The correct answer isD. Virtual Machines (VMs). In the context of cloud computing,Virtual Machines (VMs)are software-based emulations of physical computers. They run an operating system (OS) and applications just like a physical machine would. VMs are often hosted on physical servers using hypervisors, which allow multiple VMs to run on a single physical machine, thereby sharing resources like CPU, memory, and storage.
Why Virtual Machines (VMs) are Suitable for Data Processing:
Full OS Environment:VMs provide a complete operating system environment, making them suitable for running complex data processing tasks that require specific OS configurations.
Isolation:Each VM operates independently, providing isolation between different workloads, which is essential when processing sensitive or diverse data sets.
Scalability:Cloud providers offer VM scaling options to meet the demands of data processing workloads.
Compatibility:VMs can run legacy applications that may not be compatible with newer cloud-native technologies.
Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
A . Platform as a Service (PaaS):PaaS provides a platform for developing and deploying applications without managing underlying infrastructure. It is not directly related to VM-based processing.
B . Serverless Functions (FaaS):Serverless computing abstracts the infrastructure and is used for running discrete functions rather than emulating entire machines.
C . Containers:Containers package applications and dependencies but share the host OS kernel. They are lightweight compared to VMs and do not fully emulate physical computers.
Real-World Example:
If a company moves a data processing application that was traditionally run on an on-premises physical server to the cloud, they might choose VMs on services like AWS EC2, Azure Virtual Machines, or Google Compute Engine to maintain the same OS environment and application compatibility.
Reference:
CSA Security Guidance v4.0, Domain 7: Infrastructure Security
Cloud Computing Security Risk Assessment (ENISA) - Virtualization Risks Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) v3.0.1 - Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Domain