MS-900 Describe cloud concepts Practice Question
A company's CFO is pleased that they only pay for the compute and storage resources consumed each month, with no upfront hardware costs. This billing model is a direct result of which cloud computing characteristic?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'measured service' with 'resource pooling' because both involve multi-tenancy and efficiency, but measured service is specifically about usage metering and billing, not the underlying resource sharing architecture.
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
✓
Measured service
The CFO's observation that the company only pays for consumed compute and storage resources with no upfront hardware costs directly reflects the 'measured service' characteristic of cloud computing. Measured service means cloud providers meter resource usage (e.g., CPU hours, GB-months of storage) and bill based on actual consumption, typically using a pay-as-you-go model. This eliminates the need for capital expenditure on hardware, as costs are operational and tied to usage metrics.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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On-demand self-service
Why it's wrong here
On-demand self-service lets users provision and manage cloud resources automatically via a self-service portal or API, without requiring human interaction from the provider. While this characteristic is essential for agility, it is unrelated to billing or cost structure. The CFO's satisfaction about paying only for compute reflects the metering and pay-per-use capability, not the automated provisioning aspect.
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Broad network access
Why it's wrong here
Broad network access means that cloud services are available over the network through standard protocols and can be accessed from a wide range of client platforms, such as laptops, phones, and workstations. This characteristic addresses connectivity and accessibility, not how costs are calculated or invoiced. The pay-per-use pricing model the CFO appreciates stems from measured service, which tracks and bills for actual resource consumption.
- ✓
Measured service
Why this is correct
Measured service is the cloud characteristic that automatically monitors, controls, and reports resource usage, enabling providers to bill customers for exactly the compute, storage, or network capacity they consume. This metering capability makes pay-per-use pricing possible, so the CFO only pays for the compute actually used, avoiding fixed upfront costs. Without measured service, usage-based billing and cost optimization would not be feasible.
- ✗
Resource pooling
Why it's wrong here
Resource pooling allows the cloud provider to serve multiple customers from shared physical infrastructure using multi-tenancy, with resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to demand. While pooling reduces costs through economies of scale, it does not determine the billing logic or user pricing model. The ability to pay solely for compute usage is a direct result of measured service, which meters each tenant's consumption rather than relying on a fixed cost allocation.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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