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In today’s world, businesses of all types and sizes rely heavily on technology! Not only do we need our digital communications and emails, but we also often need our own software! Maybe it’s custom built, out-of-the box, or a customized out-of-the box solution. Regardless, these applications help businesses to operate efficiently and effectively. While many businesses have gone completely cloud based, it is not an option for everyone.
If you are a business owner running your own application that requires you to house it, then you will probably be faced with a decision…Physical or Virtual? As a business owner and not a technician, you may be wondering…what? why? Let’s break it down.
What is a Virtual Server?
A virtual server, also known as a virtual machine (VM), is essentially a computer within a computer. It’s a software-based representation of a physical server, created using virtualization technology. Here’s how it works:
Physical Server
Think of this as the actual hardware – the physical machine that sits in a data center. The physical server has a set of resources: processors, memory, and disk space. In fact, there could be many physical servers that work together or just one.
Virtualization Software
This is the magic that makes virtual servers possible. Software like VMware, Hyper-V, or KVM creates a layer that separates the physical hardware from the virtual machines. It allows you to divide up the psychical server into many servers. You can even connect many physical servers together and use virtualization software. When you do this, the software can move the virtual servers across physical servers. This can create optimization of the physical resources and the best performance for the virtual machines.
Virtual Server
On top of this virtualization layer, you can create multiple virtual servers. Each virtual server acts like a complete and independent server. It has its own operating system, applications, and resources. It even has its own networking. In fact, you can have 2 virtual machines on the same physical server running on completely different networks.
Why Use Virtual Servers?
Cost Savings
Instead of buying multiple physical servers, you can create several virtual servers on one physical machine. This reduces hardware costs and saves on energy and maintenance expenses. If you choose to host a solution, you don’t have to make a big upfront investment. You pay for only what you use.
Scalability
Virtual servers are incredibly flexible. You can easily add or remove resources like CPU, memory, and storage. You can adjust your resources as needed to meet your business requirements.
Improved Utilization
Physical servers often have unused capacity. Virtualization allows you to maximize the use of your hardware. You can run multiple virtual servers on a single physical server. A virtual machine can often run faster. The boot time can be seconds.
Disaster Recovery
Virtual servers can be easily backed up and moved to different physical machine on the fly. This makes disaster recovery quicker and more efficient. So, in case of a failure, you can quickly and easily take your backup to another virtual or cloud environment.
Uptime
Virtualization has redundancy often built in. You can connect multiple physical machines together that are all virtualized. This leaves your virtualized servers with no single point of failure. Hard drive dies? No problem. An entire server fails? No problem. If set up properly, your server can continue to run without any downtime or slowness, even if an entire server fails in the cluster.
Real-World Example
Imagine your business runs several applications, such as a customer database, shared files, Active Directory and an ERP system. Traditionally, you might need separate physical servers for each application. That can get expensive and complicated to manage. With virtual servers, you can run all these applications on a single physical server. Each with its own virtual environment. This setup simplifies management and reduces costs. It will also reduce your space and power requirements.
How to Get Started
1. Assess Your Needs
Identify the applications and services your business relies on. Consider how they can be consolidated using virtual servers. This can be done by your team or you can seek an IT Consultant for advice. You can also work directly with a Cloud Provider to set up your private cloud network. Many will even provide you with a proof of concept.
2. Choose Virtualization Software
There are various options available, from free open-source solutions to commercial products. Choose one that fits your budget, technical requirements, and technical comfortability. If you don’t have the team to manage it, call on the experts to take care of it all for you. Let the IT teams do their work, so you can run your business.
3. Set Up and Manage
You may need IT expertise to set up and manage your virtual servers. Many businesses outsource this to IT service providers who specialize in virtualization. If you are ready to try it yourself, there are many resources available online to help you work through it!
In Conclusion
Virtual servers are a powerful tool that can help your business save money, improve efficiency, and enhance flexibility. By understanding and utilizing virtual servers, you can streamline your IT infrastructure and focus more on what matters most – growing your business.
Embrace the future of technology with virtual servers, and watch your business thrive in the digital age!
