Bare Metal Server VS.

Virtualization: A Quick Guide

February 6, 2016
Server Graphic Icon
If you ve been looking at clouds hosting options, you may have come across two dis
tinct cloud server offerings: bare metal servers and virtualization, or virtual
servers. But what exactly are they and what is the difference between them?
While we offer info about web hosting servers that provide both options, you ll wa
nt to educate yourself on these technologies before deciding which one is right
for you. The following is a comparison of the two types of servers, highlighting
their merits as well as some applicable uses.
First Thing s First: What is a Bare Metal Server?
A bare metal server is your traditional,
rganization or customer. In other words,
long to you alone as its sole user. This
restricted by compliance measures, which
and privacy controls.

physical server dedicated to a single o

the resources of a bare metal server be
option is ideal when organizations are
typically require strict data security

The advantages of bare metal servers are:

More processing power
Security and privacy
Better disk/network performance
Complete control and isolation of a server's physical resources
No financial surprises as hosting is typically billed on a monthly basis.
Hosting servers in a bare metal cloud requires a high
albeit predictable cost pe
r month, which may be underutilized and wasted. That said, if an organization re
quires the security and performance of a dedicated physical server, leasing a ba
re metal server truly is the only option.
Security, performance, and support options vary between the bare metal hosting p
roviders. Some provide complete turnkey management and maintenance services, whi
le others only offer the server, internet connection, on-site security, and limi
ted support.
Understanding Virtualization: the Hypervisor
The hypervisor, which is sometimes known as a virtual machine manager, is the pi
ece of the puzzle that makes server virtualization and virtual server hosting po
ssible. Think of the hypervisor as a layer that sits between the physical hardwa
re of the bare metal server and the operating system.
This layer has the ability to create multiple operating system instances
virtua
l machines within the bare metal server, and therefore multiple isolated virtual
server environments. Each one of these virtual servers can then be leased out t
o customers: a process known as multi-tenancy. Hypervisors are key to virtualiza
tion and cloud computing at large.
Conceptual visual of a data center
So What Exactly is Virtualization?
Virtualization is the dividing of a bare metal server into several virtual serve
rs. It is most appropriate in situations that require quick scalability over pur
e performance. Scalability is the traffic load a server can allow before its per
formance which essentially means speed
degrades to an intolerable point.

The advantages of virtualization are:

Quick horizontal scalability
whenever more server space is required it is ea
sy to provide additional virtual servers
Flexibility for varied usage and fluctuating traffic
Ability to control costs, since virtual servers charge only for the amount o
f resources used per billing period.
Virtualization and virtual server hosting are best suited for customers who requ
ire the flexibility to vary their usage. Just as your electric bill might fluctu
ate over the course of a year due to changes in usage patterns, organizations th
at expect to scale up or scale down their server resources quickly due to fluctu
ating traffic are best suited for a virtual server hosting solution. With a virt
ual server the costs are under control their costs by paying only for the used r
esources no more, no less. For example, online retailers that expect traffic spi
kes during the holiday season are well-suited for a virtualized solution.
It is important to note, however, that improper budgeting of virtual hosting res
ources can result in ballooning virtualization costs, as infinite scalability ha
s its price. Because billing is based on metered, on-demand use, a peak in traff
ic might not affect server performance, but may impact the customer's bill.