Ensuring virtual machine formats are supported by multiple cloud vendors mitigates which risk?

• A. Vendor Lock-in
• B. Infrastructure Transfer Risk
• C. Source Code Escrow
• D. Modules

Answer: (B)

Portability of virtual machine formats across cloud vendors directly reduces Infrastructure Transfer Risk. When multiple providers support the same VM format, you can export a VM from one cloud and import it into another with minimal compatibility issues. This makes it feasible to shift workloads in response to cost, performance, or strategic needs without being forced to rebuild or reconfigure from scratch. The risk here is being unable to move infrastructure because of format or tool lock-in; standardized, widely supported VM formats lessen that risk by enabling smoother transfers between environments. While it also helps reduce vendor lock-in in a broader sense, the most specific risk addressed by portable VM formats is the ability to transfer infrastructure between clouds.