- A
Applying operating system security patches and updates to virtual machines
Why wrong: Incorrect. OS patching is the customer's responsibility only in IaaS. In PaaS (e.g., Azure App Service), the cloud provider manages the underlying OS. In SaaS, the provider handles all patching. Therefore, this is not a responsibility that remains constant across all models.
- B
Managing the physical server hardware, network switches, and datacenter cooling
Why wrong: Incorrect. Physical infrastructure management is always the responsibility of the cloud provider (Microsoft) in all cloud service models. Customers never manage physical hardware except in on-premises private cloud scenarios.
- C
Configuring and maintaining the application-level network load balancer for high availability
Why wrong: Incorrect. While a customer can configure load balancers in IaaS, in PaaS (like Azure App Service) the platform provides built-in load balancing managed by the provider. In SaaS, load balancing is entirely provided by the vendor. Thus, this responsibility varies by model.
- D
Managing user access to the application data and ensuring data classification policies are enforced
Correct. The customer always owns their data and identities, regardless of the service model. Data classification, access control, and identity management are perpetual customer responsibilities. Even in SaaS, the customer must manage who has access to the application and what data they can see.
AZ-900 Describe cloud concepts Practice Question
This AZ-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe cloud concepts. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
A company is migrating a custom line-of-business application to Azure. The application handles sensitive customer data. The IT team is evaluating whether to deploy the application on Azure Virtual Machines (IaaS) or Azure App Service (PaaS). They want to understand the division of security responsibilities between Microsoft and the customer under the shared responsibility model. Which responsibility remains the customer's obligation regardless of whether they choose IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS?
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
Managing user access to the application data and ensuring data classification policies are enforced
Under the shared responsibility model, the customer is always responsible for managing access to data and enforcing data classification policies, regardless of whether the workload runs on IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS. This is because data ownership and the associated governance obligations (such as who can read, write, or modify sensitive customer data) remain with the customer. Microsoft secures the underlying infrastructure, but the customer must control who accesses the application data and how it is classified.
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.
- ✗
Applying operating system security patches and updates to virtual machines
- ✗
Managing the physical server hardware, network switches, and datacenter cooling
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Physical infrastructure management is always the responsibility of the cloud provider (Microsoft) in all cloud service models. Customers never manage physical hardware except in on-premises private cloud scenarios.
- ✗
Configuring and maintaining the application-level network load balancer for high availability
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. While a customer can configure load balancers in IaaS, in PaaS (like Azure App Service) the platform provides built-in load balancing managed by the provider. In SaaS, load balancing is entirely provided by the vendor. Thus, this responsibility varies by model.
- ✓
Managing user access to the application data and ensuring data classification policies are enforced
Why this is correct
Correct. The customer always owns their data and identities, regardless of the service model. Data classification, access control, and identity management are perpetual customer responsibilities. Even in SaaS, the customer must manage who has access to the application and what data they can see.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume OS patching (Option A) is always the customer's job, but in PaaS and SaaS the cloud provider handles the OS, making data access and classification the only truly universal customer responsibility.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Incorrect. Physical infrastructure management is always the responsibility of the cloud provider (Microsoft) in all cloud service models. Customers never manage physical hardware except in on-premises private cloud scenarios.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The shared responsibility model is defined by the cloud service model: in IaaS the customer manages the OS, middleware, and applications; in PaaS the customer manages only applications and data; in SaaS the customer manages only data and access. Data classification policies (e.g., labeling data as PII, PHI, or confidential) and user access control (via Azure RBAC, Azure AD, or application-level permissions) are always customer-owned because the customer retains legal and regulatory accountability for their data. Microsoft's physical and logical security controls (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2) protect the infrastructure, but they cannot enforce the customer's internal data governance rules.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-900 question test?
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: Managing user access to the application data and ensuring data classification policies are enforced — Under the shared responsibility model, the customer is always responsible for managing access to data and enforcing data classification policies, regardless of whether the workload runs on IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS. This is because data ownership and the associated governance obligations (such as who can read, write, or modify sensitive customer data) remain with the customer. Microsoft secures the underlying infrastructure, but the customer must control who accesses the application data and how it is classified.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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