CompTIA Cloud+ Practice Test

Which term describes a model where the cloud provider manages hardware and the operating system but not application software?

1. Infrastructure as a Service

2. Platform as a Service

3. Software as a Service

4. Data as a Service

The correct answer is: Platform as a Service

The model that describes a scenario where the cloud provider manages the hardware and the operating system, but not the application software, is known as Platform as a Service (PaaS). In a PaaS environment, users are given a platform that allows them to build, deploy, and manage applications without having to manage the underlying infrastructure. This is beneficial for developers because it streamlines the process of application development by providing the necessary resources such as runtime, middleware, and development tools. While Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides more control to users over the operating systems and applications since they manage everything above the hardware level, PaaS abstracts more of that management away, allowing users to focus on app development. Software as a Service (SaaS), on the other hand, delivers fully functional applications managed by the provider, which does not align with the concept described in the question. Data as a Service (DaaS) involves on-demand access to data storage and processing services but is not relevant to operating systems or applications in this context. Thus, PaaS is the correct term that captures the described model.