Final answer:
A switch uses the IP address to locate and load the iOS image during the boot process. The switch does not use MAC address, VLAN ID, or subnet mask for this task.
Step-by-step explanation:
A switch uses the IP address to locate and load the iOS image. When a Cisco switch boots up, it looks for the iOS image to load using a sequence of locations, primarily based on its configuration settings. The switch does not use the MAC address, VLAN ID, or subnet mask for this process.
The boot sequence includes checking settings in the configuration register and the use of variables in the Boot Environment Variable set on the switch. If no specific instructions are set, the switch will attempt to load the iOS image from the default flash memory. Understanding how a switch operates and the role of the IP address in this context is crucial for network configuration and troubleshooting.