Cloud servers: all their advantages and disadvantages
What is a cloud server? It is a virtualized computing server whose resources are available remotely. In fact, cloud solutions hardly surprise anyone today. We store files, photos, messages, contacts, and basically everything in the cloud. Nevertheless, at the enterprise level, there is still some distrust of cloud technologies and a tendency to install a massive server rack directly in the office. Let's review all the advantages and disadvantages of a cloud server and understand whether such storage is worth acquiring.
From a terminology standpoint, cloud computing is the ability to access a common, pre-agreed, configurable set of computing resources without significant effort from the service provider. A key feature of cloud technologies is that the user, when requesting computing resources, does not think about or know where they are located or how they operate; this becomes the responsibility of the service provider.
Accordingly, cloud solutions are a way of providing computing resources combined with principles of shared infrastructure, virtualization, and network access. Cloud technologies have revolutionized and radically changed the way information and technological resources are delivered, offering incredible advantages over classic in-office server racks.
Main Advantages of Cloud Technologies
The benefits of using cloud technologies primarily lie in the fact that the cloud service provider (e.g., XServer) has much greater flexibility and computing power than a non-specialized business could afford. From this, the main advantages follow:
- Efficiency: Cloud solutions can easily be clustered regardless of their geographical location, allowing seamless scalability and maximum load handling.
- Security: Protection is provided via firewalls and perimeter encryption. There is also the option to add specific rules for working with virtual containers.
- Flexibility: Instant configuration of resources, software, and hardware for any needs, with easy scalability during peak loads or when necessary.
- Automation: Cloud software dynamically and automatically allocates requested resources, saving on daily personnel actions.
- Easy Access: Accessible via remote desktop or even a browser window.
- Optimization: Managed by a specialized company, ensuring optimized components and operation as a single system, which increases efficiency.
As we can see, cloud technologies represent a fundamentally different level of interaction between the user and computing resources. They are an element of progress and the future, radically changing all previously known principles. This approach allows resources to be used far more efficiently than with not only a physical server in an office closet but also a dedicated server in a data center.
Cloud Servers: Storage Advantages
One common argument against cloud technologies is the perceived risk of losing access to data. However, this is more of a stereotype than reality. In practice, classical corporate systems are far more vulnerable, for several reasons:
- Physical access to data: Breaking into a data center and removing hard drives with important information is very difficult. Cloud services also back up client data multiple times.
- Data theft via network breaches: Extremely unlikely. Modern encryption algorithms provide such a high level of security that cracking protocols like OpenVPN could take thousands of years.
- High-level DDOS protection: The computing power of data centers far exceeds what an average business could achieve, so attempting to overload a virtual server only redistributes its load across other resources.
As you can see, claims about the unreliability of cloud storage are simply myths. On the contrary, the advantages of virtual servers provide a level of data security that no local server can match at a reasonable cost.
If you need to rent a server, contact our company. XServer specialists will answer all your questions and help you choose the appropriate plan.