware. DaaS would be the correct choice.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'Desktop as a Service' with a platform for running applications, or mistakenly think it includes development tools because it's a cloud service model.
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?”
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Thermal Paste Application
Key term
Platform as a Service
Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a cloud computing model that provides a complete platform for developing, running, and managing applications without the complexity of building and maintaining the underlying infrastructure.
Key term
Operating system
An operating system (OS) is the core software that manages a computer's hardware and software resources, providing common services for computer programs.
About these practice questions
This 220-1101 question is part of Courseiva's 896-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1101 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 220-1101 exam.