In the context of IaaS, what does the cloud provider manage?

In the context of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), the cloud provider is responsible for managing the underlying hardware assets that support customer applications and data. This includes servers, storage systems, networking equipment, and the virtualization layer that enables the provisioning of these resources. By handling the physical infrastructure, the cloud provider allows customers to focus on deploying, managing, and configuring their own applications and operating systems without worrying about the maintenance and management of hardware.

The hardware assets are crucial as they provide the foundational capabilities that enable the services offered in IaaS. This model gives users flexibility and scalability, as they can allocate resources as needed without a significant upfront investment in physical hardware.

Additionally, while a cloud provider may assist in user authentication processes and ensure internet connectivity, these areas often involve components that are part of the customer’s responsibility or fall under different service models, such as Platform as a Service (PaaS) or Software as a Service (SaaS).