It’s a common misconception that bare metal equates only to on-premise environments and cloud to hyperscale environments such as AWS, GCP and Azure. But there is a middle ground that combines bare metal machines and cloud-like provisioning: bare metal cloud.
You’re no longer forced to choose between the reliability and security of dedicated servers or the scalability of cloud; bare metal cloud combines the two as a service that offers bespoke server hardware, with the potential to scale - much in the way you would with hyperscale.
This blog will explain the common misconceptions and go back to the basics: how to understand your server needs, how bare metal as a service operates, and how it compares to the alternatives such as hyperscale cloud.
Bare metal cloud is a business model designed to deliver bare metal servers in a cloud-like fashion. If bare metal as a service is the renting of a dedicated server, bare metal cloud is that and more - with additional flexibility to scale rapidly during moments of increased traffic.
If you don’t have the capabilities to own and manage your servers on-premises or in colocation, you have two options that fall under infrastructure as a service (Iaas): bare metal cloud or hyperscale cloud. What you choose should be determined by your requirements in performance, scalability and cost, just to name a few. So, what are the key differences between the two, and how can you make an informed decision on which is best for you?
The bare metal cloud industry utilizes dedicated servers, where the owner / tenant has exclusive access over its capabilities and configuration. Hardware components such as the processor, RAM and storage are all customizable based on the business’ requirements, and the operating system (OS) is installed directly onto the server.
Hyperscale cloud servers are bare metal servers that have been virtualized. Using software called a ‘hypervisor’, the server hardware is divided across several virtual machines (VMs). Each VM can host its own OS, allowing one physical server to be shared across multiple tenants virtually. It’s not uncommon for dozens, or even hundreds of different businesses to be sharing a single hyperscale cloud server.
It isn’t just the server setup you’ve got to consider when choosing between bare metal cloud and hyperscale cloud. Equally as important is the provider’s business model.
A key difference between the two comes down to billing. The hyperscalers charge on a per-second basis. This is great for short term scaling, but comes with the risk of unpredictable pricing and invoices that are hard to make sense of.
As a result, more hyperscale cloud customers are seeking billing transparency. 95% of IT leaders want increased visibility and control over their cloud costs. It has even been reported that 30% of the average cloud bill is wasted spend. It’s evident that those using hyperscale are left fiscally blind.
On the other hand, bare metal cloud offers more consistency when it comes to billing. Whilst traditional enterprise bare metal cuts the unpleasant surprises in favor of consistent month-to-month contracts, if you’re looking for a greater level of flexibility, bare metal cloud services offer hourly pricing – perfect for scaling resources up and down along with volatile traffic.
Our whitepaper A roadmap out of hyperscale cloud, explores how Infrastructure as as Service (IaaS) is helping to optimize cloud costs in tough market conditions.
Where there are challenges with hyperscale cloud, bare metal cloud may have the solutions.
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Hyperscale cloud |
Bare metal cloud |
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Bespoke hardware |
Servers are shared with many tenants through a virtual environment, so there is no opportunity for customizing the hardware. |
As the sole tenant, the user has exclusive access to how they set up the server. They can optimize the RAM, storage, and processor to their needs. |
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Resource contention |
As a shared server, users can be sharing with potentially hundreds of others. This can cause other users to encroach on your resources in times of high traffic. |
A dedicated server has no ‘noisy neighbours’. There is no risk of your resources being in contention with other users. |
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Security |
Sharing a server with other users could impose security risks to your infrastructure (e.g., because of stolen credentials or improper configurations). |
Users of a dedicated server have sole access to their server, ensuring no compromise to security. |
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Cost |
Unpredictable pricing and unsustainable costs make navigating hyperscale finances near impossible for many. |
A choice between consistent monthly/annual contracts or hourly rates gives the user full transparency in where their costs are going. And if flexibility is your priority, bare metal cloud also offers hourly rates. |
The allure of hyperscale cloud is often seen through its instant scalability, promise of simplicity and the enticement of free credits. For many businesses, especially startups who may not have a wide view of the infrastructure landscape, it’s easy to see hyperscalers as an insurance policy. Reliable, familiar, flexible.
And startups are right to assume the flexibility they have with hyperscale cloud. For them, it can be a great option as they are still at the early stages of navigating their infrastructure needs. But as these businesses (and their server requirements) begin to grow, their free credits dissipate into unpredictable and unaffordable invoices.
And it’s left CTOs and technical officers looking for other, more transparent, options for their infrastructure.
Where hyperscale cloud’s pricing has become so convoluted that many businesses don’t know what they’re paying for, bare metal hosting ensures that you are only using as much as you need.
However, no business is without its peaks and troughs in demand. The near-instant scalability that hyperscale offers is what lends its hand to highly volatile industries such as video streaming – Netflix for example needs to be prepared for higher-than-expected traffic every day.
But what if a surge in your usership isn’t a common occurrence?
If your resource requirements are predictable or scaling events can be planned for ahead of time, this is where bare metal cloud comes into its own. But should you have an unexpected spike in traffic in what is otherwise a planned scaling event, a hybrid infrastructure can tap into the hyperscalers on a ‘as and when’ basis.
To help narrow down your search for a server provider, the bare metal cloud industry is divided between managed and unmanaged services. This is something to consider before starting your research, as the real expertise lies in the providers that offer just one, not both.
Managed and unmanaged servers each have their different styles and strengths:
Managed providers will oversee your server infrastructure, such as installing and maintaining the OS, applications such as PHP and .NET, and will conduct the overall management of your dedicated servers. Managed dedicated servers are recommended for businesses who lack in-house expertise to configure and maintain the server and its OS.
Unmanaged providers take responsibility for all your equipment, offer you service level agreements (SLAs), and give you the flexibility to choose your desired operating system (OS). Unmanaged dedicated servers will be preferable for businesses that have existing in-house expertise with the confidence and resources to configure, manage and maintain servers.
For many businesses currently struggling in hyperscale cloud, bare metal cloud can be the antidote to the chaos. Hyperscale certainly has its merits for those with volatile scaling requirements or startups in their infancy who still need the time to navigate their server needs. But beyond that, bare metal as a service offers a much-needed alternative for businesses looking for transparent costs, support, and greater control over their infrastructure.
