The team at Resolve are experts in servers, and Andrew answers some commonly asked questions about cloud servers to help you consider the possibilities.
First of all, what is a cloud server? To be honest, it is very similar to a server in your office (or “on-premises”), but a cloud server is located in a secure data centre. In fact, in some cases your server can actually exist in multiple data centres at the same time, so even if one data centre experiences an outage, your server would still be online and accessible.
Discover the pros and cons of cloud and on-premises servers
What are the key differences between a cloud server and an on-premises server?
Cost
You will own (or lease) your on-premises server, whereas you will rent a cloud server. The costs of renting a cloud server are on a monthly basis. Depending on which server you choose, you may be charged for the amount of data and time that you use the cloud server. A physical server will require a large sum up front and once you’re up to capacity, that’s that. With the cloud, you rent what you need when you need it.
Capacity
You can increase or decrease the size of your cloud server as you go along – it is much harder to do this with an on-premises server. The cloud infrastructure that you are running on will not be dedicated to you, but your server will be secure so no-one else can access it.
Reliability
The reliability of a cloud server is higher than an on-premises server as the data centre will have redundant internet connections and redundant power, which means if there is a power outage or an internet connection breaks, they have a whole standby system set up to maintain the data centre's infrastructure. Most offices are unlikely to have this facility, which doesn’t bode so well for physical servers.
Should I choose a cloud server or an on-premises server?
Whilst every organisation is different, we are increasingly finding that the benefits of moving to a cloud server outweigh the negatives, especially for SMEs.
In general, a cloud-based solution provides the following benefits over an on-premises server:
• Reliability – Cloud servers and the datacentres they sit in have multiple layers of redundancy built in. On a simple level what happens if there is a power cut at your office or the internet goes? Answer… your on premises server goes down too. In a multi-million-pound datacentre however, they have huge batteries and diesel generators, and multiple redundant internet links, so even if there are the odd issues there, they have the resources to ensure that everything doesn’t go down all together.
• Scalability – With a cloud server you are able to grow (or shrink) your systems at the click of a button without purchasing new servers or systems.
• Cost – Tied in with the above. If you need more storage, with a cloud server you just increase your capacity (pay for what you need). With a physical server, if you’ve reached your capacity, then another server would be required. This would be a lot pricier!
• Time – Cloud servers remove the DIY element that physical servers require. No more looking after your physical servers in your IT room / cupboard… keeping them cool, clean, maintained and updated, this can be a job in itself.
• Security – Could-based systems are (if they are setup correctly), far more secure than an on-premises server. Again, the security around a multi-million-pound datacentre is far greater than most offices have.
• Space and aesthetics – I’m sure you’re probably aware that physical servers are not small and pretty. They also aren’t quiet. That’s why in most cases they are housed in their own space (a dedicated server room, or glorified cupboard for some) which we also highly recommend by the way if you choose to go down this route. This however can be a problem for many SMEs who simply don’t have the space to house a big old server. With a cloud server, you don’t have to worry about this because yes, you guessed it…it’s in the cloud.
• Speed – We can implement cloud-based systems quickly (and also make changes on the fly). It is like having a whole datacentre ready for you to use.
• Flexibility – Cloud servers are far more flexible in regards to remote working. Without a cloud server, if staff are working remotely they would have to access an on premises server via a VPN – which tends to be temperamental at the best of times. With a Cloud server, as long as internet connection is on point, then access to a cloud server is seamless.
What other considerations are there in moving to a cloud server?
When moving businesses to the cloud, we also have a few other considerations, for example:
• Connectivity – Who will be accessing the server in the cloud, how will they be accessing it and where from? Having a good internet connection is vital if you move to a cloud server.
• Software – What software do you currently use, and is it fit for purpose, how is the best way to set this up in a cloud environment? We can of course help with this if required.
• Integration – How can we make your cloud sever work well with your other systems (for example, Office 365)? Again, we’re not expecting an answer to that question, but that is the type of thing an IT partner would work through with a business when assessing the switch to a cloud server.
At Resolve, we are experts in helping organisations move to the cloud (we have done if for over 100 companies), so if you need any help or advice, please do get in touch. We are also offering a Free of Charge Cloud Readiness Assessment which takes the guess work out of whether your business and systems would be suited to a Cloud Server switch. For more information on this head over to https://landing.resolve.co.uk/cloud-readiness-assessment
Alternatively, to continue with your own reading and research, download our guide below on Cloud server or on-premises server pros and cons list.
