Cloud Application Delivery: SaaS vs. Multitenancy

N10-009 By islever Editorial Last updated

Summarize cloud concepts and connectivity options.

Short answer

D Choose SaaS because the company application is hosted in the cloud and delivered to internal and third-party users over the internet.

Question

A network administrator is planning to host a company application in the cloud, making the application available for all internal and third-party users. Which of the following concepts describes this arrangement?
  1. Multitenancy
  2. VPC
  3. NFV
  4. SaaS Correct Answer

Key Takeaways

It tests the distinction between a cloud service model and a cloud architecture trait, with the trap that “internal and third-party users” sounds like multiple tenants.

This N10-009 cloud concepts question asks whether a company application hosted in the cloud for internal and third-party users is an example of multitenancy or SaaS. The answer is D: SaaS describes the application delivery model, while multitenancy describes shared, isolated tenant infrastructure.

Common mistake: Choosing A because internal and third-party users sound like tenants; the stem never states a shared single instance, shared infrastructure, or data isolation, which multitenancy requires.

Expert Analysis

Why option A feels right The phrase “internal and third-party users” naturally suggests multiple tenants: one cloud-hosted application serving employees and outside organizations. Multitenancy is indeed the cloud architecture in which a single application instance and shared platform serve multiple customers while isolating their data. If the question had described one shared instance for several customer organizations with separated data, A would be the strongest answer.

Where A stops fitting The stem never mentions shared infrastructure, a single instance, customer separation, or data isolation. It only says the administrator will host a company application in the cloud and make it available to all internal and third-party users. That is a delivery-model question: software delivered over the internet to users who do not install or manage it locally. In N10-009 cloud terminology, that is SaaS, option D. SaaS is the service model; multitenancy is an implementation characteristic that SaaS may or may not use.

Checking the distractors B, VPC, describes an isolated virtual network in a cloud provider, not application delivery. C, NFV, virtualizes network functions such as firewalls or routers; it does not describe publishing a company application to users. Some exam discussions argue that “third-party users” equals tenants, but that reading adds an isolation requirement the stem does not state. The decisive point is that the question asks how the application is made available, not how many customers share one instance.

Verdict D is correct: the arrangement is SaaS because the company application is hosted in the cloud and delivered to internal and third-party users as a service.

Official Reference

These links open the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

For cloud questions, first classify what the stem is describing: a service model (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), a deployment model, a connectivity option, or an architecture trait such as multitenancy or virtualization. Then ask who manages the application and how users reach it. If users simply access a provider-hosted application over the internet, think SaaS; if the stem stresses one shared instance with isolated customer data, think multitenancy. Do not select multitenancy merely because more than one user group appears.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is multitenancy not the answer if the app serves internal and third-party users?

Multitenancy requires a shared application instance or infrastructure with isolated tenant data. The stem only describes making the application available to two user groups, not sharing one instance or isolating customer data.

Does SaaS always use a multitenant architecture?

No. SaaS is a delivery model; a provider can offer SaaS as a single-tenant or multitenant service. Multitenancy is an implementation choice, not the definition of SaaS.

What cloud concept would a VPC represent in this exam?

A VPC is an isolated virtual network inside a cloud provider, used for subnets, routing, and security boundaries. It would fit a question about network isolation, not about delivering an application to users.

More N10-009 FAQ →

Community Votes

D
60%
A
40%

60% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 33 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 33

  1. TheSplurge 👍 10 Answered A
    While SaaS and Multitenancy have similar definitions SaaS would more so be the actual delivery of the model, or the accessing of the service while multitenancy describes the scenario of an admin hosting this application.
  2. GEO2 👍 8 Answered A
    Multitenancy is a cloud computing concept where a single instance of an application serves multiple users (tenants). In this case, the company application is hosted in the cloud and is available for both internal users and third-party users, meaning it supports multiple groups (or tenants) sharing the same application infrastructure while keeping their data isolated. Why not the others? D. SaaS (Software as a Service): While this application might be offered as a SaaS product, the question focuses on the arrangement where multiple users access the same hosted application, which aligns better with multitenancy. Key Takeaway: Multitenancy ensures efficient resource usage in cloud environments while securely serving multiple user groups or organizations.
  3. jb255 👍 4 Answered D
    I've read through all the responses to date. Both sides make good points for A and D. I've gone through multiple training venues for this exam including Professor Messr, Jason Dion through Udemy and Andy Ramdayal (TIA) through Udemy. In all of those, plus other sources, none of them ever described "multitenancy" in this fashion that I can recall. The wording of this question is so goofy that it's difficult, if not impossible, to determine exactly what they are asking and which part of the question is the most relevant. I'm still not 100% but I think if I get this question on my exam, I'm choosing SaaS.
  4. dirtybird 👍 4 Answered D
    D. SaaS Network admin "planning to host" and make application "available for all internal and third-party users." They have the software and are the one that will manage the servers, OS, or runtime. The question was asking about the delivery arrangement even though a SaaS product is often multitenant. Multitenancy more so is a description of it's infrastructure. Allowing workloads to coexist on the same hardware or application instance.
  5. dgeorge 👍 4 Answered D
    Hosting a company application in the cloud and making it available to users. Software delivered over the internet -> SaaS (Software as a Service) Saas means: The application is hosted in the cloud Users access it via internet/browser No need to install locally
Show 25 more comments
  1. jmcd2 👍 4 Answered A
    A. third party users that means people outside the company. Multitenancy is the best answer.
  2. favouralain 👍 4 Answered D
    SaaS is the best answer
  3. kinkistyle 👍 3 Answered D
    SaaS. Multitenancy is like an apartment building where all the tenants live in the same building and share the same infrastructure but everybody is lives in their own locked apartments. SaaS is what the company is doing which is serving applications to users from the cloud.
  4. ERB14 👍 3 Answered D
    D. SaaS (Software as a Service): Delivery of complete applications hosted in the cloud, allowing users (both internal employees and external third parties) to access the software via the internet without managing the underlying cloud infrastructure or application setup.
  5. SuntzuLegacy 👍 3
    D. SaaS (Software as a Service) Explanation: The key aspect of the question is that the company application is being hosted in the cloud and made available for internal and third-party users.
  6. Nyang2 👍 3 Answered D
    SaaS cannot service a company application. So answer sould be A
  7. TheSplurge 👍 3
    -From what I gathered from chat gpt
  8. TechieBloke 👍 2 Answered D
    SaaS refers to hosting an application in the cloud and making it accessible to users over the internet—both internal employees and external (third-party) users. That’s exactly what the scenario describes. Why the others don’t fit as well: A. Multitenancy: This is about multiple customers sharing the same application infrastructure, not specifically about how the app is delivered to users. B. VPC (Virtual Private Cloud): This is a network isolation concept, not an application delivery model. C. NFV (Network Functions Virtualization): This relates to virtualizing network services, not hosting user-facing applications.
  9. ba10f26 👍 2 Answered A
    The correct answer is: A. Multitenancy. Multitenancy describes a cloud computing architecture where multiple users or organizations (tenants) share the same application or infrastructure while keeping their data and configurations separate. Hosting a company application in the cloud for internal and third-party users aligns with this concept, as the application serves multiple distinct user groups on a shared platform.
  10. smpak 👍 2 Answered D
    SaaS → When a company hosts an application in the cloud and makes it available to internal and external (third-party) users, it is delivering the application as a cloud service. Users access it via the internet without managing the infrastructure. Multitenancy → Means multiple customers share the same cloud resources but remain isolated. This is a characteristic of cloud services, not the service model itself.
  11. gregrhernandez07 👍 2 Answered A
    Multitenancy. Explanation: Multitenancy refers to a cloud computing architecture where a single instance of an application serves multiple customers, with each customer's data kept separate and secure from the others. This is the most suitable description for the scenario given, as the administrator wants to make the application accessible to various users while maintaining data isolation.
  12. SuntzuLegacy 👍 2 Answered A
    Multitenancy refers to a cloud architecture where multiple users (tenants) share the same application or resources while maintaining data and access separation. In this scenario, hosting the application in the cloud for both internal and third-party users aligns with the concept of multitenancy, as the same application instance will likely serve different groups of users.
  13. genaxo 👍 2
    It is the Application that the question is emphasizing on. The Application is going to be made available for the internal and external users. The correct answer is SaaS.
  14. genaxo 👍 2 Answered D
    Multi-tenancy refers to sharing infrastructure NOT software or application. Therefore, I highly believe it gotta be SaaS.
  15. Parshman 👍 2 Answered A
    One resource pool with multiple tenants, so multi-tenancy would be the best answer.
  16. chrys 👍 2
    SaaS! One app, no pain.
  17. Dese_2point71 👍 1 Answered D
    D. SaaS According to ChatGPT: "SaaS is a cloud computing model in which applications are hosted by a provider and made accessible to authorized users over the internet, typically through a web browser. This arrangement allows an organization to provide its application to internal employees and third-party users without requiring them to install or maintain the software locally. Unlike multitenancy (shared infrastructure serving multiple customers), VPC (isolated virtual cloud networking), and NFV (virtualization of network functions), SaaS specifically describes delivering applications to users through the cloud."
  18. lockjaw 👍 1
    I see your point about multitenancy, which indeed involves multiple users or organizations sharing the same application or infrastructure while keeping their data separate. However, in the context of making an application available to all internal and third-party users, SaaS (Software as a Service) is the more accurate concept. SaaS specifically refers to delivering applications over the internet, allowing users to access them without managing the underlying infrastructure. Multitenancy is a characteristic of many SaaS applications, but SaaS itself describes the delivery model you're referring to.
  19. HeatSquad77 👍 1 Answered A
    A. multitenancy The ability to support multiple customers on the same infrastructure at the same time. Multitenancy enables customers with small computing needs to only pay for what they actually need in exchange for sharing the same infrastructure with other customers. Comes with the risk those customers will hog shared resources or compromise the infrastructure (by accident or on purpose).
  20. Salma_65 👍 1 Answered D
    Why Multitenancy is the Wrong answer: Multitenancy means multiple customers share the same underlying cloud infrastructure, but their data is isolated. It describes how cloud providers architect systems — not how an organization hosts its own application. Not the right concept here.
  21. LayinCable 👍 1
    I agree, the question did get me and I initially said SaaS as well but it's asking for the overall description for the situation. Which would be "Multitenancy," since it's for internal and their third-party partners. So, multiple people will be using the same cloud product.
  22. 9b35f42 👍 1 Answered D
    D. SaaS Nowhere in the question does it describe segmentation of resources or even hint to it. It's a network admin planning to HOST an APPLICATION that ALL USERS can access.
  23. MollyTheCat 👍 1 Answered D
    The three cload concepts are IaaS, PaaS and SaaS. It is that simple! And as long as there is nothing said about data segregation don't choose multitenancy.
  24. braveheart22 👍 1 Answered D
    I'm super convinced with "lockjaw's" explanation, so from my point of view, I feel SaaS is the correct answer, so I will go with D.
  25. mindy76 👍 1 Answered A
    OK, after really digesting this question, the question is asking for a concept, not a delivery method or network design.

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