AZ-900 Describe cloud concepts Practice Question
A company runs a legacy application on-premises that must store data within the country due to regulatory requirements. To handle occasional peak workloads, the company connects its local network to an Azure virtual network via a site-to-site VPN. During these peaks, the application scales out to Azure virtual machines that process compute tasks but never store regulated data outside the on-premises datacenter. Which cloud deployment model does this scenario best describe?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates may incorrectly choose public cloud because Azure VMs are used, failing to recognize that the on-premises component and VPN connectivity make this a hybrid deployment, not a purely public one.
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
✓
Hybrid cloud
The scenario combines an on-premises private infrastructure (the legacy application and regulated data) with Azure public cloud resources (virtual machines for compute scaling) connected via a site-to-site VPN. This integration of private and public resources to handle variable workloads while maintaining data sovereignty defines a hybrid cloud deployment model.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Public cloud
Why it's wrong here
A public cloud deployment means that all resources are provisioned over the internet by a third-party cloud provider like Azure, and the consumer does not maintain any on-premises infrastructure. Because the company still runs the legacy application on-premises, this is not a pure public cloud model.
When this WOULD be correct
A company uses only Azure resources (e.g., VMs, storage) with no on-premises infrastructure, and all data and applications are fully hosted in Azure. The question would ask for the deployment model when no private or hybrid elements exist.
- ✗
Private cloud
Why it's wrong here
A private cloud is used exclusively by a single organization, typically within its own data centers. While the company has an on-premises component, it also uses Azure (a public cloud) for bursting compute capacity, so a purely private cloud model does not fit the scenario.
When this WOULD be correct
A company must run all its workloads and data entirely within its own on-premises datacenter due to strict regulatory compliance, and it deploys a cloud-like environment using its own hardware and virtualization software (e.g., Azure Stack HCI).
- ✓
Hybrid cloud
Why this is correct
This is correct. A hybrid cloud integrates an on-premises environment (private cloud) with a public cloud (Azure) using network connectivity such as a VPN. It allows workloads to run in both environments and in this case enables the company to meet regulatory requirements while gaining scalability from the cloud.
- ✗
Community cloud
Why it's wrong here
A community cloud is shared among several organizations that have similar compliance, security, or regulatory requirements. The scenario describes a single company using its own on-premises infrastructure in combination with Azure, not a shared infrastructure among multiple organizations, so this does not apply.
When this WOULD be correct
A question describes several hospitals in a region sharing a cloud infrastructure to comply with healthcare regulations, where the cloud is managed by a third party but only accessible to those hospitals. This would be a community cloud.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The AZ-900 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Hybrid cloudCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
This is correct. A hybrid cloud integrates an on-premises environment (private cloud) with a public cloud (Azure) using network connectivity such as a VPN. It allows workloads to run in both environments and in this case enables the company to meet regulatory requirements while gaining scalability from the cloud.
✗Public cloudWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The scenario involves a hybrid connection (site-to-site VPN) between on-premises and Azure, with data remaining on-premises for compliance, which is the definition of hybrid cloud, not public cloud.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company uses only Azure resources (e.g., VMs, storage) with no on-premises infrastructure, and all data and applications are fully hosted in Azure. The question would ask for the deployment model when no private or hybrid elements exist.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates see Azure (a public cloud provider) and assume the model is public cloud, overlooking the on-premises integration and data residency constraints that make it hybrid.
✗Private cloudWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A private cloud is dedicated to a single organization and typically hosted on-premises or in a third-party data center. In this scenario, the company uses Azure (a public cloud) for burst capacity, which makes it a hybrid cloud, not private.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company must run all its workloads and data entirely within its own on-premises datacenter due to strict regulatory compliance, and it deploys a cloud-like environment using its own hardware and virtualization software (e.g., Azure Stack HCI).
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that because regulated data never leaves the on-premises datacenter, the entire solution is private. They overlook the use of Azure VMs for compute, which introduces a public cloud component.
✗Community cloudWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Community cloud involves multiple organizations from a specific community sharing infrastructure, but this scenario uses a single organization's on-premises and Azure resources, not a shared community infrastructure.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question describes several hospitals in a region sharing a cloud infrastructure to comply with healthcare regulations, where the cloud is managed by a third party but only accessible to those hospitals. This would be a community cloud.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'community' with 'compliance' or think that regulatory requirements imply a community cloud, but the key is the shared infrastructure among multiple organizations with common concerns.
Analysis generated from the official AZ-900blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
What is Cloud Computing?
Key term
Virtual network
A virtual network is a software-based network that connects computers, servers, and devices over the internet or within a cloud environment, simulating a physical network without requiring dedicated hardware.
Key term
Public cloud
A public cloud is a computing model where third-party providers deliver IT resources like servers, storage, and applications over the internet to multiple customers on a pay-as-you-go basis.
About these practice questions
One of 981 original AZ-900 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 AZ-900 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft 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 AZ-900 exam.