CLO-002 CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

Self-service is one of the five essential characteristics of cloud computing, along with broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service1. Self-service enables cloud customers to provision and manage cloud resources without requiring human interaction from the cloud service provider2. Self-service allows cloud customers to have more control, flexibility, and agility over their cloud environment, and to perform various tasks such as building, decommissioning, scaling, monitoring, and configuring cloud resources according to their business needs and preferences3. Self-service is the best cloud characteristic to satisfy the business requirement of migrating mission-critical applications to the cloud, as it would enable technicians to perform routine functions more efficiently and effectively, and to respond to changing demands and situations more quickly and dynamically.

Broad network access is another essential characteristic of cloud computing, which means that cloud resources are available over the network and can be accessed by diverse customer platforms, such as laptops, mobile phones, tablets, etc1. Broad network access is an important feature of cloud computing, as it enables cloud customers to access their cloud resources anytime and anywhere, and to use different devices and methods to interact with the cloud. However, broad network access is not the best cloud characteristic to satisfy the business requirement ofmigrating mission-critical applications to the cloud, as it does not directly relate to the ability of technicians to build, decommission, and perform other routine functions on the cloud resources.

Elasticity is another essential characteristic of cloud computing, which means that cloud resources can be rapidly and dynamically scaled up or down according to the customer’s demand1. Elasticity is a key benefit of cloud computing, as it enables cloud customers to optimize the utilization and performance of their cloud resources, and to pay only for what they use. However, elasticity is not the best cloud characteristic to satisfy the business requirement of migrating mission-critical applications to the cloud, as it does not directly relate to the ability of technicians to build, decommission, and perform other routine functions on the cloud resources.

Availability is not one of the five essential characteristics of cloud computing, but rather a quality attribute or a non-functional requirement of cloud computing. Availability refers to the degree to which a system or service is operational and accessible when required4. Availability is a critical factor for cloud computing, especially for mission-critical applications, as it affects the reliability and continuity of the cloud service. However, availability is not the best cloud characteristic to satisfy the business requirement of migrating mission-critical applications to the cloud, as it does not directly relate to the ability of technicians to build, decommission, and perform other routine functions on the cloud resources. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 1: Cloud Computing Concepts, pages 11-15.

 Transference is the best description of how a cloud provider helps a company with security risk responses. Transference means shifting the responsibility or liability for the risk to another party, such as an insurance company or a cloud service provider (CSP). By using a CSP, the company can transfer some of the security risks to the provider, who has more expertise and resources to manage them. However, the company still retains the ownership and accountability for the data and applications hosted in the cloud, and must ensure that the CSP meets the agreed-upon service level agreements (SLAs) and security standards. The company cannot transfer all the security risks to the CSP, as some risks are inherent to the cloud environment, such as data breaches, misconfigurations, or compliance violations12.

A service level agreement (SLA) is a contract between a service provider and a customer that defines the expected level of service, performance, availability, and quality of the service, as well as the responsibilities, obligations, and penalties of both parties. An SLA typically includes metrics and indicators to measure and monitor the service, such as response time, uptime, throughput, etc. An SLA also specifies the severity levels of incidents and the corresponding resolution times, such as two hours for a severity level A incident, which is the most critical and urgent. An SLA is different from a maintenance agreement, which is a contract that covers the repair and upkeep of equipment or software; a managed service agreement, which is a contract that covers the outsourcing of certain IT functions or processes to a third-party provider; or an operating level agreement, which is an internal agreement between different departments or units within an organization that support the delivery of a service. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Exam Objectives1, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Study Guide, Chapter 2: Business Principles of Cloud Environments2, Service Level Agreements for Managed Services3

Capital expenditures are costs that a business incurs to acquire or improve long-term assets that will provide benefits beyond the current year. Capital expenditures are also known as PP&E, which stands for Property, Plant, and Equipment. Capital expenditures are usually one-time purchases of fixed assets that have a high initial cost and a long useful life. Capital expenditures are recorded as assets on the balance sheet and depreciated over time12

Data center wiring and server purchases are examples of capital expenditures, because they are part of the physical infrastructure that supports the IT operations of a business. Data centerwiring and server purchases have a high upfront cost and a long lifespan, and they provide benefits for several years. Data center wiring and server purchases are also recorded as assets on the balance sheet and depreciated over time34

Cloud consultant fees, data center electric bill, spot instances, and disposable virtual machines are not examples of capital expenditures, but rather operating expenses. Operating expenses are costs that a business incurs to run its day-to-day operations and generate revenue. Operating expenses are also known as OPEX, which stands for Operating Expenses. Operating expenses are usually recurring payments for variable or consumable resources that have a low cost and a short useful life. Operating expenses are recorded as expenses on the income statement and deducted from revenue to calculate profit12

Cloud consultant fees are operating expenses, because they are payments for professional services that help a business implement or optimize its cloud strategy. Cloud consultant fees are recurring payments that vary depending on the scope and duration of the project, and they do not result in the acquisition or improvement of any long-term assets. Cloud consultant fees are also recorded as expenses on the income statement and deducted from revenue to calculate profit5

Data center electric bill is an operating expense, because it is a payment for the utility service that powers the data center equipment. Data center electric bill is a recurring payment that varies depending on the consumption and the rate of electricity, and it does not result in the acquisition or improvement of any long-term assets. Data center electric bill is also recorded as an expense on the income statement and deducted from revenue to calculate profit.

Spot instances and disposable virtual machines are operating expenses, because they are payments for cloud computing resources that are available on-demand and for a short duration. Spot instances and disposable virtual machines are recurring payments that vary depending on the usage and the market price of the resources, and they do not result in the acquisition or improvement of any long-term assets. Spot instances and disposable virtual machines are also recorded as expenses on the income statement and deducted from revenue to calculate profit.

 Load testing is the technique that helps an organization determine benchmarks for application performance within a set of resources. Load testing is the process of simulating a high volume of user requests or traffic to a cloud application or service, and measuring its response time, throughput, availability, and reliability. Load testing can help an organization to evaluate the performance and scalability of the cloud application or service, as well as to identify and resolve any bottlenecks, errors, or failures. Load testing can also help the organization to optimize the resource utilization and allocation, and to plan for future growth or peak demand. Load testing can be done using various tools, such as JMeter, LoadRunner, or BlazeMeter12

 A feasibility study is a process of evaluating the viability of a project or an idea before committing resources and time to it. It helps to identify the potential benefits, costs, risks, and challenges of a proposed solution. A feasibility study is especially important when migrating an application to a cloud platform, as it can determine whether the application is compatible with the cloud provider’s services, standards, and requirements. In this case, the organization wants to migrate a locally hosted application that runs on a 15-year-old operating system to a PaaS model. The application cannot be upgraded, which means it may not be supported by the cloud provider’s platform. A feasibility study can help the organization to assess the technical and operational feasibility of the migration, as well as the financial and strategic implications. A feasibility study can also help the organization to compare different cloud providers and select the best one for their needs. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 4: Cloud Planning, Section 4.2: Feasibility Studies1

 Deduplication is a technique that eliminates redundant copies of data from a storage device, such as a SAN disk drive. Deduplication can reduce the amount of storage space required andimprove the performance and efficiency of the storage system. Deduplication works by identifying and removing duplicate blocks of data within or across files, and replacing them with pointers to a single copy of the data. Deduplication can be performed at the file level or the block level, depending on the granularity and the algorithm used. Deduplication is often used in backup and archive scenarios, where data is highly redundant and can be deduplicated across multiple backups. Deduplication can also be used in primary storage scenarios, such as SAN disk drives, especially for all-flash arrays that implement deduplication techniques. Deduplication is different from compression, which is another technique that reduces the size of data by removing redundant information within a data block. Deduplication and compression can work together to achieve higher storage savings. Deduplication is also different from encryption, which is a technique that protects the confidentiality and integrity of data by transforming it into an unreadable form using a secret key. Deduplication is not effective for encrypted data, as encryption makes the data appear random and unique. Deduplication is also different from sanitization, which is a technique that permanently erases data from a storage device, making it unrecoverable. Deduplication does not erase data, but rather consolidates it and removes duplicates. Therefore, the correct term for eliminating redundant copies of data from a SAN disk drive is deduplication. References: Using Deduplication and Compression, Understanding Data Deduplication, 7.6 Using Deduplication techniques in SAN infrastrucutre.

The first step for the business analyst to select a cloud provider for the new cloud project is to gather business and technical requirements for key stakeholders. Business requirements are the needs and expectations of the business units and end users, such as the goals, benefits, and outcomes of the project. Technical requirements are the specifications and constraints of the cloud solution, such as the performance, availability, security, and scalability. Gathering business and technical requirements is essential to understand the scope, objectives, and criteria of the project, and to evaluate and compare different cloud providers based on their capabilities and offerings1.

Conducting a feasibility study of the environment is a possible next step after gathering the requirements, to assess the viability and suitability of the cloud project, and to identify the risks, costs, and benefits of moving to the cloud2. Conducting a benchmark of all major systems is another possible step after gathering the requirements, to measure the current performance andutilization of the existing systems, and to determine the optimal configuration and resources for the cloud solution3. Drawing a matrix diagram of the capabilities of the cloud providers is a possible step after gathering the requirements and conducting the feasibility study and the benchmark, to compare and contrast the features and services of different cloud providers, and to select the best fit for the project4.

 Penetration testing, also known as ethical hacking, is a security assessment methodology that involves simulating a cyberattack on a cloud-based system or service to identify and exploit vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Penetration testing can help to evaluate the security posture of a cloud environment and provide recommendations for improvement12

Penetration testing in a cloud environment requires a defined scope and formal authorization from the cloud service provider (CSP), because it can have significant impacts on the cloud infrastructure, applications, and data. Penetration testing can potentially cause damage, disruption, or breach of the cloud resources, as well as violate the terms of service or the service level agreements of the CSP. Therefore, before conducting penetration testing in a cloud environment, the customer must obtain the consent and approval of the CSP, and follow the guidelines and policies of the CSP regarding the scope, duration, frequency, and methods of the testing3

Orchestration, sandboxing, and vulnerability scanning are not activities that require a defined scope and formal authorization from the CSP, because they are less intrusive and disruptive than penetration testing. Orchestration is the process of automating and coordinating the deployment and management of cloud resources using tools and scripts. Sandboxing is the process of creating and isolating a testing environment within the cloud to experiment with new features or applications without affecting the production environment. Vulnerability scanning is the process of detecting and reporting the known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in the cloud resources using automated tools. These activities can help to improve the efficiency, flexibility, and security of the cloud environment, but they do not involve actively exploiting or compromising the cloud resources. Therefore, they do not require the same level of permission and oversight from the CSP as penetration testing.

JSON and XML are both data serialization formats that allow you to exchange data across different applications, platforms, or systems in a standardized manner. They are independent of any programming language and can be used across different cloud platforms. They do not cause cloud vendor lock-in, as they are open and interoperable formats. They do not require the company to define a specific programming language for cloud management, as they can be parsed and processed by various languages. They are not considered unsafe formats of communication, as they can be encrypted and validated for security purposes. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification | CompTIA IT Certifications, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+, CompTIA Cloud Essentials CLO-002 Certification Study Guide

 Vendor lock-in is a situation where a customer becomes dependent on a single cloud service provider (CSP) and cannot easily switch to another vendor without substantial cost, technical incompatibility, or legal constraints1. Vendor lock-in is a risk that is most likely to be acceptedas a result of transferring business to a single CSP, because it may offer some benefits such as lower prices, higher performance, or better integration. However, vendor lock-in also has some drawbacks, such as reduced flexibility, increased dependency, and limited innovation2. Therefore, customers should carefully weigh the pros and cons of vendor lock-in before choosing a CSP and try to avoid or mitigate it by using open standards, multi-cloud strategies, or contractual agreements3. References: What is vendor lock-in? | Vendor lock-in and cloud computing; What Is Cloud Vendor Lock-In (And How To Break Free)? - CAST AI; CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 3: Cloud Computing Concepts, page 97.

VDI, or Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, is the result of performing a physical-to-virtual migration of desktop workstations. VDI is a technology that allows users to access and run desktop operating systems and applications from a centralized server in a data center or a cloud, instead of from a physical machine on their premises. VDI provides users with virtual desktops that are delivered over a network to various devices, such as laptops, tablets, or thin clients1. VDI offers several benefits, such as improved security, reduced costs, increased flexibility, and enhanced performance2.

SaaS, or Software as a Service, is not the result of performing a physical-to-virtual migration of desktop workstations, but a cloud service model that provides ready-to-use software applications that run on the cloud provider’s infrastructure and are accessed via a web browser or an API3. SaaS does not involve migrating desktop workstations, but using software applications that are hosted and managed by the cloud provider.

IaaS, or Infrastructure as a Service, is not the result of performing a physical-to-virtual migration of desktop workstations, but a cloud service model that provides access to basic computing resources, such as servers, storage, network, and virtualization, that are hosted on the cloud provider’s data centers and are rented on-demand. IaaS does not involve migrating desktop workstations, but renting infrastructure resources that can be used to host various workloads.

VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is not the result of performing a physical-to-virtual migration of desktop workstations, but a technology that creates a secure and encrypted connection between a device and a network over the internet. VPN does not involve migrating desktop workstations, but connecting to a network that can provide access to remote resources or services. References: What is VDI? Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Definition - VMware; VDI Benefits: 7 Advantages of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure; What is SaaS? Software as a service | Microsoft Azure; [What is IaaS? Infrastructure as a service | Microsoft Azure]; [What is a VPN? | HowStuffWorks].

Shadow IT refers to any IT resource used by employees or end users without the IT department’s approval or oversight. This can include SaaS applications that are not aligned with corporate policy or governance. Employees or teams may adopt shadow IT for convenience, productivity, or innovation, but it can also pose significant security risks and compliance concerns. Therefore, it is important for IT organizations to have visibility and control over the IT devices, software, and services used on the enterprise network. References: : CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 1, page 14 : CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 1, page 15 : CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 1, page 16Top of Form

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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.

Geo-redundancy and backup are two methods that can ensure the availability of data that is accessed across multiple sites. Geo-redundancy is the practice of storing data in more than one geographic location, such as different regions, countries, or continents. This can improve the data availability by reducing the impact of natural disasters, network failures, or malicious attacks that may affect one site. Geo-redundancy can also improve the data performance by allowing users to access the data from the nearest or fastest site. Backup is the process of creating and storing copies of data that can be used to restore the original data in case of data loss, corruption, or deletion. Backup can ensure the data availability by providing a way to recover the data from a previous state, such as before a hardware failure, software error, or human error. Backup can also protect the data from accidental or intentional modifications that may compromise its integrity or security.

Geo-redundancy and backup are different from other options, such as auto-scaling, provisioning, locality, and zones. Auto-scaling is the ability of a cloud service to automatically adjust the amount of resources allocated to a workload based on the demand or usage. Provisioning is the process of allocating and configuring the resources needed to run a cloud service or application. Locality is the principle of storing data close to where it is used, such as in the same region, country, or jurisdiction. Zones are logical or physical subdivisions of a cloud region that provide isolation and redundancy for the cloud resources. While these options may also affect the data availability, they do not directly address the data access across multiple sites, which is the focus of the question. References: Extending a Datastore Across Two Sites with Stretched Clusters, SQL Server Multi-Subnet Clustering - SQL Server Always On, What Is a Distributed Database? {Features, Benefits & Drawbacks}, Cloud Computing Availability - CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) Cert Guide

 APIs (application programming interfaces) are sets of rules and protocols that enable communication and data exchange between different applications or systems. APIs can facilitate interoperability when extracting and pooling data among different CSPs (cloud service providers) by allowing standardized and secure access to the data sources and services offered by each CSP. APIs can also enable automation, scalability, and customization of cloud solutions. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, page 163; CompTIACloud Essentials+ Certification Training, CertMaster Learn for Cloud Essentials+, Module 4: Management and Technical Operations, Lesson 4.3: DevOps in the Cloud, Topic 4.3.1: API Integration

Change management is an IT practice that aims to minimize disruptions to IT services while making changes to critical systems and services5. Change management involves planning, testing, approving, and implementing changes in a controlled and systematic manner6. A change is defined as adding, modifying, or removing anything that could have a direct or indirect effect on services5. In this case, the cloud administrator should follow the change management process to ensure that the software upgrade is properly tested, approved, and applied.

Compute and storage reporting is the best resource to help estimate cloud costs for a redundancy option for an on-premises server cluster. Compute and storage reporting provides information about the current usage and performance of the on-premises servers, such as CPU, memory, disk, network, and I/O metrics. This information can help to determine the appropriate cloud service level and configuration that can match or exceed the on-premises capabilities. Compute and storage reporting can also help to identify any underutilized or overprovisioned resources that can be optimized to reduce costs12

Server cluster architecture diagram is not the best resource to help estimate cloud costs, because it only shows the logical and physical structure of the on-premises server cluster, such as the number, type, and location of the servers, and the connections and dependencies between them. This information can help to understand the high-level design and requirements of the server cluster, but it does not provide enough details about the actual usage and performance of the servers, which are more relevant for cloud cost estimation3

Industry benchmarks are not the best resource to help estimate cloud costs, because they only show the average or standard performance and cost of similar server clusters in the same industry or domain. Industry benchmarks can help to compare and evaluate the on-premises server cluster against the best practices and expectations of the market, but they do not reflect the specific needs and characteristics of the server cluster, which are more important for cloud cost estimation4

Resource management policy is not the best resource to help estimate cloud costs, because it only shows the rules and procedures for managing the on-premises server cluster, such as the roles and responsibilities, the service level agreements, the security and compliance standards, and the backup and recovery plans. Resource management policy can help to ensure the quality and reliability of the server cluster, but it does not provide enough information about the actual usage and performance of the servers, which are more critical for cloud cost estimation5

Geo-redundancy is the process of replicating data to a distant region from the original cloud storage. This safeguards data from regional disaster or outages and ensures that the data is always accessible and available. Geo-redundancy is one of the disaster recovery options that requires little to no downtime in the event of a natural disaster. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) Study Guide, Chapter 3: Cloud Business Principles, Section 3.4: Disaster Recovery, page 7612; Cloud Storage Requirements- What You Need to Know - CompTIA3