Even 20 years ago, when the first LaaS cloud was just launched, it seemed to many that a cloud and local server was like heaven and earth. Over time, surveys show that users stopped noticing the difference between the two environments. And the choice of a server for the most part depends on the needs of a particular business. Someone immediately stops at one of the options, and someone has to go a long way to find their own. I want you to immediately form a clear idea of the two environments, so I ask under the cat.When thinking about a cloud server, one rarely thinks about the physical machines or computers that make up the hosting environment. But these devices are simply hidden from us. All that is provided to the client for use is a folder for files and interfaces. And all resources and client data are distributed across multiple devices in different locations. Since we are used to being in control of the whole process, but this is lacking in the case of a cloud server, there are a number of key parameters that still motivated organizations to move from an on-premises environment to the cloud.
No initial investment
Sometimes there is a desire to open a business, but as always, at the start there are many doubts and the fear of losing money. Probably, it was this factor that played a decisive role in the transition to the cloud among small companies and startups. Since in the cloud it is precisely the necessary capacities that are rented, and not bought. And the cost for a certain period is calculated based on actual expenses. Agree that it is convenient.
Increase or decrease power
In a word, scalability. The second advantage that saves business, especially in an era of instability. On a cloud server, you can increase and decrease capacity indefinitely depending on your needs. Again, this does not require serious investments, the purchase of new equipment, or even shutting down the server. Pay only for what you use.
Cloud Service Provider Certification
Data on the server is stored in many activities and service sectors such as education, medicine, finance, energy, etc. To secure customer data, each industry has developed its own standards and requirements. And the supplier who offers the service must comply with them. Accordingly, the client does not have to turn to third-party certification agencies and the services of internal IT auditors.
Security
The issue of security is always the most exciting. I will not lie that there were no hacker attacks on cloud servers. The cloud uses all the same data protection methods as the on-premises environment. To prevent data from being intercepted, it is necessary to constantly carry out a number of actions: threat detection, encryption of confidential data, real-time monitoring, multi-level identification. And if the data is stored on a cloud server, then the responsibility is shared between the user and the provider.This is how the data center itself looks like, in which network and server equipment is installed. The data center has all the necessary engineering infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted and safe operation of equipment, including uninterrupted power supply, air conditioning and ventilation, communication systems and dispatch services. Against the background of all the described benefits, you immediately forget about the positive qualities of a local server. Therefore, now we will focus on the advantages of choosing each medium.
Local and cloud server costs (no numbers)
There will be no specific numbers here so as not to mislead you. Ultimately, anyway, someone will be cheaper on a local server, and someone in the cloud. I will explain what costs await you in each case.
local server
The first thing you need to invest in is a powerful server. A number of other IT services will then be required, as well as the involvement of certification specialists and internal IT auditors to ensure compliance with security and privacy requirements. Definitely, when you invest in your own equipment, then later it can be resold, replaced, and so on. You never know whether it will pay off or not, but it will not be superfluous to calculate in advance.
How is the cloud server going?
With the cloud, you don’t need a large initial investment in the hope that it will pay off in the future. Pay only for the used provider resources in real time. Everyone has a different payment system. When the server starts, the initial amount of memory, capacity, disk type, and number of processor cores are set. During operation, these parameters can be easily changed, the cost will change accordingly. For everything related to the maintenance of equipment and security systems, the company providing the service takes responsibility.Of course, cloud services are a complex system where you are offered a turnkey solution. But investing in your own car can be a good option if you have an IT department. But if the question of the required amount of resources leads to a dead end, then the flexibility and scalability of cloud servers is only in your favor.
Data protection
The information security system requires special attention. Since the advent of the cloud, it has been seen that people get a false sense of security when there is physical proximity to their data. Where should you store your data anyway?
Security on a physical server is your responsibility
If you put the equipment in your office, then all issues related to data protection fall on your shoulders. How to solve them? Or independently understand this area plus conduct constant monitoring of physical assets or contact third-party specialists. Full protection requires a firewall, encryption, and access control. It is clear that when hosting infrastructure in an office, a third party does not have access to your information. Your task at this stage is to build a security system.
Cloud Server Data Protection – Vendor Reputation
The cloud uses the same cybersecurity systems that we mentioned above. Only you are immediately offered a comprehensive solution in the form of multi-level protection. The companies that provide these services are building the entire system from continuous threat monitoring to the physical protection of data centers. Of course, this is taken into account when pricing.
Data Availability
It will be about mobility, which the whole world is now striving for. We are attracted by the ability to have access to important information from any device and anywhere in the world. To do this, you only need to connect to the Internet, which can now be caught even on an airplane. But this issue is not acute for everyone, since there are advantages in both the first and second cases.
Local server hosting
If the company has established work in the office, then the choice of a physical server is justified. When using it, there is no need to rely on an Internet connection, and also be limited by the bandwidth of the Internet channel. The speed of work when using such a server is limited by the power of the equipment. And in the case of a cloud server, it varies depending on the needs.
In the cloud
The data that is on the cloud can be accessed regardless of your location, but only with the Internet. This plays an important role for those who are constantly on business trips or outsourced. If there are failures when connecting to the network on your side or on the side of the cloud provider, then the information will be temporarily unavailable.
Data access
Do not confuse this concept with the previous one. Since the question here is how much data will be accessed in the two environments, as well as whether it is possible to control them.
local server
If you install your own equipment, then it can be configured taking into account some specific tasks. All hardware and software will be at the disposal of a small circle of people whom you allow to work with the server. In this regard, the physical machine clearly wins.
cloud server
Here, the whole process is controlled by cloud providers, and you will not be able to dive into it 100%. But even now there are changes in the market. Companies offering cloud server services have begun to embrace the principle of “transparency”. Thus, the client is provided with documentation with data on external audit, security assessment, etc. This forms a trusting relationship between the seller and the buyer.
Backup
Nobody wants to lose days, months or years of work. Therefore, it is worth thinking in advance about the process of data recovery after failures. A comparison of the two types of servers is already waiting for you below.
local server
The most difficult thing is for those users who do not think about losing data. Because it happens all of a sudden. If one day the server crashes, then it will take n-th amount of time to restore the entire system and transfer files to another server. Just the same, downtime can be critical for both business and enterprises. A working recommendation is to turn to external services for backup. If this is not done, then at one moment you can lose data forever.
cloud server
Cloud clients do not have to worry about losing their information either in the event of an infrastructure breakdown or disaster. A multi-level redundancy system provides efficient and reliable data storage. In addition, the files are not located in one place, but are automatically distributed across several physical machines.
Scalability
As mentioned, reducing or increasing resources is possible due to the flexibility of the cloud server. With a physical server, unfortunately, this is not possible today. In case of shortage of capacities, it is necessary either to buy additional equipment or to change it.Thus, it is recommended to use a local server for enterprises or organizations that need to process large amounts of data quickly or are geographically remote from powerful Internet access channels.
local server
The server in the office is configured to precise specifications in terms of processor speed, disk space, memory, video settings (if needed). To make changes to these parameters, you will need to stop the server, purchase equipment. To reduce costs, you can determine as accurately as possible the amount of resources that will be needed for uninterrupted operation.
cloud server
If you take into account all the costs that will be spent on installing and running a physical server, then it is easy to guess that this is done with a long-term perspective. A cloud server is convenient because it can be rented for any amount of time and at any time. Even if it is a one-time project.It follows from this that the choice in favor of a local or cloud server is a matter of compromises and correctly set priorities. For example, if the company remains on a physical server, then it takes on the responsibility of managing the entire infrastructure. In exchange, he gets the opportunity to control and manage his data without intermediaries.In contrast, cloud solutions reduce your control over data. Everything you need for smooth operation is provided by the provider. Instead of control, the client has the ability to scale the cloud, receive information anywhere in the world, and all the benefits that were mentioned in this article.