The answer is the physical datacenter and host hardware. This is correct because under the shared responsibility model for IaaS, the cloud provider manages the physical infrastructure that customers never touch—the servers, storage arrays, network gear, and the facility itself—while the customer retains control over everything they deploy on top, such as operating systems, applications, and data. On the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 exam, this question tests your understanding of the fundamental boundary: the provider secures the physical layer, and the customer secures the logical layer. A common trap is confusing IaaS with PaaS or SaaS, where the provider’s responsibilities expand upward. Remember the memory tip: “Provider owns the floor, customer owns the store”—the provider handles the concrete and cables, you handle the software and settings.
AZ-900 Describe cloud concepts Practice Question
This AZ-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe cloud concepts. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which of the following is the cloud provider's responsibility under the shared responsibility model for Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Physical datacenter and host hardware
In the shared responsibility model for IaaS, the cloud provider is responsible for the physical infrastructure, including the datacenter, host hardware, network, and storage. This is because the customer has no physical access to these components and cannot manage them. The provider ensures the underlying hardware is maintained, secured, and operational.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Operating system updates and patches
Why it's wrong here
In IaaS, OS patching is the customer's responsibility — they have full control over the OS.
✗
Application data backup
Why it's wrong here
Data backup is the customer's responsibility in IaaS — the provider only ensures infrastructure availability.
✓
Physical datacenter and host hardware
Why this is correct
In IaaS the provider manages physical security, hardware, and infrastructure; customers manage everything above the hypervisor.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Network security group configuration
Why it's wrong here
NSG configuration is a customer responsibility in IaaS — customers define their network security rules.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse IaaS with PaaS or SaaS, mistakenly thinking the provider handles OS patches or network security groups, when in IaaS the customer retains full control over the OS and network configuration.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the shared responsibility model delineates control: the provider manages the hypervisor, physical servers, and network fabric (e.g., using technologies like Azure Hyper-V or VMware ESXi), while the customer manages the guest OS, applications, and data. In IaaS, the customer can configure network security groups (NSGs) via Azure Resource Manager or CLI, but the provider ensures the physical switches and routers are patched and redundant. A real-world scenario is a customer needing to patch their Windows Server VM's OS (their responsibility) while relying on the provider to replace a failed physical disk in the storage array.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-900 question in full detail.
Describe cloud concepts — This question tests Describe cloud concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Physical datacenter and host hardware — In the shared responsibility model for IaaS, the cloud provider is responsible for the physical infrastructure, including the datacenter, host hardware, network, and storage. This is because the customer has no physical access to these components and cannot manage them. The provider ensures the underlying hardware is maintained, secured, and operational.
What should I do if I get this AZ-900 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Variation 1. What is the role of a cloud provider's physical datacenter security in the shared responsibility model?
easy
A.Both the cloud provider and customer share responsibility for physical security
✓ B.Physical security is entirely the cloud provider's responsibility
C.Customers are responsible for physical security when using IaaS
D.Physical security responsibility depends on the customer's support plan level
Why B: In the shared responsibility model, physical security of the datacenter—including access controls, surveillance, and environmental controls—is always the sole responsibility of the cloud provider (e.g., Microsoft Azure). The customer never manages or is responsible for the physical infrastructure, regardless of the service model (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS). This is because the customer has no physical access to the datacenter and cannot implement or control physical security measures.
Variation 2. A hospital stores patient health records in the cloud. They are responsible for encrypting the data before storing it, while the cloud provider is responsible for securing the physical datacenter. Which cloud model is being described?
medium
✓ A.Shared responsibility model
B.Community cloud
C.Hybrid cloud
D.Private cloud
Why A: The scenario describes a division of security responsibilities: the hospital encrypts data (customer responsibility) and the cloud provider secures the physical datacenter (provider responsibility). This is the core definition of the shared responsibility model, where security obligations are split based on the cloud service model (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and the customer's control over the data and configurations.
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Question Discussion
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