Why Your Virtual Servers Should Be In the Cloud

Organisations that use virtual servers can gain significant operational advantage from using cloud technology alongside virtualization. In essence, the two compliment each other, and if you’re moving towards full virtualization, the cloud is the next logical step forward.

In this article, we’ll look at how Dell cloud server technology is giving businesses greater opportunities when modernising their IT infrastructure.

Understanding Virtual Servers

A virtual server is a slice of a dedicated server that operates as an independent entity from other servers on the host. It’s allocated its own resources, such as RAM and disk space, and is insulated from other operating systems so that it can run completely independently.

In essence, the only thing that’s shared between virtual servers on the same physical server is the hardware they run on and the virtualization platform that created them.

While virtual servers are an extremely efficient way to use resources, they can be vulnerable to downtime. And because they don’t share any data with each other, they cannot prop each other up if there is a fault with one virtual machine.

Additional Cloud Benefits

Moving data into the cloud allows you to store data in a central location where it can be accessed by multiple virtual machines. With virtual servers provisioned by Dell (http://www.dell.com/learn/uk/en/rc1050266/virtual-data-center)  using a cloud platform, resources can be adjusted dynamically depending on each server’s needs at the time. In the same say, storage can be shared between servers.

The cloud also allows virtual servers to be deployed, changed, moved and deleted in instant, giving system administrators the power to instantly adapt the network to the needs of the business. Without cloud technology, a virtual server cannot be efficiently or instantly restored if it were to fail.

Using Virtualization With the Cloud

Virtualization and cloud technology are sometimes misunderstood as being two sides of the same coin. While they are undeniably closely linked, and often found together in a dynamic, software-based data centre environment, business can have one without the other. The real question is why that would happen.

For a while, cloud adoption was slow because of concerns about security, but businesses of all sizes are in the middle of a seismic shift in the way security is managed. We no longer play catch-up as our users try to adapt corporate IT infrastructure by bringing their own devices; instead, we can develop policies that make BYOD safer and ensure data is completely secure.

As part of the Dell team, I know we have a great range of virtual servers and cloud solutions for your business. Visit the site at dell.co.uk and browse the solutions on offer.