Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) Practice Exam

What is the key benefit of using Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)?

1. Maximized control over hardware

2. Minimal upfront costs

3. Incremental scalability

4. Fully managed services

The correct answer is: Maximized control over hardware

The key benefit of using Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) lies in maximizing control over hardware. IaaS provides users with the ability to provision and manage their own virtual machines and associated resources. This model allows businesses to have more flexibility in configuring their infrastructure, installing custom software, and managing the operating systems used on these machines. With IaaS, organizations can tailor their hardware resources to meet their specific requirements, which can be critical for businesses with unique workloads or those requiring specialized environments. This level of control extends beyond just the virtual machines; it encompasses networking, storage, and security configurations as well. Therefore, organizations that need significant customization and control over their environments will find IaaS to be particularly beneficial. Other options, like minimal upfront costs or fully managed services, are aligned more with other models of cloud computing, such as Platform as a Service (PaaS) or Software as a Service (SaaS). While incremental scalability is a feature of IaaS, it is often a shared characteristic among different cloud service models. Therefore, the emphasis on control over hardware is what distinctly highlights the benefit of using IaaS compared to other cloud service offerings.