Which cloud service model offers a managed runtime and platform, while the customer manages applications and data?

• A. Software as a Service
• B. Platform as a Service
• C. Function as a Service
• D. Infrastructure as a Service

Answer: (B)

This describes Platform as a Service. Here, the provider handles the underlying runtime, middleware, operating system, and hosting platform, so you don’t manage that layer. You focus on building, deploying, and managing your applications and their data, while the platform takes care of scaling, availability, and maintenance of the runtime environment.

In contrast, Software as a Service delivers a complete application—the provider manages almost everything, and you mainly use the software. Function as a Service is serverless and typically focuses on deploying individual functions rather than full applications, with even more of the runtime abstracted away. Infrastructure as a Service gives you virtual machines and networking, but you manage the operating system and applications yourself, which means more control and responsibility, not a fully managed runtime and platform.