The world of servers has seen many changes in the past few years. One of the newest types of servers made available to the public is the virtual server. The idea of virtualization is the going beyond physical servers. What essentially happens is that the identity of the server and its other components are masked from the user or client. This enables the client to concentrate more on maintaining the website rather than the technicalities that come with maintaining a server. But what are the advantages of switching to a virtual server in this physical world?
The advantage of going virtual is that you minimize the cost of acquisition of computer system while still maintaining efficiency. In the case of server virtualization, when one physical server is down not much damage is experienced since multiple servers have been virtualized. This results to higher productivity and performance. When making a decision on virtualization of your computer resources, there are several things that you must consider in your network. These are the data centre, environment, ISP’s and applications. The distribution of the users is also vital. With such considerations you will surely enjoy the benefits of virtualization.
Green IT
Saving the environment is a cause with which the IT industry has also embraced. What happens when you go for a virtual server is that you consolidate all of the machines into just one or a few physical servers without compromising the functionality of each virtual server. This translates in lower power consumption as well as reduced cooling costs for the data center. While more still needs to be done in order to paint the entire industry green, this is a great step towards a green computing environmentalism.
Space Saving
When you are successful at consolidating your servers, this essentially reduces the space needed in order to house these physical servers. You’ll also be able to get rid of racks as well as other accessories that come with maintaining a large data center. Moreover, if you do not have your own data center and have to utilize a co-location facility, you’ll also be able to save on space costs since you do not have to house as many physical servers with virtualization.
Lesser IT Costs
Especially when you opt for dedicated virtual servers, you can make use of the expertise of your host’s in-house IT specialists in order to take care of the nitty gritty aspects of maintaining a server as compared to hiring your own people in order to manage the physical server for you. This basically allows you to cut operating costs for your business and increase your profits in return.
More Flexibility
Most web hosting companies give their clients the option to increase the storage for their virtual servers as well as other computing resources in a moment’s notice. If your business requires you to respond to every contingency in a matter of mere seconds, then you won’t go wrong with having a virtual server.
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Phil Smith gives great insights on websites, servers, and data storage. He has several useful ideas from www.macquarietelecom.com
