Which cloud deployment model exclusively allows control over hardware resources?

The infrastructure as a service (IaaS) model is designed to provide users with extensive control over the hardware resources. In an IaaS deployment, users can provision and manage virtualized computing resources over the internet. This includes servers, storage, and networking, giving users the ability to configure and optimize hardware according to their specific needs.

IaaS allows for a high level of flexibility and management of the underlying infrastructure, which is why organizations often choose this model for workloads that require a custom environment or need to manage the full stack, from virtual machines to networking configurations. Users have the ability to install their operating systems and applications and are responsible for managing or securing everything above the virtualization layer.

Other deployment models, such as PaaS (platform as a service) and SaaS (software as a service), abstract much of the underlying hardware management. PaaS offers a platform allowing developers to build and deploy applications without the need to manage the underlying infrastructure, while SaaS provides fully managed applications where users have no control over the hardware. Function as a Service (FaaS) further abstracts infrastructure management by allowing users to run code in response to events without managing servers. Hence, IaaS stands out as the model that provides exclusive control