Chapter 1 of 3 · Microsoft AZ-900
Describe Cloud Concepts
Cloud computing and models, the benefits of the cloud, and IaaS, PaaS and SaaS service types.
- 3topics
- 15 minfast track
- 25–30%of the exam
Topics in this chapter
Take them in order, or jump to the one you need.
- 1Cloud Computing, Shared Responsibility and Cloud ModelsLearn AZ-900 cloud basics: what cloud computing is, the shared responsibility model, public, private and hybrid clouds…6 min
- 2Benefits of Cloud ServicesAZ-900 benefits of the cloud: high availability, scalability, elasticity, reliability, predictability, security, governance and…5 min
- 3Cloud Service TypesCompare IaaS, PaaS and SaaS for AZ-900: what each one means, who manages what, Azure examples and the use cases the exam asks…4 min
About this chapter
What this chapter covers
This chapter builds the vocabulary the rest of the exam relies on. It is the lightest domain on the exam and the easiest to score, because the questions test definitions and simple comparisons.
The topics are cloud computing and cloud models, the benefits of using cloud services, and the three cloud service types.
How the topics fit together
The pages move from what the cloud is, to why people use it, to the different amounts of work it can take off your hands.
- Cloud computing and models covers the shared responsibility model, public, private and hybrid clouds, consumption pricing and serverless.
- Benefits covers high availability, scalability, reliability, predictability, security, governance and manageability.
- Service types covers IaaS, PaaS and SaaS and when each one fits.
Learn the shared responsibility model early. It appears again in the security and governance questions of later domains.
How to use these pages
Each topic page has the same shape, so you can skim for what you need.
- What it is: the idea in plain words.
- How it works: the mechanism, with diagrams and tables.
- What to remember for the exam: the facts to memorise.
- Common mistakes: the classic traps.
- Check yourself: three questions to test your understanding.
Ready for more practice?
The full Microsoft AZ-900 question bank has 500 questions, with timed practice exams and an explanation for every answer.
This study guide is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Microsoft. Vendor names, certification names and exam codes are trademarks of their respective owners and are used for identification only.