Traditional IT infrastructure tended to rely on physical hardware, which in a digital world just doesn’t cut it anymore. Virtual servers are a great way to help businesses of all sizes stay ahead of the curve, allowing them to scale while remaining secure. In this blog we are going to look at how virtual servers can future-proof your IT infrastructure, giving you a flexible, robust system.
A virtual server is a software-based version of a physical server, and it runs on a physical machine but acts as if it were a standalone computer. Multiple virtual servers can run on a single piece of hardware, each isolated from the others.
Now you may be wondering how this works, but it is made possible through software called a hypervisor, which enables a single physical computer to run multiple virtual machines.
The main reason why businesses are moving away from traditional IT infrastructure is due to the costly process of purchasing, installing and maintaining the equipment. It used to work well in the past, but as businesses are becoming more digital than IT infrastructure has evolved to accommodate this. Here are just a few of the disadvantages of a traditional IT system:
Not only do virtual servers address all of the pain points associated with traditional IT infrastructure, they also offer greater flexibility and efficiency. Here are the key benefits of virtual servers, and how they future-proof your IT setup:
One of the main advantages of virtualisation is how easily businesses can scale. If more resources are needed, you simply allocate more CPU, RAM or storage within a few clicks – no need to go out and purchase new servers. This is particularly beneficial for businesses with fluctuating demands such as retailers as this allows them to easily cope with peak shopping periods.
Virtual servers can be backed up and restored much more easily than physical servers. There is even the ability to replicate your entire virtual environment to another location – perfect if disaster strikes. In the unlikely event that hardware does fail, a virtual machine can be set up on a different server in minutes.
By running multiple servers on one physical machine, this reduces the need for expensive hardware. This also cuts down on electricity and space which is an added bonus.
Each virtual machine is isolated from others which hugely improves security as this means that if one virtual server is compromised, then the others shouldn’t be affected. Regular snapshots can also be taken so that the virtual server can be easily rolled back to a certain date or time if something does go wrong.
Centralised management tools make it a lot easier to monitor, control and update all virtual servers from one dashboard. This helps to streamline IT operations and reduces workload on the IT team too. Updates, patches and configuration changes can be easily rolled out across multiple servers.
Virtual servers really are the future, and by embracing this technology you are preparing your business to be faster, safer and more agile. If you are planning to scale or modernise your IT systems, virtual servers are the way forward. Get in touch with our expert team if this is something you are interested in and we can help make this happen.
*This article contains general information in order to assist all of our customers and is meant for guidance only – there are no guarantees that the information we provide will be suitable for your particular needs. If you require specific assistance, we recommend that you seek professional guidance on your individual circumstances. Reality Solutions are in no way responsible for any loss or damage arising from any information contained within our articles.