A network administrator is defining organizational responsibilities across various enterprise cloud deployments. Match each operational scenario on the left with the corresponding cloud service responsibility tier on the right.
- Configuring OS network security groups, applying OS security patches, and managing installed web server middleware on cloud virtual instancesCustomer responsibility in Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
- Deploying application source code into a managed runtime framework while relying on the vendor to maintain the underlying OS, web server binaries, and database engineCustomer responsibility in Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Managing end-user accounts, multi-factor authentication rules, and data access policies for an enterprise cloud productivity suiteCustomer responsibility in Software as a Service (SaaS)
- Replacing physical RAID controllers, maintaining host hypervisor updates, and managing physical facility securityCloud Provider responsibility across all cloud service models
Answer
The operational tasks match their respective cloud service model responsibilities as follows: Managing guest OS patches and middleware corresponds to customer responsibilities under Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS); deploying code to a managed runtime framework corresponds to customer responsibilities under Platform as a Service (PaaS); managing user access policies for hosted applications corresponds to customer responsibilities under Software as a Service (SaaS); and maintaining host hypervisors and physical hardware is the cloud provider's core responsibility across all service models.
Each cloud service model defines a distinct boundary of operational ownership between the customer and provider under the shared responsibility model. In Infrastructure as a Service, customers control the operating system, middleware, and applications. In Platform as a Service, customers control application code and data while the vendor manages the operating system and underlying runtime framework. In Software as a Service, the vendor manages the complete software stack, leaving data governance and account access configuration to the customer. Physical infrastructure hardware and hypervisor health remain provider responsibilities across all cloud service models.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Cloud Shared Responsibility Model (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)