In which service model does the cloud service provider handle the installation, configuration, and operation of the application infrastructure?

In the Platform as a Service (PaaS) model, the cloud service provider takes responsibility for managing the underlying infrastructure, including the installation, configuration, and operation of the application environment. This allows developers to focus solely on building and deploying their applications without needing to worry about the complexities of the hardware and software infrastructure.

PaaS provides a runtime environment, development frameworks, and tools that are necessary for developing and deploying applications. It abstracts away much of the management tasks associated with server maintenance, networking issues, and scalability, enabling developers to concentrate on coding and improving their applications. This is especially valuable in terms of speeding up the development process and enhancing productivity.

In contrast, other service models like Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) require users to manage their own operating systems and applications, while Software as a Service (SaaS) delivers complete software applications over the internet without requiring user management of the underlying infrastructure. Function as a Service (FaaS) involves running code in response to events but does not encapsulate the broader application infrastructure management as PaaS does. Thus, the PaaS model is specifically designed to alleviate developers from the operational burdens, streamlining application development.