Cloud servers are virtual server that you can rent and manage however you want. The company that you have purchased the server from installs the Operating System (usually Linux based OS, but now I’ve seen they are testing this with windows as well) and you can install anything else that you need for your specific networking needs. You also have automatic updates for all the applications installed on the server and a lot of other very important features, like priority technical support and 24/7 troubleshooting for your server.
They seem to be very good at the whole customizing aspect and that is their main benefit. Of course, cloud servers also come with everything else that makes them good and useful servers. They also seem to be very reliable because of a very simple aspect. The fact that the software installed is based on simple architectures and does not require special components. You can utilize simple hardware configuration, unlike other servers that require specially designed hardware configurations. Because of this the overall price is lower and it is more reliable because the server is easier to maintain. Basically, with these cloud servers, it takes a couple of minutes to diagnose and fix any kind of hardware related problem.
The cloud server is a pretty smart approach to hosting an internet website. Basically, you have control over every little aspect in the server’s functionality. When you purchase the cloud server you get the space, an installed OS and technical support. Everything else that you need for your own purposes can be installed easily on the specific cloud server. In simple terms, the cloud server is a fully customizable server and if you need it to be running windows, several companies are in the beta test phase of this type of server.
So, this is the closest thing you get to having your very own server, but without having to spend a large amount of money to build that server. I believe that this type of server is very cost effective because it basically offers everything you need in one small package. You can install your very own programs and applications, such as security programs and SQL databases.
The best part about the cloud server is the fact that a systems engineer is always on the job to make sure that everything works as it should and if you have trouble with anything, the specialized personnel is there to help you at any point in time.
Scalability is another important aspect I see. With cloud servers, not only can you throw together low cost hardware devices and split the load (put it on the software layer), load balancing is heavily improved and stripped down versions of the OS can be used. With the trend in cloud computing, cloud servers are sure to catch up.
