easyMultiple Choice
CV0-004 Practice Question: Wants to migrate its on-premises virtual machines…
An organization wants to migrate its on-premises virtual machines to the cloud with minimal changes. Which deployment model is most appropriate?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misconception that 'minimal changes' means using a fully managed service (PaaS or SaaS), but the correct answer is IaaS because it preserves the existing VM architecture without requiring code or configuration modifications.
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
✓
Lift-and-shift to IaaS
The lift-and-shift (rehost) model migrates on-premises virtual machines to IaaS with minimal changes, preserving the OS, applications, and configurations. This approach avoids refactoring or re-architecting, making it the most appropriate for minimizing modifications during cloud migration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Re-platform to PaaS
Why it's wrong here
Re-platforming to PaaS moves workloads onto managed runtimes, so virtual machines are replaced by platform services and application code is adapted. It is tempting because it cuts operating-system maintenance, and would be correct where the application can be modified to exploit managed database, web or function services.
- ✗
Refactor into SaaS
Why it's wrong here
Refactoring to SaaS replaces the application entirely with a vendor-hosted subscription, requiring code and data changes rather than minimal ones. It is tempting because SaaS removes patching and infrastructure overhead, and would be correct if the organisation wanted to abandon its custom software and adopt a commercial equivalent.
- ✓
Lift-and-shift to IaaS
Why this is correct
Lift-and-shift to IaaS satisfies the minimal-change constraint by replicating existing virtual machines on cloud infrastructure, preserving the operating system, applications and configuration unchanged. Unlike PaaS or SaaS, which demand refactoring or replacement, IaaS supplies raw compute, storage and networking, so migration requires no application redesign.
- ✗
Re-architect as containerized applications
Why it's wrong here
Re-architecting as containers decomposes applications into microservices, demanding redesign, new pipelines and orchestration skills — the opposite of minimal change. It is tempting because containers improve portability and scaling, and would be correct for an organisation willing to rewrite and modernise its workloads rather than lift and shift.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CV0-004 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 CV0-004 exam.