Cloud computing has taken a new turn with the widespread release of various cloud platforms like Amazon EC2, GoGrid, and others. Cloud computing consists of remotely storing all of a computer’s memory systems and processors. The user logs on to the Internet and retrieves an entire operating system running on a remote system. The advantages are comfort and safety. Users can store their information and projects away from their physical location and access them whenever they need to. Cloud servers differ markedly from traditional virtual private server environments.
A virtual private server, or VPS, is a special type of server created through a process called virtualization. Usually, a server is assigned one task at a time. Servers are the nodes that connect the Internet to each other. Web browsers retrieve the pages they display from servers. Virtualization effectively creates multiple virtual servers using the same physical machine. A program called a hypervisor is used to interact with each virtual server and keep the others unaware of each other’s existence. Virtualization increases server productivity at the risk of overloading memory and processing power. Each server has limits that can be reached through virtualization.
Cloud computing can use virtual private server platforms, but this creates several problems. Firstly, the hypervisor can keep each server separate, but the unfortunate result is that VPS platforms tend to be overbooked. This leads to resource misallocation which can cause server crashes and memory failures. The worst case scenario is complete data loss from such a situation. Cloud servers that do not use virtualization perform much better because their resources are dedicated to one user at a time. That being said, some forms of virtualization can mimic traditional servers in terms of performance.
Cloud servers provide a dedicated central processing unit (CPU) allocation along with dedicated memory. Cloud servers are almost never oversold. One hidden benefit is that many servers allow users to gain additional unused CPU cycles. Combining virtualization with cloud servers can yield some interesting benefits. Virtualization allows a user to launch a new server instance from any server already in their account. Storing sensitive data is also easier since the storage is on the host server. Data is retained in the event of an unexpected malfunction, such as a server crash, so data can be recovered once the server comes back online.
Some hosting companies are able to accomplish this through their unique implementations of a hypervisor program. Open source applications are becoming much more popular as users and businesses look to reduce borrowing costs. Open source hypervisors often lend themselves to unique interpretations. Virtualization combined with cloud server technology is opening the door to a new era. The way servers are used will change as cloud computing begins to catch on, despite lingering security concerns. Cloud servers free a business or consumer from staying in a physical location.