With the rise of the serverless movement and container services, there is now a need to have fast and easy servers that can be scaled instantaneously.
As a result, bare metal cloud servers are becoming more popular because they offer the simplicity and speed of a traditional VPS while also being fully managed and scalable.
In this guide, we will discuss the configuration and management of a bare metal server running in the Azure cloud. We will cover everything from initial provisioning to ongoing maintenance and hosting of applications.
Why Bare Metal Cloud?
Traditionally, most companies have run their own data centres and have had their own IT department responsible for the management and upkeep of the hardware and software within. The industry has changed, and alongside with it, so has the way companies work. Today, many companies have outsourced their IT functions to trusted third parties. However, they still need somewhere to process and store their data.
As a result, companies have turned to the cloud, due to its flexibility and convenience. The cloud can provide any necessary servers with the simplest of administration tasks, like provisioning and maintaining the server.
Companies don’t need to rely on external parties any more because the cloud provides them with everything they need and nothing they don’t. The cloud is a safe and reliable place to store and process data, applications, and infrastructure.
What Is A Bare Metal Cloud Server?
A bare metal cloud server is an independently managed and provisioned server within the cloud. This type of server does not require an operating system and has all the resources necessary to run applications and serve data. The resources are provided by the cloud provider, which handles all the configuration and maintenance of the server.
How Is It Managed?
Bare metal servers are typically deployed in a virtual environment using hardware-based virtualization. This allows for the server to be instantly scalable within the cloud and provides for a great deal of flexibility when it comes to utilization.
The provider handles all the configuration of the virtual machine via a web-based UI or command line tools, and offers a dedicated VM host for the creation and management of servers.
Where Can I Host My Applications?
As mentioned, the cloud is a safe and reliable place to run applications because it provides the necessary infrastructure and has the capability to instantly scale up or down as needed. One of the major benefits of hosting your applications in the cloud is the ability to instantly scale up or down as needed.
The cloud also offers a high availability solution with built-in redundancy. If one part of the cloud network is down, the remaining infrastructure will automatically take over and ensure that your application continues to operate as normal. This is very different to traditional methods of hosting, which might result in some downtime after an initial set-up.
Application developers can now use public or private IPs to access their applications, regardless of whether or not the application is located in a public or private cloud. This provides more flexibility when deploying applications across different regions and allows for more secure and reliable connections. Additionally, network security is handled by the cloud provider, meaning all transmitted data is encrypted and secure.
What Type Of Applications Can I Run On A Bare Metal Cloud Server?
As a result of the lightweight nature of a bare metal server and the ability to instantly scale up and down, many different types of applications can be hosted on this type of server. This makes them suitable for a variety of use cases.
The main web browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are available for download, as is MySQL, which is a popular open source database. In terms of programming languages, Perl, PHP, and Python are some of the most common options. These applications can all be used to serve websites, store data, or perform other necessary functions for an organization.
The Pros And Cons Of Hosting Applications In The Cloud
There are several advantages to hosting applications in the cloud. The major advantage is the instant scalability of a cloud server. A cloud server can be scaled up or down within seconds to meet the demands of the application, and this is a great advantage for developers who are constantly testing and tweaking their applications.
Another advantage of cloud computing is the high availability and redundancy. If one part of the cloud network goes down, the remaining infrastructure will automatically take over and ensure that your application continues to operate as normal. This is in contrast to traditional methods of hosting, where if one part of the server goes down, then the entire server may be rendered useless until it can be restored.
The major drawback to cloud computing is the need for continuous maintenance and administration. While this is not a major issue for large organizations, even the smallest businesses will have to dedicate someone to keeping the server up to date with the latest security patches and ensuring it is always performing at its optimum capacity.
Provisioning A Bare Metal Cloud Server
Like any other server, a bare metal cloud server can be provisioned using a variety of methods. Typically, this will involve either using a pre-made image or deploying from scratch using a tool like Chef or PXE/iPXE. Chef is a software configuration tool designed for managing servers and networks, and it offers both a web-based interface and a command line tool that can be used to automate provisioning tasks.
PXE/iPXE is a bootstrap protocol that allows for a networked computer to be booted and configured over a network, without requiring any physical media. This means that an administrator can instantaneously provision a server without needing to load any software or install any operating systems. PXE/iPXE is widely used within the hosting industry because of its simplicity and speed.
Once the server has been provisioned, it must be managed and maintained. This involves ensuring that it stays up to date with the latest security patches, keeping track of its resource utilization, and backing up the server data and configurations regularly. The process of maintaining a bare metal server is generally the same regardless of whether it is located in a public or private cloud. However, larger organizations will have dedicated IT staff to assist with administration tasks, while smaller businesses may need to learn how to do this themselves.
Additional Resources
If you’d like to learn more about bare metal cloud servers or would like to deploy one yourself, then check out these awesome links: