Which NIST Cloud Role Provides Connectivity and Transport Services?
According to the NIST cloud deployment reference architecture, which of the following provides connectivity and transport services to consumers?
Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Community Insight
This item tests NIST's separation of cloud carrier (transport) from broker (service intermediation) and provider (service delivery), and the trap is assuming any intermediary role handles connectivity.
NIST's cloud reference architecture assigns connectivity and transport services to the cloud carrier, distinct from the broker and provider roles. This page confirms why option D is correct and why the other NIST actors do not own transport.
Choosing cloud broker because it sounds like the middleman that connects parties; in NIST terms the broker negotiates and manages service delivery, while the carrier owns connectivity and transport.
Community Discussion (5 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
NIST SP 500-292 defines the cloud carrier as the intermediary that provides connectivity and transport of cloud services between cloud providers and cloud consumers. That is exactly the function named in the question stem: connectivity and transport services to consumers. The carrier is the network-side role, analogous to a telecommunications operator that links the consumer's access network to the provider's service. Therefore option D matches the NIST definition without stretching any other actor's responsibilities.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Cloud connector is not one of the NIST cloud reference architecture actors listed for this function; it is a distractor that may echo vendor terms such as a private connector. Cloud broker manages service use, performance and delivery and negotiates relationships, but it does not supply transport. Cloud provider makes cloud services available to consumers and remains accountable for service delivery, yet NIST assigns connectivity and transport to the carrier rather than the provider. Confusing broker or provider with carrier is the main trap because all three are intermediaries to some degree.Community Comment Notes
shaody's comment aligns with the NIST wording, describing the carrier as providing "connectivity and transport services" between consumers and providers. kinaJ reinforces the distinction by outlining the broker's negotiation role and the provider's service-availability role, which helps eliminate B and C. LordXander cites "CEHv12 - 3060" as the CEH item reference, and insaniunt simply records D, both consistent with the carrier verdict. nosavotor's doubt about the "ethical hacking approach" is not a technical objection to the NIST definition and does not change the answer.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
Memorize the NIST actor-to-function mapping: carrier equals transport, broker equals service intermediation and negotiation, and provider equals service availability. When a question mentions connectivity, transport, or network operators, eliminate broker and provider immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is cloud broker not the NIST entity for connectivity and transport?
The broker manages service use, performance, delivery and provider-consumer relationships; transport is assigned to the cloud carrier.
What distinguishes cloud carrier from cloud provider in NIST?
The provider makes services available, while the carrier supplies the connectivity and transport that deliver them to consumers.