Zini Technologies

Category: databases

  • Physical Vs Virtual Servers: A Comprehensive Guide

    Physical Vs Virtual Servers: A Comprehensive Guide

    Physical Vs Virtual Servers: A Comprehensive Guide

    It’s important to evaluate the key differences between physical and virtual servers if you’re planning to build a robust and effective network infrastructure. Each of the servers has a different approach to running applications. Physical server is a tangible hardware that has the ability to run Operating system in one instance whereas a virtual server is a simplified version that replicates the function of physical servers and can be deployed on a single physical server.

    Confused which server is the best fit for your business? This guide will help you make an informed decision.  

    What is a Physical Server?

    Physical server is a standalone piece of hardware that has its own motherboard, memory, CPU and interfaces. Some of the reasons why a physical server is an ideal option is when you need high computational power for running heavy applications. Being a standalone server, the physical server is isolated and doesn’t interfere with other applications. Lastly, resource allocation to specific applications is much more easily done. Physical server is targeted at clients who want high storage capacity, increased OS performance and minimize potential risks when using security-sensitive applications.

    What is a Virtual Server?

    Virtual server is an abstraction of a real server that mimics the operations of a physical computer. It can run multiple virtual machines simultaneously and each machine can run independently by using its own OS, storage, memory and computing resources therefore making it efficient and easily scalable. Virtualized servers can minimize the overall hardware costs and power consumption. Virtual server is targeted at clients who want to increase productivity without increasing the footprint and host web applications and testing environments.

    Evaluating The Pros and Cons of Virtual Server vs Physical Server Benefits of Physical Server:

    benifits of physical servers High Performance

    High Performance

    Because of their specialized hardware resources, physical servers outperform virtual servers. Since there is no external interference from other servers, it can improve your client’s application performance.

    High Maintenance:

    Physical servers must be maintained on a regular basis to reduce security risks, but troubleshooting is simplified because you just have to deal with one entity.

    Full Control:

    Total control over configuring or modifying settings to suit the requirements of clients is granted by physical servers.

    Dependability:

    Applications needing consistent performance benefit greatly from predictable resource availability and allocation on physical servers, which also leads to increased consistency and dependability.

    Downsides of Physical Server Implementation:

    Migrating between servers can be difficult and time-consuming. The installation calls for expert support.

    Expensive:

    Because physical servers require more physical space, power and cooling requirements, they are more expensive to buy, set up, run and maintain over time.

    Scalability:

    Compared to the smooth scalability of virtual servers, scaling operations with physical servers requires the purchase and setup of extra hardware, which is expensive and time-consuming.

    We’ve listed down advantages of virtualizing servers below: Benefits of Virtual Servers

    blog-physical_vs_virtual_servers

    Easy Implementation:

    Physical servers need a more involved setup procedure, whereas virtual servers are simple to build and operate immediately.

    Cost:

    Virtual servers and software may be expensive to buy initially, but upgrades are less expensive, so in the long run, this is a more cost-effective alternative.

    Easy Scalability:

    Virtual servers are very flexible for clients with fluctuating workloads or growth phases since they can be easily scaled up or down.

    Fast Recovery:

    Regular backups and snapshots provided by a virtual machine server make disaster recovery and system restoration easier in an emergency.

    Downsides of Virtual Servers Performance:

    The efficiency and stability of services provided to clients may be slightly impacted by shared resources.

    Security Risk:

    Despite improvements, there are always risks that can arise, therefore clients should think about their needs in this area.

    Choosing between physical and virtual servers is based on the client’s use case, budget, scalability requirements and performance expectations. 

    If a client needs processing and volume optimization and has a heavy workload, a physical server is usually the best option. However, because of its low cost, simple setup and long-term flexibility, a virtual server is the perfect option if your customer is a startup or a small business. 

    While some businesses decide between a real and virtual server, others might take a mixed strategy. This enables businesses to efficiently optimize overall performance, cost, and resource consumption while still utilizing the advantages of both solutions.  

    Backup and Security Physical Server vs Virtual Server

    backup and security

    Remember their security and backup capabilities now that you have a better idea of the pros and cons of each of the servers. 

    Physical Servers:

    Physical servers have security settings that are specific to each server because of their design. When you take into account processing power, memory and the privacy of data that is kept, it can get more complex. It becomes crucial to recover vital data and activities in the event that a physical server is destroyed to reduce business downtime and prevent damage. Restoring an actual server may take several hours or even days. In order to be ready for any dangers, a disaster recovery plan should be created beforehand.

    Virtual Servers

    Because of new technologies such as Virtual Server Agent at the hypervisor layer, virtual servers generally allow more centralized security and management—a universal security architecture can be established and applied with ease. In a virtual environment, disaster recovery is far easier to implement. Virtual servers nearly never experience downtime when a disaster happens since backups of the complete VM can be used to restore it. Virtual Server Agent is installed on the computer that supports back up and recovery.

    Use cases of physical servers Heavy applications

    A physical server is always best for clients who utilize demanding, resource-intensive applications or systems that need specialized hardware or maximum performance. Clients who work with huge and complicated databases, scientific simulations, or 3D rendering software are a few examples of good use cases for a physical server.

    Security sensitive tasks

    Is your client’s commercial success dependent on their security, which should come first? The ideal candidates for physical servers are financial institutions, government agencies and healthcare organizations that handle extremely sensitive data.

    Outdated systems

    It may be difficult for clients with outdated technology, software, or systems to virtualize their IT infrastructure. In certain situations, maintaining physical servers rather than completely rebuilding the systems could be more cost-effective, provided that it aligns with their overall financial limits.

    Use cases of virtual servers Evolving business models

    Does your client’s business have a lot of flexibility and the capacity to change course quickly and suddenly? An e-commerce website is a typical example, as it is subject to erratic and unexpected changes all year long. Because of their flexible scaling characteristics, virtual servers are generally the most efficient way to handle these changes.

    Use cases of virtual servers Evolving business models

    Does your client’s business have a lot of flexibility and the capacity to change course quickly and suddenly? An e-commerce website is a typical example, as it is subject to erratic and unexpected changes all year long. Because of their flexible scaling characteristics, virtual servers are generally the most efficient way to handle these changes.

    Development organizations

    Does your client work on software or websites? Virtual servers are the best choice for development and testing needs in many cases since they provide flexibility of numerous testing and building environments.

    Startups or projects with a lower budget

    If your customer is under a lot of financial stress and isn’t ready to shoulder the extra expense of setting up physical servers, virtual servers are the best option. As a result, running several virtual machine servers can lower hardware and operating expenses.

    Should You Use Hybrid servers?

    Utilizing a mix of physical and virtual servers could be the most cost-effective solution for a lot of clients. Think about using a variety of servers if your customer has multiple needs, such as seamless scalability and enhanced security. Disaster recovery is yet another important factor to take into account. Organizations can increase overall security and resilience by combining physical and virtual servers. Finally, you should discuss migration and transition options with your clients. A gradual switch from current physical systems to virtualized servers may be the most effective way for some firms with outdated technology or procedures to reduce downtime and security threats.

    Key Takeaway: Which Server Is Better?

    To sum it up, Physical servers are the best option for heavy workloads due to their extensive performance. If volume and/or processing speed are your top priorities, physical servers should be your workhorses. In contrast, virtual servers are scalability experts. Virtual servers usually work better for organizations that need to add and remove resources on demand, especially when money is tight. That suits the more volatile needs of major organizations as well as startups. You can get infrastructure managed services from Zini Technologies, which could benefit your team far more than just keeping them compliant and concentrated on critical strategic projects and skill gaps.

    Facebook
    Twitter
    LinkedIn
    WhatsApp

    Related Posts

  • Exposing the Biggest Threat to Cyber Security: How Small Businesses Can Protect Themselves 

    Exposing the Biggest Threat to Cyber Security: How Small Businesses Can Protect Themselves 

    Exposing the Biggest Threat to Cyber Security: How Small Businesses Can Protect Themselves 

    The Cyber Security Risks for Businesses That Could Bring You Down

    We know that cybersecurity risks affect all businesses. It is necessary to emphasize that cybersecurity threats exist in any company or business. It is also worth pointing out the fact that many small business owners might think that their relatively small size is their safeguard, thus they remain unnoticed. Still, in the era of generative AI and new models including Ransomware-as-a-Service, an attacker can automate the attack’s launching and attack multiple numbers of small businesses at the same time. These cyber security challenges are very risky and any small business needs to be wise about these challenges and Effects.

    The Myth and False Sense of Security Through Obscurity

    Small and medium-sized businesses do not constantly have their IT protection specialists and powerful protection systems. They may not put much emphasis on things such as cybersecurity training for their employees, or even utilize strong security measures as compared to others such as the use of multi-factor authentication or even password managers. However, even the least complicated organizations deal with large amounts of money or personal data of clients, for the protection of which the owner is bound by law, for example, according to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Hackers know that Small and medium-sized businesses are potential and, in many cases, more beneficial than their larger counterparts for an intrusion. 

    Supply Chain Attacks

    The attack types that have been on the rise include the supply chain or what is referred to as ‘island-hopping’. These attacks work by penetrating a big company’s smaller associates to access the big Company’s information. It shows how cyber security risks affect all businesses irrespective of their size due to the effects of this method on both small businesses and the affiliated larger corporations.

    The High Rate of Cyberattacks on Small Businesses

    Quite possibly, the largest risk of the attack lies in small business companies. There is a report that has shown that companies with an understaffed 500 people lose, on average, $3. 21 million per attack. If it happens it can ruin the business by harming the reputation significantly and even lead to business closure.

    Risks Small Business Face in the Realm of Cyber Security

    That is why small businesses should be knowledgeable about the top cyber security threats and measures they can take to protect against problems with cyber security. Here are the top five cyber security threats for small businesses.

    1) Phishing and Social Engineering

    Thus, phishing and social engineering attacks continue to be among the most common and effective cyber threats. Phishing looks like a trustworthy entity to deceive users into parting with their valuable information or clicking on a dangerous link. These kinds of attacks have gone high-tech to the extent that it is almost impossible to identify them. The Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks are specifically destructive as they fall under the phishing category and tend to cause losses of funds. 

    Based on the above outcomes, the following are the preventive measures that can help in the fight against phishing attacks; By that, means that if the organization puts into practice the multi-factor authentication (MFA) procedure, the user can eliminate more than 99% of identity-based threats. These controls are done under the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) since it demands at least two verification factors to open the account even if the password has been breached. Known methods like email security gateways or cloud-integrated email security (ICES) tools will be able to prevent the messages from reaching the users. These tools employ artificial intelligence to figure out looks for ‘suspicious’ domain names, typos, and ‘urgent’ look and feel. Furthermore, the security awareness training, and use of the phishing simulation, involves user training for the employees of a network and teaches them how to recognize phishing.

    2) Ransomware and Malware

    Malware in the form of ransomware and other varieties constitutes major risks for small businesses. It targets company files and makes them unavailable until a ransom is paid. Information shows that small business is the most affected with an average of 71% of attacks, and the attackers demand an average of $116,000. 

    To lessen ransomware one has to implement a zero-trust security model based on continuous authentication and the principle of least privilege, thus lowering the security exposure. Desktop security solutions such as cloud-based Domain Name System (DNS) web filtering solutions, strong endpoint protection, suitable enterprise VPN, and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) are required to stop ransomware and other malware threats. Data backup is a way through which business data can be recovered without having to pay ransoms as it is done in normal routines. Select the particular type depending on the organization’s needs

    3) Weak Passwords

    One of the major problems of the contemporary world is the usage of weak passwords that open the door to cyber criminals. The increasingly common cloud service presence in small businesses makes it easy for the latter to have one or more accounts hacked when they use one or multiple weak and reused passwords. 

    Password compromise prevention is a matter of implementing a business password manager into the company system. These are web-based tools that allow employees to safely store their passwords as well as share them securely. They also automatically create strong passwords for the new accounts and services. Although Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) does not get to the root of the problem in relationships with appalling passwords, it greatly increases the level of protection of accounts. Another possibility is to think about the Fast Identity Online (FIDO2-based) passkeys that entirely do away with passwords. These passkeys shall involve the use of a first cryptographic key together with a second cryptographic key for authentication. 

    4) Poor Patch Management

    uploading-files-on-cloud-service

    Disorganized patch management means an organization’s systems are exposed to known attacks. Small businesses typically lack the capacity and resources to ensure that all the devices and software are updated hence exposing the business to cyber risks. 

    The best way of avoiding poor patch management is the use of unified endpoint management. It is carried out by employing these tools that can automatically enforce patch deployment throughout the networks and endpoint devices. The use of vulnerability management tools, which perform periodic scans and enforce the patches, gives an organization timely alerts and fast mitigation of risks.

    5) Insider Threats

    The insider threat comes from the employees, contractors, or associates of the organization and might be deliberately or accidentally malicious. By malicious activity or just by carelessness, these threats can occur. 

    Some of the ways that can be employed in eliminating insider threats include; Users should be regarded as suspects always, this is known as the Zero Trust model, whereby each user is granted the minimum level of privileges needed for him/her to deliver his/her work. With the help of such solutions as unified endpoint management tools, it can be possible to protect the corporation’s devices. Data loss prevention solutions assist in preventing the leakage of information and enforcing policy on what data the organization is allowed to send out. It is also important to use insider threat detection tools, which are solutions that employ AI and machine learning to detect insiders’ behavioral patterns within your digital environment. 

    All-Round Shield for Small Companies

    When it comes to cybersecurity threats there is no one-size-fits-all for problems. The current threats also show that small businesses need to implement an excess of security and data backup solutions. Moreover, the presence of a good cybersecurity insurance policy may be very useful if a company is attacked. 

    This blog has defined the top cyber security threats that small businesses face and incorporating enhanced security measures will go a long way in preventing the growing threat of Cyber criminals. Secure and strong mechanisms are a significant factor for organizations’ prosperity and a relevant factor in the contemporary business world. 

    We provide the best cyber security services to our clients irrespective of their business sizes and extents. Zini Technologies’ specialty is assisting companies in effectively dealing with the problematic issues of cyber security. Our total security context approach is a set of directed services for counteracting the most cyber security challenges in the interaction of your company with the external environment and within the rapidly developing sphere of cyberspace. Contact us today to learn more about our Cyber security services and how we can help safeguard your business from cyber threats. 

    Facebook
    Twitter
    LinkedIn
    WhatsApp

    Related Posts

You cannot copy content of this page