Free Practice Questions for CompTIA CLO-002 Exam

Infrastructure as code (IaC) is a DevOps practice that uses code to define and deploy infrastructure, such as networks, virtual machines, load balancers, and connection topologies1. IaC ensures consistency, repeatability, and scalability of the infrastructure, as well as enables automation and orchestration of the provisioning process2. IaC is different from infrastructure templates, which are predefined configurations that can be reused for multiple deployments3. Infrastructure orchestration is the process of coordinating multiple automation tasks to achieve a desired state of the infrastructure4. Infrastructure automation is the broader term for any technique that uses technology to perform infrastructure tasks without human intervention5.

A service level agreement (SLA) is a contract between a cloud service provider (CSP) and a customer that defines the level of service, performance, availability, and responsibilities of both parties1. An SLA may also include the notification process a CSP follows after discovering a breach of customer data, such as the time frame, the communication channels, the content and format of the notification, and the remediation actions2. A communication plan is a document that outlines the objectives, strategies, and tactics for communicating with different stakeholders, but it may not specify the details of the breach notification process3. An incident response policy is a set of guidelines and procedures for responding to security incidents, such as identifying, containing, analyzing, and recovering from them, but it may not be shared with the customer by the CSP4. Access controls are the mechanisms and policies that regulate who can access what resources and data in a cloud environment, but they are not related to the breach notification process5. References:

1: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 3, page 75.

2: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 3, page 77.

3: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 3, page 79.

4: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 4, page 105.

5: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 4, page 107.

 Managed services are a type of outsourcing administration in the context of the cloud, where a third-party provider takes over the responsibility of managing and operating cloud services on behalf of the customer. Managed services can include various functions such as maintenance, monitoring, security, backup, recovery, and support. Managed services can help customers to reduce costs, improve performance, enhance security, and focus on their core business. Managed services are different from other types of support, such as audit, community, or premium support, which do not involve the transfer of control or ownership of cloud services to a third-party provider. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Exam Objectives1, CompTIACloud Essentials+ Study Guide, Chapter 2: Business Principles of Cloud Environments2, Outsourcing Cloud Administration

Rip and replace is a cloud migration method that involves discarding the existing legacy system and building a new one from scratch on the cloud platform. This method allows the organization to take full advantage of the cloud computing model, such as scalability, elasticity, performance, and cost-efficiency. Rip and replace also enables the organization to leverage the cloud-native features and services, such as serverless computing, microservices, and containers. However, rip and replace is also the most complex and risky migration method, as it requires a complete redesign and redevelopment of the system, which can be time-consuming, expensive, and prone to errors. Therefore, rip and replace is only suitable for systems that are outdated, incompatible, or unsuitable for the cloud environment, and that have a clear business case and return on investment for the migration. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 5: Cloud Migration, page 1971

The capital expenditure (CapEx) model is a financial model where an organization pays for the acquisition of physical assets upfront and then deducts that expense from its tax bill over time1. The CapEx model is typically used for on-premises infrastructure, where the organization has to purchase, install, and maintain servers, software licenses, and other hardware components. The CapEx model requires a large initial investment, but it also provides more control and ownership over the assets2.

The cloud, on the other hand, usually follows the operational expenditure (OpEx) model, where an organization pays for the consumption of cloud services on a regular basis, such as monthly or hourly. The OpEx model is also known as the pay-as-you-go model, and it allows the organization to scale up or down the cloud resources as needed, without having to incur any upfront costs or long-term commitments2. The OpEx model provides more flexibility and agility, but it also introduces more variability and uncertainty in the cloud expenditures3.

However, some cloud providers offer reservation models, where an organization can reserve cloud resources in advance for a fixed period of time, such as one or three years, and receive adiscounted price compared to the pay-as-you-go rate. Reservation models can help an organization plan for cloud expenditures in a way that most closely aligns with the CapEx model, as they involve paying a lump sum upfront and then amortizing that cost over the reservation term4. Reservation models can also provide more predictability and stability in the cloud costs, as well as guarantee the availability and performance of the reserved resources5.

One example of a reservation model is the Amazon EC2 Reserved Instances (RI), which allow an organization to reserve EC2 instances for one or three years and save up to 75% compared to the on-demand price. Another example is the Azure Reserved Virtual Machine Instances (RIs), which allow an organization to reserve VMs for one or three years and save up to 72% compared to the pay-as-you-go price. Reservation models are also available for other cloud services, such as databases, containers, storage, and networking.

Therefore, using reserved cloud instances is the best strategy to plan for cloud expenditures in a way that most closely aligns with the CapEx model, as it involves paying a fixed amount upfront and receiving a discounted price for the reserved resources over a specified term. References: 1: https://www.browserstack.com/guide/capex-vs-opex 2: https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, Chapter 6, page 215-216 3: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/strategy/financial-considerations/ 4: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/whitepapers/latest/cost-optimization-reservation-models/welcome.html 5: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/well-architected/cost/design-price : https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/pricing/reserved-instances/ : https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/reserved-vm-instances/ : https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, Chapter 5, page 179-180

HTTPS and SSH are considered secure access types of hosts in the cloud because they use encryption and authentication to protect the data and the identity of the users. HTTPS is a protocol that uses SSL or TLS to encrypt the communication between a web browser and a web server. SSH is a protocol that allows secure remote login and file transfer over a network. Both HTTPS and SSH prevent unauthorized access, eavesdropping, and tampering of the data in transit. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 3: Security in the Cloud, pages 83-84.

An identity and access control management policy is a document that defines the roles, responsibilities, and rules for managing the identities and access rights of users in an organization1. It specifies how users are authenticated, authorized, and audited when they access the organization’s resources, such as systems, applications, data, and networks1. An identity and access control management policy also describes the processes and procedures for creating, modifying, suspending, and deleting user accounts and privileges, as well as the standards and guidelines for selecting and managing passwords, tokens, certificates, and other authentication factors1. An identity and access control management policy can help the systems administrator understand the user privileges for each role in the company, as it defines the access levels and permissions that are granted to different types of users, such as employees, contractors, vendors, partners, and customers1. The policy also outlines the criteria and conditions for granting, changing, or revoking access rights, based on the principle of least privilege and the need-to-know basis1. By following the identity and access control management policy, the systems administrator can ensure that the new user for the human resources department has the appropriate and secure access to the resources that are relevant to their job function and responsibilities1. References: 1: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 3: Cloud Planning, Section 3.2: Cloud Adoption, Subsection 3.2.1: Identity and Access Management

Access control is a policy that dictates when to grant certain read/write permissions to users or systems. Access control is a key component of information security, as it ensures that only authorized and authenticated users can access the data and resources they need, and prevents unauthorized access or modification of data and resources1. Access control policies can be based on various factors, such as identity, role, location, time, or context2.

Communications, department-specific, and security policies are not directly related to granting read/write permissions, although they may have some implications for access control. Communications policies are policies that define how information is exchanged and communicated within or outside an organization, such as the use of email, social media, or encryption3. Department-specific policies are policies that apply to specific functions or units within an organization, such as human resources, finance, or marketing. Security policies are policies that establish the overall goals and objectives of information security in an organization,such as the protection of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and systems. References: Access Control Policy and Implementation Guides | CSRC; What Is Access Control? | Microsoft Security; Communication Policy - Definition, Examples, Cases, Processes; [Departmental Policies and Procedures Manual Template | Policies and Procedures Manual Template]; [Security Policy - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics].

Geo-redundancy is the best option for a company that needs to ensure data availability in multiple datacenters around the world. Geo-redundancy is the duplication of IT infrastructure and data across geographically dispersed locations, such as different regions or continents1. Geo-redundancy provides several benefits for cloud-based applications, such as:

High availability: Geo-redundancy can improve the availability of cloud services by reducing the impact of regional outages, disasters, or network failures. If one datacenter becomes unavailable, the application can switch to another datacenter that has a copy of the data and continue to operate2.

Performance: Geo-redundancy can enhance the performance of cloud services by reducing the latency and bandwidth consumption for users who are located far from the primary datacenter. By having datacenters closer to the users, the application can deliver faster and more consistent responses3.

Compliance: Geo-redundancy can help the company comply with regulatory or legal requirements that mandate data sovereignty or data protection. By having datacenters in different jurisdictions, the company can store and process data according to the local laws and regulations4.

The other options are not as suitable as geo-redundancy for the company’s needs because:

Auto-scaling: Auto-scaling is the ability of cloud services to automatically adjust the amount of resources allocated to an application based on the demand and workload. Auto-scaling can improve the scalability and cost-efficiency of cloud services, but it does not guarantee data availability in multiple datacenters5.

Disaster recovery: Disaster recovery is the process of restoring the normal operation of an application after a disruption or failure. Disaster recovery can involve backup, restore, and failover mechanisms, but it does not necessarily require data replication across multiple datacenters.

High availability: High availability is the degree to which an application can operate without interruption or downtime. High availability can be achieved by using redundant components, load balancing, and fault tolerance techniques, but it does not imply data distribution across multiple datacenters.

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is a cloud service delivery model that provides on-demand infrastructure resources to organizations via the cloud, such as compute, storage, networking, and virtualization4. IaaS is the most suitable cloud service delivery model for patching and updating cloud resources properly, as it gives the cloud consumer compliance team more control andflexibility over the operating system, middleware, virtual machines, and any apps or data5. IaaS also enables automation and orchestration of the provisioning process, as well as scalability and reliability of the infrastructure6.