A company wants to automate the deployment of cloud resources using code. Which tool is BEST suited for this purpose?
IaC tools like Terraform or CloudFormation automate resource deployment from code.
Why this answer
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) templates (Option C) are the best tool for automating cloud resource deployment because they allow you to define, version, and provision infrastructure through machine-readable definition files. Tools like Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, or Azure Resource Manager templates enable repeatable, consistent deployments without manual intervention, directly aligning with the goal of automating cloud resource deployment using code.
Exam trap
The trap here is that candidates may confuse SSH (a remote access tool) with automation scripts (like Ansible playbooks) or think that a CMDB can automate deployments, but the question specifically asks for a tool that uses code to deploy resources, which is the core definition of IaC.
How to eliminate wrong answers
Option A is wrong because SSH (Secure Shell) is a network protocol for secure remote access to systems, not a tool for automating the deployment of cloud resources; it lacks the declarative or imperative infrastructure definition capabilities needed for IaC. Option B is wrong because an IP address management (IPAM) tool is used for planning, tracking, and managing IP address spaces, not for provisioning or orchestrating cloud resources via code. Option D is wrong because a configuration management database (CMDB) is a repository that stores information about IT assets and their relationships; it does not automate deployment but rather serves as a reference for configuration items.