220-1101 Question 372
Single answerCommunity cloudA regional group of public school districts wants to move student records and collaboration tools to the cloud. The districts need to share costs, use similar security and compliance controls, and allow only participating school districts to access the environment. They do not want the general public or unrelated companies using the same cloud environment. Which cloud model best fits this requirement?
- A
Public cloud
- B
Private cloud
- C
Community cloud
- D
Hybrid cloud
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The best answer is community cloud. In CompTIA A+ Core 1, candidates are expected to recognize common cloud models and apply them to business scenarios. A community cloud is used when several organizations share similar requirements, such as regulatory compliance, security standards, or operational goals, while restricting access to members of that community. This is different from a public cloud, which is open to a broad customer base, and from a private cloud, which is dedicated to one organization. A hybrid cloud is a combination model, not the best direct answer here. This aligns with standard cloud definitions commonly referenced in industry guidance such as NIST cloud deployment models, where community cloud is described as infrastructure provisioned for exclusive use by a specific community of consumers from organizations with shared concerns.
- A. Incorrect.
Public cloud is incorrect because public cloud services are offered broadly to many customers over shared infrastructure. Although public cloud can be secure, it does not specifically describe an environment restricted to a defined group of organizations with shared missions or compliance needs.
- B. Incorrect.
Private cloud is incorrect because a private cloud is typically dedicated to a single organization. In this scenario, multiple school districts want to share the same cloud environment and costs, so a single-organization model does not best fit the requirement.
- C. Correct.
Community cloud is correct because it is designed for multiple organizations with shared concerns, such as compliance, security, policy, or operational requirements. A group of school districts that need restricted access, common controls, and cost sharing is a practical example of a community cloud deployment.
- D. Incorrect.
Hybrid cloud is incorrect because hybrid cloud refers to combining two or more cloud deployment models, such as private and public, with portability between them. The scenario is asking for the single best deployment model for a shared, restricted environment among similar organizations, which is community cloud.