- A
Managing user passwords and accounts
Why wrong: User management (including passwords and accounts) is the responsibility of the customer, not the provider.
- B
Patching the underlying operating system and application
The provider is responsible for all infrastructure and application maintenance, including patching the OS and the application, ensuring security and stability.
- C
Configuring application settings for the organization
Why wrong: Customers configure their own application settings within the SaaS environment (e.g., tenant settings, user permissions).
- D
Backing up customer data
Why wrong: While many providers offer backup capabilities, the customer is typically responsible for ensuring their data is recoverable, often using provider tools or their own processes.
MS-900 Describe cloud concepts Practice Question
This MS-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe cloud concepts. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
In a Software as a Service (SaaS) model, which of the following responsibilities is typically handled by the cloud provider?
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
Patching the underlying operating system and application
In a SaaS model, the cloud provider is responsible for managing the underlying infrastructure, including patching the operating system and the application itself. This is a core tenet of the shared responsibility model, where the provider handles the security and maintenance of the software stack, while the customer is responsible for data and user access. For example, in Microsoft 365, Microsoft automatically applies security updates to Exchange Online and SharePoint without customer intervention.
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.
- ✗
Managing user passwords and accounts
Why it's wrong here
User management (including passwords and accounts) is the responsibility of the customer, not the provider.
- ✓
Patching the underlying operating system and application
Why this is correct
The provider is responsible for all infrastructure and application maintenance, including patching the OS and the application, ensuring security and stability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configuring application settings for the organization
Why it's wrong here
Customers configure their own application settings within the SaaS environment (e.g., tenant settings, user permissions).
- ✗
Backing up customer data
Why it's wrong here
While many providers offer backup capabilities, the customer is typically responsible for ensuring their data is recoverable, often using provider tools or their own processes.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'backing up customer data' (Option D) as a provider responsibility, but in SaaS, the provider ensures infrastructure redundancy, while the customer must configure and verify their own backup and recovery policies, such as using Microsoft 365 Backup or third-party tools.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the SaaS shared responsibility model, the provider manages the hypervisor, host OS, and application code, applying patches via automated deployment pipelines (e.g., using Azure Update Manager or Windows Server Update Services). The customer retains control over tenant-level configurations, such as conditional access policies in Azure AD or data classification labels in Microsoft Purview, which are not patched by the provider. A real-world scenario is the 'Patch Tuesday' cycle for Microsoft 365, where Microsoft rolls out security updates to its SaaS services, but customers must still test and manage custom add-ins or third-party integrations.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this MS-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: Patching the underlying operating system and application — In a SaaS model, the cloud provider is responsible for managing the underlying infrastructure, including patching the operating system and the application itself. This is a core tenet of the shared responsibility model, where the provider handles the security and maintenance of the software stack, while the customer is responsible for data and user access. For example, in Microsoft 365, Microsoft automatically applies security updates to Exchange Online and SharePoint without customer intervention.
What should I do if I get this MS-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 MS-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 MS-900 exam.
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