Virtual Servers

Since introduced, virtual servers have made huge strides of improvement. But what exactly is a virtual server, and why would you consider one over a physical hardware server? For starters, a server is a component that connects to a network of computers. It’s sole purpose is to manage resources that are available on a computer network. Those resources include things like access to data files, programs, and devices on a network. A virtual server is an evolution of a physical hardware server that simulates its functions in software format.

Benefits of Virtual Servers Over Physical Hardware Servers?

• Cost Efficient: Implementing a virtual server over a physical one means less power demands and lower hardware cost.
• Scalable: As a business grows, the scalability of a virtual server is a major benefit. The ability to add server resources on-the-fly saves maintenance down time.
• Test and Staging Environments: Virtual servers give you the ability to test new versions of an operating system or software without fully switching over. Within seconds you can easily roll back to a previous version or snapshot, giving virtual servers a one up over physical servers.
• Disaster Recovery: Disaster recovery in this day and age should take seconds. With a virtual environment, your IT provider can plan for failover. Virtual servers have the ability to have multiple physical servers set up as failover clusters, giving your infrastructure the ability to easily recover from hardware failure. Backup software designed for virtual environments can recover a virtual server’s state to any point in time within seconds; before a virus hits or someone accidentally deletes something critical. Virtual gives you the most flexibility for the future.

Final Thoughts on Virtualization

While there are still some software companies that don’t fully support virtual servers, most are making a big push to support virtual environments. New hardware is focusing on compatibility with virtualization which makes the decision more appealing. With all the above in mind, any business should discuss going virtual with their IT provider to see what’s best for their business.