Cloud computing is storing data in online virtualized environment. The storage where the flies are stored is formed by combining several dedicated servers into one. This creates a single resource pool which acts as is it were the resource of a single server. Ever since the dawn of internet and related services, cloud computing has become more and more mainstream. Hosting services, too, were started to be dictated by cloud hosting. Many relate this increasing craze of cloud to its advantages that seem almost too compelling when compared to traditional storage solutions.
Following are the Advantages of Cloud Over Traditional Computing Platforms:
Scalability: Scalability is the ease with which hardware or its specifications can be adjusted to meet the changing business needs. Scalability in computing means how easily can a server upgrade or downgrade its RAM, processor, storage or bandwidth. Though scalability could relate to anything, it is generally used for storage. Upgrading conventional servers could be nightmare. Because cloud services have unlimited resource underneath it, it can be scaled in an instant to cope with inflections demand curves. Cloud hosting services can be scaled with just a few clicks. All you need to do is login to your account, buy a new plan and overwrite the existing.
Reduced Support and Hardware Needs: Cloud is a completely outsourced service that relies on third party infra rather than your own. The service is also operated through the internet so internal hardware has little role to play. Though the cloud’s hardware has direct impact on how your services perform, client’s computer has no role to play in cloud’s performance. Thus, there is reduced dependence on hardware, which is the primary cause for troubles and needs frequent support. Getting hardware fixed or repaired can take a lot of time, inflicting significant damage on both you customer base and on-site traffic.
Physical Security: With dedicated servers maintained in-house, not only is there cyber risk but also there is always some physical risk lingering. The servers are housed within the data center providers. Data centers are fortresses unto themselves. There are as many as 6-7 security layers that need to be evaded before an intruder can have his hands on your server. Moreover, the bare metal servers are themselves encrypted so the data is more or less inaccessible even if the servers get stolen. Data is stored in multiple servers and in portions, thus decrypting will not solve the problem either.
Scalable Load Balancers: there is no other way to handle surged traffic in dedicated server but to perform hardware upgrade. Cloud hosting, on the other hand, makes use of load balancers to evenly distribute traffic all throughout the pool. When you use load balancers to evenly distribute your workload for optimized resource utilization. Thus, at no point, your resources are under-utilized. Load balancers are also helpful when there is too little load on the system. Under such scenarios, most of your server’s resources sit idle eating power. Load balancers evenly distribute any ongoing computation so tasks are accomplished faster notwithstanding that the processing capability is the same.
Business Continuity: Businesses, these days rely on how seamlessly you are able to access and deliver data to end clients. Any discontinuity in data transmission directly disrupts operational capability. Thus, parameters like downtime and performance play critical role in ensuring business continuity. Being able to access your data quickly allows you to conduct business as usual. Cloud hosting makes use of load balancers and also several servers at once. This ensures that even if one of the server’s malfunctions, data can be retrieved and delivered from other bare metal within the same resource pool.