There are many different types of servers that you can rent or buy these days. Choosing the best option for you is always the main thing for the business. Two of the most common opportunities available on the market at the moment are the virtual server and the bare metal server. Both have some clear benefits that have to be taken into account.
In order to help you understand these servers better and to make a suitable choice, let’s talk about what they are and why they are preferred by business owners from around the world.
Bare Metal Servers
The bare metal server is practically a physical server. It has just one customer or tenant. This means that you can fully customize the server based on the needs you have. You control the entire workload. The bare metal server is also known as single-tenant server or dedicated server.
Before computing became cloudified, the bare metal server was run from the data center owned by the business. Nowadays, it is much more common to see the bare metal server being run from special colocation centers. They can also be rented based on subscriptions from managed hosting server providers. Subscriptions are sold on a per hour or per month basis.
Virtual Servers
Virtual servers are not physical objects. They are practically created with the use of special software that can mimic regular dedicated server functioning. Numerous virtual servers can thus be hosted on just one machine. They share the hardware resources of that machine.
Every single virtual server includes a separate reboot provisioning, operating system, and software. All security passwords and systems behave like they are operating on a bare metal server.
Obviously, the workload that affects a virtual server can impact another virtual server hosted on the same server. However, this is almost never a problem.
Bare Metal Server Benefits
- Very good performance is always offered.
- The workload can be fully optimized.
- The operating system is directly installed on the server.
- All applications are natively run.
- Bare metal servers are highly reliable. With the multi-tenant servers, you can be affected by the unwanted noisy neighbor effect. The problem is avoided simply because the server is a single tenant unit.
- An extra security layer is included because these servers are separate physical entities.
Virtual Server Benefits
- Renting the virtual server is very cost-effective because you do not have to pay for having access to extra hardware.
- Flexibility is very high. When you do not know exactly what your business’ computing needs are, the virtual server offers as little or as much workload as is actually needed.
Final Thoughts
Both virtual servers and bare metal servers have their own advantages that have to be taken into account when you choose between the two. For instance, if you want the highest possible performance, extra security, and a superior reliability, the bare metal server is the best choice. On the other hand, if you are interested in greater flexibility and high cost-effectiveness, the virtual server has to be taken into account as it is a better option.