Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A company migrates its on-premises SQL Server database to Azure SQL Database. The company's security team is concerned about who is responsible for applying security updates to the operating system that hosts the database engine. According to the shared responsibility model for cloud computing, who is responsible for patching the operating system of the underlying host?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
The company (customer)
This choice is incorrect because in a PaaS service like Azure SQL Database, the customer does not have administrative access to the underlying operating system and therefore cannot patch it. The customer's responsibility includes securing the database itself (e.g., authentication, encryption at rest/transit), but not OS-level maintenance.
B
Best answer
Microsoft (Azure)
This choice is correct because Azure SQL Database is a PaaS offering. Microsoft is responsible for managing the host operating system, including applying security updates, patching, and maintaining the infrastructure. The customer only interacts with the database instance at the logical level.
C
Distractor review
Both the company and Microsoft share this responsibility
This choice is incorrect because the responsibility for OS patching is not shared. The provider handles the host OS; the customer handles the data and database access. Shared responsibility applies to other areas, such as network controls, but not to patching the underlying OS in PaaS.
D
Distractor review
A third-party managed service provider
This choice is incorrect because Azure SQL Database is a first-party Microsoft service. There is no third-party vendor involved in managing the infrastructure. If the customer hired a third party to manage their Azure resources, that vendor might assist with configuration, but they would still rely on Microsoft for OS patching.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Related practice questions
Related AZ-900 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
AZ-900 cloud concepts practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 cloud concepts.
AZ-900 Azure services practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 Azure services.
AZ-900 pricing and support practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 pricing and support.
AZ-900 security and compliance practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 security and compliance.
AZ-900 governance practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 governance.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A developer is building a serverless application that requires integration with an on-premises SQL Server database for real-time data processing. The on-premises network is connected to Azure via a site-to-site VPN. Which Azure service would allow the function to securely access the on-premises database without exposing it to the public internet?
Question 2
A solutions architect is designing a storage solution for a large media company. The company needs to store video files that are accessed infrequently but must be retained for several years for compliance. Which two Azure storage options meet these requirements? (Select two.)
Question 3
A company deploys a multi-tier application using Azure virtual machines. The web tier VMs must be evenly distributed across two distinct data centers within an Azure region to avoid a single point of failure from an infrastructure outage. Which Azure construct should they use to meet this requirement?
Question 4
A company wants to enforce a set of security policies across all their Azure subscriptions. They have created several individual policy definitions. Which Azure construct should they use to group these policies together and assign them as a single package?
Question 5
A company deploys a line-of-business application on an Azure virtual machine. The IT team wants to ensure the application remains secure. According to the shared responsibility model, which of the following security tasks is the sole responsibility of the customer (the company)?
Question 6
A company develops a web API that runs on Azure App Service. The development team wants to deploy a new version of the API to a staging environment, run integration tests against it, and then gradually shift production traffic to the new version. If any issues are detected, they want to immediately roll back to the previous version without redeploying. Which Azure App Service feature should the team use to meet these requirements?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-900 question test?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Microsoft (Azure) — In the shared responsibility model, responsibilities for security and management are divided between the cloud provider and the customer. For Platform as a Service (PaaS) services like Azure SQL Database, the cloud provider (Microsoft) manages the underlying infrastructure, including the operating system. The customer is responsible for data, access management, and application-level configurations, but not for OS patching.
What should I do if I get this AZ-900 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
Discussion
Loading comments…
Sign in to join the discussion.