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.
Which cloud computing characteristic allows a company to access resources like storage and databases from any device with an internet connection without needing to manage the physical infrastructure?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Broad network access
Broad network access is the correct answer because it describes the ability to access cloud resources (such as storage and databases) over the network via standard protocols (e.g., HTTP/HTTPS, SMB, NFS) from any device (laptop, smartphone, tablet) with an internet connection, without requiring the customer to manage the underlying physical infrastructure. This characteristic is defined by NIST SP 800-145 as 'capabilities are available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms.'
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.
✗
Rapid elasticity
Why it's wrong here
Rapid elasticity is the ability to quickly scale resources, not about accessibility from various devices.
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Measured service
Why it's wrong here
Measured service relates to metering and billing based on resource consumption.
✓
Broad network access
Why this is correct
Broad network access ensures resources are available over the network from any device with internet connectivity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Resource pooling
Why it's wrong here
Resource pooling describes sharing of physical resources across multiple customers, not user access.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'broad network access' with 'resource pooling' because both involve multi-device scenarios, but resource pooling is about the provider's internal multi-tenant architecture, not the customer's ability to connect from any device.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, broad network access relies on standardized network protocols such as HTTP/HTTPS for REST APIs, SSH for remote administration, and VPN tunnels for secure connectivity. In real-world scenarios, this characteristic enables a field sales representative to access a cloud-hosted CRM database from a mobile phone via a cellular connection, while the same database is simultaneously accessible from a corporate laptop on a wired LAN, all without the company managing any routers, switches, or cabling. The key subtlety is that broad network access does not imply public internet only—it can also include private network connections (e.g., Azure ExpressRoute or AWS Direct Connect) that still provide device-independent access without physical infrastructure management.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this MS-900 question in full detail.
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: Broad network access — Broad network access is the correct answer because it describes the ability to access cloud resources (such as storage and databases) over the network via standard protocols (e.g., HTTP/HTTPS, SMB, NFS) from any device (laptop, smartphone, tablet) with an internet connection, without requiring the customer to manage the underlying physical infrastructure. This characteristic is defined by NIST SP 800-145 as 'capabilities are available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms.'
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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Question Discussion
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