E027 is a three-unit course in WGU's Bachelor of Science, Cloud and Network Engineering and its AWS, Azure and Cisco versions. It introduces the foundations of virtualization and how it supports infrastructure as a service (IaaS).
The guidebook says the course examines the role of virtualization in modern IT infrastructure, with emphasis on practical implementation and on how it contributes to scalable, efficient and cost-effective solutions.
The trap for many students is treating it as a tools course. The competencies also ask you to evaluate technologies and propose a solution to a business problem, which means reasoning about trade-offs.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Course | E027, Virtualization and IaaS |
| Competency units | 3 |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Programs | BS Cloud and Network Engineering and its AWS, Azure and Cisco versions |
| Prerequisites | None stated in the course description |
What E027 Covers
| Competency (WGU wording, summarized) | What it asks of you |
|---|---|
| Configure a virtual environment with various tools and technologies | Set up and document a working virtual environment |
| Evaluate virtualization technologies for various types of IT deployments | Match technology to deployment type |
| Propose an IaaS solution to solve a business problem | Recommend an infrastructure service with reasons |
Key Concepts Explained
Hypervisors and Virtual Machines
A hypervisor lets several virtual machines share one physical host, each with its own operating system. Type 1 hypervisors run directly on hardware and suit servers; type 2 run on top of an operating system and suit desktops and testing.
Virtual Machines and Containers
Virtual machines include a full operating system and give strong isolation. Containers share the host kernel, start faster and use fewer resources, but isolate less strongly. The right choice depends on the workload.
Infrastructure as a Service
In IaaS the provider supplies virtualised computing, storage and networking on demand, and the customer manages operating systems and applications. The benefits are flexibility and no hardware purchase; the costs include ongoing charges and the need to manage what runs on top.
Illustration: A design studio has ten aging servers, each using about 10% of its capacity, and a renewal bill due. Consolidating the workloads as virtual machines on two hosts raises utilization sharply and reduces power and space. For a rendering job needed only before deadlines, the proposal rents IaaS capacity for a few days each month instead of buying hardware that would sit idle.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
| Task element | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Configuring a virtual environment | Practical skill | Record the steps, settings and checks that show it works |
| Evaluating technologies | Comparison | Use consistent criteria such as isolation, cost, performance and management |
| IaaS proposal | Business reasoning | State the problem, the proposed service and expected benefits and risks |
Comparing Deployment Options
A comparison table helps in the evaluation competency. Choose deployment types from your task, then rate how well each option fits.
| Deployment need | Good fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Strong isolation between tenants | Virtual machines | Separate operating systems |
| Many small, fast-starting services | Containers | Lightweight and quick to scale |
| Short-term burst capacity | IaaS | Pay only while used |
| Steady predictable load | Reserved or owned capacity | Often cheaper over time |
A Study Approach for Each Competency
For the configuration competency, treat your lab as a mini project. Write a short list of what the environment must do, build it one piece at a time and record settings and tests as you go. If the evaluator asks how you know it works, your log provides the answer.
For the evaluation competency, choose the deployment types named in your task and rate each technology against the same set of criteria.
For the IaaS proposal, start with the business problem in plain words, then explain why renting infrastructure beats the alternatives, what it will cost over a sensible period, and which duties remain with the customer. A balanced proposal names its own risks.
Weak and Strong Proposals
An IaaS proposal is judged on reasoning. The table shows how to turn a bare recommendation into a persuasive one.
| Weak | Stronger |
|---|---|
| The company should move to the cloud because it is modern. | The company needs extra capacity for two months each year. Renting IaaS capacity for that period avoids buying servers that would sit idle for ten months. |
| IaaS is cheaper. | For the steady daily load, owned or reserved capacity costs less over three years, so the proposal uses IaaS only for the seasonal peak. |
Where Students Get Stuck
- Undocumented setup. If an evaluator cannot see what you configured, it is hard to give credit.
- One-size-fits-all answers. The evaluation competency asks you to vary the choice by deployment type.
- Ignoring cost over time. Compare short-term and long-term costs.
- Forgetting management duties. In IaaS, the customer still patches and secures the operating system.
Study Tips for E027
- Build a small lab and note each step as you go.
- Learn the terms hypervisor, snapshot, resource allocation and elasticity until you can explain each simply.
- Write the business problem in one sentence before proposing a service.
- Check the rubric lines against your headings.
How We Help with E027
Send the task, your notes and the rubric. A writer can prepare a model comparison and proposal, explain virtualisation concepts, or review your draft. This is study support only: we do not access lab environments, and you complete your own work under WGU's academic integrity policy.
GradeEssays is independent of Western Governors University. Orders are written from scratch, include free revisions within the scope of your original request, and are refunded in full if late.
Get Your IaaS Proposal Clear
Share the task, your draft and feedback. We help you link each technology choice to a business need.
Start My E027 HelpFree revisions · Full refund if late · Written from scratch for your order
Frequently Asked Questions
The guidebook lists 3.
The BS Cloud and Network Engineering and its AWS, Azure and Cisco versions.
Yes. One competency is configuring a virtual environment with various tools and technologies.
Infrastructure as a service: virtualised computing, storage and networking supplied on demand by a provider.
The course description is vendor-neutral; check your task for any required platform.
Yes. We check the reasoning, comparison and rubric match, and explain what to improve.