Cloud, bare server, VPS and colocation: which server to choose?

Regardless of the type of business, the construction of IT environment is based on physical machines. Depending on the scale of the business and other parameters, in some cases only a fraction of the virtual machine is needed, and in others the client needs an entire server room for its IT infrastructure. How do you select a service to suit your needs?

The choice of server depends not only on the scale of the business, but also on the dynamics of market development, financial resources and audience. How to cope with the collection and processing of data on an increasingly large scale? Choose the cloud or a dedicated solution?

Cloud

Cloud computing, in a nutshell, is a kind of ICT service that consists in providing the customer with virtual space and software and technical facilities. When it comes to functioning of the infrastructure, this process is on the side of the service provider. The customer does not have to deal with servers or software and uses his time for his own activities. This solution is increasingly popular in the market, especially abroad. In Poland, the number of cloud supporters is also growing.

Data is fully secure thanks to the Telecommunications Law, RODO and the existence of an SSL certificate (enterprise credential, data encryption). There are several different types of cloud:

• private – space and computing power are put fully at the disposal of the Customer. Private cloud means building your own server room, software and hardware belongs to the customer. This solution is very flexible, scalable and will work best for large enterprises and institutions. The highest cost and at the same time the highest level of data security,
• public – a public cloud, which is accessed immediately after purchasing the service. The customer pays only for use, not as a subscription. You don’t have to worry about buying software, hardware – it’s all available right away,
• Hybrid – a combination of both types of cloud. In this type of infrastructure, data and applications can be moved between the public cloud and the private cloud. This is an option for more demanding customers with diverse demands.

VPS

This service (Virtual Private Server) is based on partitioning the physical machine, , which are shared with different clients. It is an intermediate solution between shared hosting and a dedicated server. The VPS is shared between different users, so the speed of the server can vary. In contrast to the cloud, customers have less access to data in a disaster situation, and this type of service is not subject to autoscaling. This means that VPS is a good solution for smaller businesses, but who expect a little more than shared hosting (sharing more space). Managed VPS (dedicated hosting) is an option for those moving from shared hosting who do not have the time to manage the server.

Bare-server

It is a server without an operating system, that is, a physical server for the only Customer who leases it. Each server can be used by multiple users, but is dedicated to one Client. What distinguishes it from dedicated hosting is its management by a computing system devoid of an operating system and any utility applications. This system differs from the most common virtualized computing machine, which is shared among multiple users. It is considered as an alternative to IaaS cloud facilities, in which the customer is provided with the IT infrastructure, i.e. hardware, software and service.

Co-location

This is otherwise hoteling of servers, i.e. renting space in a server room and providing the infrastructure needed to run the servers (fee for lending space in server room). All the hardware belongs to the customer, and the service provider lends space to the customer. Co-location of switch, router and similar equipment works on a similar basis. Co-location is the creation of favorable conditions for the server (temperature and humidity), powering the server, protection against intrusion and immediate response to failure. The customer also gains 24/7 access to the server room.

Servers at ITH Cloud

At ITH, there are several cloud and dedicated service options, such as Public Cloud, Cloud VPS, Manage VPS, Containers and Object Storage. We are specialists in the telecom services market, and our services are aimed at SMEs, startups, as well as large enterprises, public institutions, developers, financial institutions or telecom operators. Our solutions are fully transparent and compliant with RODO regulations. We invite you to take advantage of our services.