A company runs a Linux virtual machine in an IaaS cloud service. The provider secures the physical datacenter and hypervisor. Which task remains the company's responsibility?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
Best answer
Patching the guest operating system on the virtual machine.
In an IaaS model, the organization still manages what runs inside the VM, including the guest operating system, patches, applications, and configuration. The cloud provider secures the underlying facility, hardware, and hypervisor, but it does not maintain the customer's OS or application stack. Keeping the guest OS patched is essential to reduce exposure to known vulnerabilities and aligns with the shared responsibility model.
Distractor review
Replacing failed physical storage drives in the provider's data center.
Physical hardware maintenance is handled by the cloud provider, not the customer.
Distractor review
Hardening the hypervisor that hosts the cloud tenant.
The hypervisor is part of the provider-managed infrastructure in an IaaS service.
Distractor review
Controlling badge access to the cloud vendor's server room.
Facility access controls are owned by the cloud provider, not the tenant organization.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
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Question 2
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Question 3
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Question 4
You are handed a company laptop suspected in an insider theft case. Legal says the evidence may be needed in court. Which action best preserves admissibility?
Question 5
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Question 6
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Patching the guest operating system on the virtual machine. — In IaaS, the customer is responsible for everything inside the guest operating system, including patching, configuration, and applications. The provider handles the physical environment and the virtualization layer, but not the tenant's OS maintenance. Regular guest OS patching is one of the clearest customer duties in the shared responsibility model and is a common source of misunderstanding during cloud migrations. Why others are wrong: Drive replacement and data center badge access are provider responsibilities because they involve physical infrastructure. Hypervisor hardening is also provider-managed in IaaS, since customers do not administer the underlying virtualization platform.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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