MS-900 Describe cloud concepts Practice Question
A company wants to deploy a cloud solution where they have the maximum control over the operating system, installed software, and security configurations, but they do not want to manage physical servers or data center facilities. Which cloud service model best meets this requirement?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse the deployment model (Hybrid cloud) with the service model, or they assume PaaS offers more control than it actually does because they overlook the provider-managed OS layer in PaaS.
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
✓
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, giving the customer full administrative control over the operating system, installed software, and security configurations (e.g., firewall rules, patch management) while the cloud provider manages the physical servers, storage, and networking hardware. This model aligns with the requirement for maximum control without managing physical infrastructure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Why this is correct
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) delivers virtualized compute, storage, and networking on demand, with the provider managing only the physical data-center infrastructure. The customer retains full administrative control over the guest operating system, storage configurations, deployed applications, middleware, and security settings, enabling maximum control over software stack and runtime environment compared to PaaS or SaaS.
- ✗
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Why it's wrong here
Platform as a Service (PaaS) abstracts away the operating system, runtime engine, middleware, and scaling infrastructure, so the customer only manages their application code and data, not the underlying OS or server configuration. Because the provider controls OS-level patching, runtime versions, and platform services, the customer has significantly less control than with IaaS, making it an incorrect choice for maximum control.
- ✗
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Why it's wrong here
Software as a Service (SaaS) provides a fully managed, ready-to-use application where the provider handles everything from the underlying servers to the application version and security updates. Customer control is typically restricted to tenant-level settings, user permissions, data entry, and feature toggles, offering the least administrative control among cloud service models and therefore not the answer when maximum control is required.
- ✗
Hybrid cloud
Why it's wrong here
Hybrid cloud is a deployment model that combines a private cloud or on-premises environment with a public cloud, not a service model that defines who controls compute infrastructure. Its control level varies depending on whether IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS is used in each component, so hybrid cloud itself does not automatically grant maximum control over the deployment, making it the incorrect answer.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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