A company uses cloud services and is setting up a new switch supplied by the cloud provider. Which cloud model is used by the company?

A company uses cloud services and is setting up a new switch supplied by the cloud provider. Which cloud model is used by the company?

• DaaS
• IaaS
• PaaS
• SaaS

For more Questions and Answers:

ITE 8 | IT Essentials 8 – IT Essentials A+ 220-1101 Certification Practice Exam Answers Full 100%

✅ Correct Answer: IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

🔍 Introduction to Cloud Models

Cloud computing offers flexible, scalable, and cost-effective services delivered over the internet. These services are generally categorized into four main models:

1. SaaS (Software as a Service)

2. PaaS (Platform as a Service)

3. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

4. DaaS (Desktop as a Service)

Each model provides different levels of control, flexibility, and responsibility. Understanding the differences is essential when choosing the right service model for an organization’s IT needs.

In this case, the company is setting up a switch provided by a cloud provider. This indicates that the cloud provider is offering network infrastructure components, not just applications or platforms. Let’s explore why the correct answer is IaaS and understand each option in detail.

---

🧱 What is IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)?

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the most fundamental level of cloud services. It provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, including:

• Virtual machines

• Storage

• Servers

• Firewalls

• Load balancers

• Switches

• Networking components

With IaaS, businesses rent IT infrastructure on a pay-as-you-go basis from a cloud provider such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform. This model gives organizations more control over the operating systems, storage, and deployed applications, while the provider manages the physical hardware.

In this scenario, the switch is part of the cloud infrastructure, meaning the company is not only using the cloud for software but also relying on it for physical or virtual network devices. This clearly falls under IaaS.

---

🖥️ Other Cloud Models – and Why They Are Incorrect

❌ SaaS (Software as a Service)

SaaS provides fully developed software applications accessible via the internet. Users do not manage or control the underlying infrastructure, only the application interface.

• Examples: Gmail, Microsoft 365, Dropbox, Zoom

• Use case: End-users access software applications hosted by the provider.

Why it’s incorrect here:
The company is setting up a network device (a switch), not using a software application. SaaS is about using ready-to-use applications, not configuring or managing infrastructure components like switches.

---

❌ PaaS (Platform as a Service)

PaaS offers a development and deployment platform with tools for building, testing, and managing applications. It abstracts much of the infrastructure so developers can focus on writing code.

• Examples: Google App Engine, Heroku, Microsoft Azure App Services

• Use case: Developers deploy apps without managing OS, hardware, or storage.

Why it’s incorrect here:
This case is not about deploying code or applications. It’s about setting up infrastructure — which PaaS abstracts away. Setting up a switch is beyond what PaaS typically offers.

---

❌ DaaS (Desktop as a Service)

DaaS delivers virtual desktop environments over the internet. It’s a type of VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) hosted by a third party.

• Examples: Amazon WorkSpaces, Citrix DaaS

• Use case: Remote work and secure access to desktop environments.

Why it’s incorrect here:
The company is dealing with networking infrastructure, not virtual desktops or user interfaces. DaaS is unrelated to configuring switches or network devices.

---

🔧 Why a Cloud-Hosted Switch Means IaaS

When a company installs or configures a switch provided by a cloud provider, it indicates that the cloud provider is giving access to the networking layer of infrastructure. That could be:

• A virtual switch managing cloud-hosted VMs

• A physical switch managed via a cloud portal (e.g., Cisco Meraki)

• A software-defined networking (SDN) component in a cloud environment

This level of access and management control is typical of IaaS. The organization may configure:

• VLANs

• Routing

• Security rules

• Traffic shaping

All of these are infrastructure-related configurations and fall within the responsibilities of the customer in the IaaS model.

---

🧠 IaaS Characteristics at a Glance

---

🏢 Real-World Example

Imagine a company using Amazon Web Services (AWS). They deploy:

• EC2 instances (servers)

• Amazon VPC (Virtual Private Cloud)

• Cloud-hosted virtual switches and routers

• Security groups and firewalls

Here, AWS manages the physical infrastructure, but the company controls their virtual network topology — clearly an IaaS setup.

Similarly, if using Cisco Meraki cloud-managed switches, the company is buying infrastructure (a switch) that’s configured and managed via the cloud. Again, this is Infrastructure as a Service.

---

🧾 Conclusion

Setting up a switch provided by a cloud provider means the organization is responsible for managing part of the network infrastructure. The cloud provider supplies the hardware or virtual components, but the company does the configuration. This fits exactly into the definition of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

---

✅ Final Answer: IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

This cloud model gives organizations access to essential networking and compute infrastructure through the cloud, while still allowing significant control over how the infrastructure is used and configured — including the setup of switches.