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At first glance, cloud servers and virtual servers (commonly known as Virtual Private Servers or VPS) may appear difficult to distinguish between.

Fundamentally, a VPS involves a single physical server which can house multiple smaller virtual servers, each providing a dedicated server environment for the exclusive use of a single organisation. And with access to your own dedicated virtual server, you can tailor and configure it to meet your distinct needs.

However, reliability can be an issue with VPS. Performance can be adversely impacted if one site uses more than its fair share of physical server resources, meaning you could find yourself with a slower than desirable service. Equally, when you consider that any failure of the single physical server has the potential to result in the failure of all its associated VPS, the potential downsides become apparent.

While cloud servers share many similarities with a VPS hosting environment, instead of a dedicated virtual server created via a single physical server, the cloud spreads its resources across a number of different physical servers. Each user will therefore enjoy access to more resources, and servers that can easily be scaled up or down to meet changing traffic requirements.

However, the downside of cloud hosting is its inability to be as easily customised as its virtual counterpart.

How long is a piece of string? Every business is different and, for that reason, will have different requirements and expectations of its cloud hosting service. Business size and set-up, the nature of operations, and future goals will all play apart in helping to identify the best cloud-based server solution for you.

Often, the most appropriate cloud solution is a tailored one, incorporating elements of both the private and public cloud. A good managed service provider or external IT consultant will take time to gain a thorough understanding of your current business needs and future requirements. These in-depth insights will informsmart recommendations for the solution you need.

If you’re keen to start exploring the potential costs involved with a system that will give you what you need, why not call Intergrid today? We can talk through your needs, and from there provide an indication of the likely costs associated with the solution that’s right for you.

Thanks to the ability to spread resources across a number of different physical servers, cloud server users enjoy reliable and consistent access to more resources. The number of servers involved in the set-up means uptime will be maximised and performance will be noticeably improved.

What’s more, in the event of your physical server experiencing failure, your business will simply be switched to an alternative, which is a benefit that VPS cannot claim. Scalability is another big advantage of the cloud. With an entire network to tap into for increased storage, scaling can be managed easily and at a moment’s notice, whenever changing traffic levels or demand for its services are expected.

Absolutely! The majority of start-up businesses will go for a shared hosting platform initially, and this is usually more than fit-for-purpose during the initial stages of a business. It’s a cheaper option for a start, thanks to the cost of its resources being divided between multiple users.

As a business grows, so do the risks associated with a shared hosting environment – site crashes, security breaches and slow load times, to name a few. It will therefore likely become necessary to consider upgrading to a cloud solution as your business evolves.

When upgrading from a shared solution to the cloud, it’s important to consider the distinct needs of your business, and your future goals. A good managed service provider or external consultant will be able to advise on the upgrade that’s right for you.

There are lots of types of hosting when it comes to the cloud. This can seem overwhelming, particularly for the uninitiated. Dedicated, public and private clouds all carry inherent advantages and disadvantages.

Every business varies greatly in its networking needs. Any decent IT consultant should be able to help identify your priorities. In turn, they will recommend the most appropriate cloud solution for your needs, while always remaining mindful of any budgetary constraints.

Often a straight choice between distinct server options is not the right way to go. Increasingly, business owners are opting for various types of hybrid solution, which might incorporate any combination of the various features associated with the different types of cloud. This is great news because handpicking the most advantageous elements will mean a highly-customised solution that’s perfect for your business.

Essentially, you continue to own all data created by your people and stored in the cloud. The cloud server provider, however, retains ultimate control over it. Often, a provider’s terms of service will stipulate their right to keep hold of your data, in order to be able to comply with any legal regulations.

On the plus side, a range of highly-reliable security options are available to make sure your data is encrypted and safely stored once in the cloud. And it’s the service providers themselves that are responsible for securing your data against misuse.

The cloud has long been applauded by advocates for its ability to offer straightforward, fast and affordable scalability, with easy ramping up of services to support future growth (or even ramping down, if required). With an entire network available to tap into for increased storage, this can be implemented almost instantly.

The answer to this question depends on your business, its size and the nature of its operations, alongside a list of other important considerations. For one business, VPS might offer the ideal solution, while for another the cloud may really offer the only sensible option.

Broadly speaking, there are certain advantages and disadvantages associated with each of these cloud server hosting environments.

Cloud hosting provides a near unlimited amount of server resources. For businesses experiencing variable traffic levels, or that are intending to scale quickly, the cloud is definitely an option worth considering. With an entire server network at the user’s disposal, increased storage can be implemented at a moment’s notice.

Thanks to its ability to divide resources across multiple physical servers, cloud servers also offer reliable and uninterrupted access, speedy performance, and guaranteed uptime as a consequence of their capacity to switch your business to an alternative server should its primary physical server experience outage or failure.

One major disadvantage of the cloud as a hosting solution is around customisation. This is an area where VPS definitely has the edge. With this option, your business will be given access to its own dedicated virtual server, which can be tailored and configured to meet your specific requirements.

However, reliability can pose an issue when it comes to VPS. For instance, if one user sharing your single physical server takes more than their fair share of resources, you could experience frustratingly slow speeds. Another concern is that if your physical server experiences damage that prevents it from operating as normal, all virtual servers stored within it will be equally prevented from functioning, potentially leaving businesses without access to their critical business information.

So, while a VPS is powerful, customisable, cost-efficient and can offer improved performance, the chances of experiencing issues around limited resources, or of your server going offline completely, are significantly higher than with cloud hosting.

Cloud-based monitoring is the review, observation and management of operational workflow within a cloud infrastructure. A number of tools and techniques can be used for this purpose, and help determine the performance of your server, critical business applications, website and more. While it is possible to perform some of these monitoring activities manually, there is an ever increasing shift towards automated monitoring software options, which are generally designed to offer central access and improved control over your cloud environment.

Traditionally, public cloud servers have been accepted as having superior scalability capabilities, when compared to their public counterparts. However, more and more companies are turning to hybrid options, popular due to their ability to provide the scalable computing power of the public cloud, with the security and control advantages of a private cloud solution.