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CCSP Practice Question: A cloud architect is evaluating cloud service…
A cloud architect is evaluating cloud service models for a new application. Which two characteristics are advantages of PaaS over IaaS? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that PaaS is always cheaper than IaaS due to shared infrastructure, but the real advantage is reduced management of middleware and runtime, not guaranteed cost savings.
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
✓
Reduced management of middleware and runtime
PaaS abstracts away middleware, runtime, and OS management, allowing developers to focus on code rather than patching or configuring these layers. This reduces operational overhead compared to IaaS, where you must manage the OS, runtime, and middleware yourself. Option E is correct because PaaS platforms typically include built-in load balancing, auto-scaling, and redundancy features, whereas in IaaS you must architect and implement these capabilities manually.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Greater control over the underlying OS
Why it's wrong here
PaaS abstracts the OS, so customers have less control.
- ✗
Lower cost due to shared infrastructure
Why it's wrong here
Both PaaS and IaaS can leverage shared infrastructure for cost savings.
- ✓
Reduced management of middleware and runtime
Why this is correct
PaaS manages middleware and runtime, reducing customer management overhead.
- ✗
Higher flexibility to customize networking
Why it's wrong here
IaaS offers more networking flexibility than PaaS.
- ✓
Built-in scalability and high availability
Why this is correct
PaaS platforms often include automatic scaling and HA features.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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