CCSP Cloud Concepts, Architecture, and Design Practice Question
A company wants to migrate a legacy application to the cloud with minimal re-architecture. They need control over the operating system and middleware but do not want to manage physical hardware. Which service model is most suitable?
⚠ Common exam trap
CCSP often tests the boundary between IaaS and PaaS — candidates pick PaaS when the question explicitly requires OS and middleware control, which only IaaS provides.
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
✓
IaaS
IaaS provides virtualized compute, storage, and networking where the customer controls the OS and middleware but does not manage physical hardware, matching the requirement for minimal re-architecture with OS-level control. It is the lowest-level cloud service model that still abstracts hardware.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
FaaS
Why it's wrong here
FaaS abstracts the operating system and middleware entirely, so the customer cannot control them as the legacy application requires. It is tempting because it eliminates server management, and would be correct for stateless, event-driven code where no OS-level or middleware configuration is needed.
- ✗
SaaS
Why it's wrong here
SaaS delivers a complete provider-managed application, giving the customer no control over the operating system or middleware the legacy application depends on. It is tempting because it requires no infrastructure management, and would be correct for standard business applications consumed directly through a browser.
- ✓
IaaS
Why this is correct
IaaS delivers virtualised compute, storage and networking while the customer retains control of the operating system and middleware, avoiding physical hardware management. That preserves the legacy application's stack with minimal re-architecture, matching the stem's requirement for OS-level control without hardware ownership.
- ✗
PaaS
Why it's wrong here
PaaS manages the operating system and middleware on the customer's behalf, so the required control over those layers is unavailable. It is tempting because it removes hardware management while supporting custom code, and would be correct when the platform's supported runtimes match the application without OS-level changes.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 934 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 and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
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.