hardMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
CCSP Practice Question: A cloud architect is designing a multi-cloud…
A cloud architect is designing a multi-cloud strategy to avoid vendor lock-in. Which three design considerations should be included? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that standardizing on a single provider's core services is part of a multi-cloud strategy, when in fact it increases lock-in, and that provider-specific APIs are acceptable for portability, when they directly undermine the abstraction goal.
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
✓
Implement abstraction layers such as containers or cloud-agnostic APIs
Implementing abstraction layers such as containers (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) or cloud-agnostic APIs (e.g., Terraform, OpenStack) decouples application code from underlying cloud infrastructure. This allows workloads to be migrated between providers without rewriting core logic, directly addressing vendor lock-in by standardizing deployment and orchestration interfaces.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Implement abstraction layers such as containers or cloud-agnostic APIs
Why this is correct
Abstraction layers decouple the application from underlying cloud provider APIs.
- ✓
Design applications with portability in mind using microservices
Why this is correct
Microservices enable moving components across providers more easily.
- ✓
Choose cloud-agnostic data formats and storage interfaces
Why this is correct
Agnostic formats and interfaces ensure data can be moved without provider-specific dependencies.
- ✗
Standardize on one cloud provider for core services
Why it's wrong here
Standardizing on one provider contradicts the goal of avoiding lock-in.
- ✗
Use provider-specific APIs for optimal performance
Why it's wrong here
Provider-specific APIs tie the application to that provider, increasing lock-in.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 964 original CCSP practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CCSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CCSP exam.