Azure VM Deployment: IaaS vs PaaS

AZ-900 By islever Editorial Last updated

Describe cloud service types

Short answer

B The solution does not meet the goal because Azure Virtual Machines are an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offering, not a Platform as a Service (PaaS) solution.

Question

Note: The question is included in a number of questions that depicts the identical set-up. However, every question has a distinctive result. Establish if
the solution satisfies the requirements.
You are tasked with deploying Azure virtual machines for your company.
You need to make use of the appropriate cloud deployment solution.
Solution: You should make use of Platform as a Service (PaaS).
Does the solution meet the goal?
  1. Yes
  2. No Correct Answer

Key Takeaways

The core trap is confusing application development platforms with raw compute infrastructure; Azure VMs provide virtualized hardware control, which defines IaaS.

This question tests the distinction between Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS). It establishes that Azure Virtual Machines are an IaaS offering, not PaaS.

Common mistake: Many candidates incorrectly select 'Yes' because they associate any cloud resource with PaaS. This error arises from misunderstanding that PaaS abstracts the OS and underlying infrastructure, whereas VMs require the user to manage the OS.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Azure Virtual Machines are the quintessential example of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). In an IaaS model, the cloud provider supplies the fundamental computing resources like servers, storage, and networking, while the customer retains responsibility for managing the operating system, middleware, and applications. Since the scenario explicitly involves deploying Virtual Machines, the correct solution is IaaS, making the proposed PaaS solution incorrect. Therefore, the answer is No.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option A (Yes) is incorrect because Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides a complete development and deployment environment in the cloud, including operating systems, development frameworks, and database management systems. Examples include Azure App Service or Azure Functions. PaaS abstracts away the underlying infrastructure, meaning you do not directly deploy or manage Virtual Machines within a PaaS context; instead, you deploy code or containers. Confusing these models leads to selecting the wrong service tier.

Community Comment Notes

The community consensus strongly supports Option B. As Tanat noted, PaaS is designed for developing and managing software applications without worrying about underlying infrastructure. AmalMOQ clarified that IaaS is the most basic category where you rent IT infrastructure like servers and VMs. Multiple users, including BeauChateau and ddponder, explicitly stated that Virtual Machines are IaaS, not PaaS or SaaS, confirming the technical classification.

Exam Strategy

When asked about deploying Virtual Machines, immediately identify this as IaaS. If the question mentions managing the OS or raw hardware, it is IaaS. If it mentions hosting web apps or databases without server management, it is PaaS. Memorize the core examples: VMs = IaaS, App Service = PaaS, Storage/Blob = SaaS/IaaS depending on context.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Azure VM considered IaaS and not PaaS?

Azure VMs provide virtualized computing resources where the user manages the OS and software. PaaS abstracts the infrastructure, providing only the platform for code execution.

What is an example of PaaS in Azure?

Azure App Service is a common PaaS example. It allows developers to build and host web apps without managing the underlying servers or OS.

More AZ-900 FAQ →

Discussion 56 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 30 of 56

  1. Tanat 👍 33
    Platform as a service refers to cloud computing services that supply an on-demand environment for developing, testing, delivering, and managing software applications. PaaS is designed to make it easier for developers to quickly create web or mobile apps, without worrying about setting up or managing the underlying infrastructure of servers, storage, network, and databases needed for development.
  2. AmalMOQ 👍 18
    Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the most basic category of cloud computing services. With IaaS, you rent IT infrastructure servers and virtual machines (VMs), storage, networks, and operating systems from a cloud provider on a pay-as-you-go basis. It's an instant computing infrastructure, provisioned and managed over the internet
  3. BeauChateau 👍 6 Answered B
    Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a cloud deployment model that provides a platform for building, testing, and deploying applications without the need to manage the underlying infrastructure. While PaaS solutions can provide benefits such as faster time-to-market and reduced development costs, they are not appropriate for deploying virtual machines. For deploying virtual machines, the appropriate cloud deployment solution is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). IaaS provides access to virtualized computing resources such as virtual machines, storage, and networking over the internet. With IaaS, companies can deploy virtual machines in the cloud, which can help them reduce hardware costs, increase flexibility, and improve scalability. Therefore, the solution of using Platform as a Service (PaaS) does not meet the goal of deploying Azure virtual machines for the company. Instead, the appropriate cloud deployment solution is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
  4. ddponder 👍 4
    Virtual Machines are IaaS, not PaaS.
  5. icekov 👍 3 Answered B
    Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) would be the correct cloud deployment solution for this scenario.
Show 25 more comments
  1. Monster5566 👍 3
    Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the most basic category of cloud computing services.
  2. warbon 👍 3 Answered B
    Answer is B. No, because the requirement is to deploy Azure virtual machines.
  3. Decapon 👍 3
    Virtual Machine is an IaaS. The answer is B
  4. arjaycee 👍 3
    B is the correct answer. VMs are IaaS
  5. iykemanny 👍 3
    Virtual Machine is IAAS. B is correct
  6. deyson 👍 3 Answered B
    Azure VMs is Iaas
  7. akp1000 👍 3 Answered B
    it is IaaS
  8. Meesquared 👍 2 Answered B
    PaaS (Platform as a Service) provides a managed platform to deploy applications without managing the OS, networking, or storage (e.g., App Service, Azure SQL Database). Deploying Virtual Machines requires IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), where you manage the OS, runtime, and applications. So, PaaS is not correct because it does not let you directly create and manage virtual machines.
  9. kahla 👍 2 Answered B
    The scenario clearly says: You are tasked with deploying Azure virtual machines. Let’s break this down.
  10. AlekksMaciel 👍 2 Answered B
    vm is infrastructure, not paas or saas
  11. mitddgr 👍 2 Answered B
    Virtual Machines is IaaS
  12. dcdcdcdcdc 👍 2 Answered B
    it should be IaaS
  13. 1d9a56b 👍 2 Answered B
    should be iaas
  14. thej_raaaaas 👍 2 Answered B
    VM is a Iaas
  15. GanSubha 👍 1 Answered A
    What Microsoft offers by support tier: Basic – Free, only billing/account support. No design guidance. Developer – Paid, business hours access to engineers, but limited to development/test and doesn’t include design reviews. Standard – Paid, 24x7 technical support for production workloads, but no architecture/design reviews. Professional Direct – Paid, includes architecture guidance and proactive services (design reviews, optimization). Premier / Unified – High-cost, enterprise-level, includes dedicated account team and deeper architecture engagements. Professional Direct is more expensive than Standard, but since Standard doesn’t offer design assessment, the cheaper option doesn’t work. Therefore, Professional Direct is the lowest-cost plan that still meets the requirement.
  16. Soumyat85 👍 1
    B. No The solution does not meet the goal. Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a cloud computing model where a third-party provider manages the underlying infrastructure and provides a platform for building and deploying applications. With PaaS, you typically don't have direct control over the virtual machines themselves. In this scenario, the goal is to deploy Azure virtual machines, which is an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offering. With IaaS, you have more control over the virtual machines and can directly manage and configure them. Therefore, the appropriate cloud deployment solution in this case would be Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), not Platform as a Service (PaaS).
  17. AntonioTech 👍 1
    The answer is B. No Deploying Azure virtual machines requires more control over the infrastructure and configuration than what is typically offered by Platform as a Service (PaaS). Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides a platform and environment for developers to build, deploy, and manage applications without managing the underlying infrastructure, but it doesn't give you the level of control needed for deploying and managing virtual machines. Therefore, the solution of using Platform as a Service (PaaS) does not meet the goal for deploying Azure virtual machines.
  18. Abusen 👍 1 Answered B
    b- No For deploying Azure virtual machines, the appropriate cloud deployment model is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), not PaaS. Why: VMs require you to manage the operating system, patches, runtime, and installed software, which is typical of IaaS. PaaS is for services like Azure App Service, Azure SQL Database, or Azure Functions, where Microsoft manages more of the infrastructure.
  19. Barach Aduot 👍 1 Answered B
    Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides a platform for building, testing, and deploying applications without managing the underlying infrastructure. To deploy Azure virtual machines, the appropriate service model is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
  20. Power123 👍 1 Answered B
    Deploying Virtual Machines is a core function of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). IaaS allows you to manage the underlying infrastructure, such as virtual machines, storage, and networking.
  21. Jas001 👍 1 Answered B
    PaaS is more for customised applications without worrying about storage, servers, etc. On the other hand, Iaas is worrying about architecture, storage including servers such as VMs.
  22. sweetheartheart 👍 1 Answered B
    SaaS = Apps (e.g., Outlook, Teams). IaaS = VMs, storage, networks (you manage the OS/software). PaaS = Middle ground (e.g., Azure App Service, SQL DB). yes again so i wont forget
  23. Sukrut93 👍 1 Answered B
    For paas customers are responsible for only managing the deployment, managing your application code etc, the VM will be provided by the provider in this case Microsoft
  24. rdj_jk 👍 1
    Ans: B. No. Text to refer under IaaS : "Azure virtual machines are fully operational virtual compute devices running in Microsoft datacenters."
  25. mnmcbl 👍 1
    I think this question is the same as the last one. No word is changed. PaaS requires operating system together with VM managed by the company.

Reader comments & corrections

No reader corrections yet — spotted an error or have a note? Share it below.

Log in to comment, report an error, or add a note about this question.

Azure Resource Locks for RG Protection

S-grade

Shared Responsibility in Azure SaaS

S-grade

Accessing Azure Cloud Shell via Web Browser

S-grade

Azure VM High Availability SLA Requirements

S-grade

Practice All AZ-900 Questions

Access 90 questions with complete answers and detailed explanations.

View Full AZ-900 Practice Test →

← Back to AZ-900 Study Guide