Cloud vs Dedicated Server Hosting | What are the differences and Which one is better?
Dedicated Server and Cloud computing hosting are two methods of high performance hosting solutions which you can use it depend on the requirements. Both are almost the same with its own advantages and disadvantages. The Major advantage of cloud instance hosting is its high scalability and comparatively cheaper than dedicated hosting.
Dedicated Server – Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated server means, as name denotes by itself a physical server dedicated to you as per your requirement specifications. This was an ideal solution for hosting services since it has its own advantages. The whole resources are fully dedicated to the hosted user only. This is a single tenant environment. If you buy a dedicated server hosting services, you can pre order the operating system and database or any other application you want. Some providers charge for setup fee and addition fees for any services you order with dedicated server. For example, even server management software, firewall, support and any trouble shooting you need to pay.
Performance wise dedicated server is the best option among any hosting plans or solutions. But major disadvantage is the scalability and optimum resource utilization. If you take a real world example, assume you have a web sever hosted with live cricket score information system. During cricket seasons you will get hit spike and more resource utilization and other days less utilization. If you get more hits, you need more processing power as well as more bandwidth. So scalability is very hard in dedicated hosting or dedicated server option.
Cloud Computing Hosting or Cloud Instance Hosting
Cloud computing concept is to deliver virtual servers with a specific configuration details with specific operating system, applications and services. The physical location of cores (Processors or computation power), software, and data access and storage space is immaterial to the users. Cloud Computing uses the Virtualization technique in order to achieve its criteria.
Simply saying, it’s a pool of computers providing computing power where we can build as per our requirements. Generally Cloud Computing instance can be instantly ordered and will be activated next moment. The major advantage in Cloud Computing is, its high scalability. You can hire resources even per hour basis. Cost wise it’s cheaper compared to dedicated hosting. Cloud Computing hosting solution is ideal for above average usage hosting and with easy upgrade and downgrade options.
Advantages of Cloud Computing Instance
(1) Easy Scalable, instant upgrade or downgrade with simple restart.
(2) Cheaper in Price and hourly hire possible
(3) Centralised monitoring of Cloud
(4) Expand on fly
(5) High Reliability and easy disaster recovery
Difference Between Dedicated Server and Cloud Computing Hosting
(1) Dedicated Server is single tenant and Cloud Computing Instance is a multi tenant environment.
(2) Setup is required in dedicated server and incur cost as well, whereas in Cloud Instance, instant setup and easy upgrade and downgrade without any additional costs.
(3) In Cloud Computing Instance hosting, we don’t need to do any forecast on resources and can deploy hardware as an when required on fly whereas in dedicated hosting we need to do initial survey about our usage and growth.
(4) You will have full KVM access on the dedicated server and limited KVM access on the cloud server.
(5) Comparatively Cloud Computing Instance of same computing power as dedicated server is cheaper.
(6) In dedicated server if any hardware fails recovery time is high whereas in cloud instant hardware switch over with a simple restart.