A company runs its production database on an Azure SQL Database (PaaS) and its custom application on an Azure virtual machine (IaaS). The company needs to ensure that operating system security patches are applied. According to the shared responsibility model, which resource requires the company to apply OS patches?
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.
Distractor review
Azure SQL Database only
Azure SQL Database is a PaaS service where Microsoft manages the underlying operating system, including patching. The company is not responsible for OS patches on Azure SQL Database.
Best answer
Azure virtual machine only
Azure virtual machine is an IaaS service. The customer is responsible for managing the guest operating system, including applying security patches, updates, and configuration.
Distractor review
Both Azure SQL Database and the virtual machine
The company is not responsible for OS patches on Azure SQL Database (PaaS) because Microsoft manages that. The responsibility for OS patches only applies to the virtual machine.
Distractor review
Neither resource requires the company to apply OS patches
This is incorrect because the company is responsible for OS patches on the virtual machine. The statement that neither requires OS patches is false.
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.
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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: Azure virtual machine only — The shared responsibility model defines which security tasks are handled by the cloud provider and which by the customer. For IaaS (e.g., Azure VMs), the customer manages the guest OS, applications, and data. For PaaS (e.g., Azure SQL Database), the provider manages the OS, runtime, and middleware, while the customer manages applications and data. Therefore, in this scenario, the company must apply OS patches only to the virtual machine.
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.
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