Managed Cloud Servers

At its simplest, the cloud refers to any number of physical servers connected to each other to function as a single unit. Storage space, processing capacity, and memory – all the resources a server needs to operate – are pooled together. Virtualisation software is used to allow users to create virtual servers and other virtualized infrastructure. It is also responsible for assigning a portion of the pooled resources to each unit of virtualized infrastructure.

Virtual servers reside in the cloud, but have the functionality of a physical server. This means you get a fully-fledged operating system and networking components in addition to computing resources (processing power, memory, and storage space) – everything you’ll need to store files, run a website, or perform complex calculations and analytics.

Cloud servers are fault tolerant. Cloud servers are more resilient than on-premise physical servers because your data isn’t stored on any one single physical server. When one server fails, another takes its place without any interruption to your service.

Cloud servers are cost-effective. An on-premise physical server can set you back hundreds or even thousands of pounds. You’re also responsible for hardware maintenance costs and cost of labour to keep the physical server maintained. A cloud server, by comparison, is very affordable since you only pay for the virtual server and resources you are using. It is up to the hosting provider to maintain the hardware.

Cloud servers speed up workflows. Assembling, installing, and configuring an on-premise physical server can take hours, if not days. In contrast, cloud servers can be created in a few seconds. Once fully configured, you can save the entire cloud server as a template for future cloud servers. As an added bonus, cloud servers can be destroyed in a few clicks when not needed anymore – no excess hardware that takes up storage space.

Cloud servers lower your energy bills. On-premise physical servers are built to be very energy efficient. As such the biggest power consumption is not incurred by the server itself, but by the energy required to keep the server cool. With a cloud server the costs for running and cooling the physical servers are the responsibility of the service provider.

Cloud servers can be better for the environment. Depending on where you host, your cloud server can help lower your organisation’s carbon footprint. At Storm, for example, all our servers are powered by renewable energy. Plus, through our 22Trees campaign, we’ll plant two trees every year for each one of your cloud servers to further reduce your overall carbon footprint.

Cloud servers can be used to replace on-premise physical servers, which means you can use them for just about anything. Here are a few ideas:

File storage. Concerned about privacy when storing your files on public services like Google or Dropbox? Or perhaps you just want more control. Turn your cloud server into a file server using open source software. It’s your server, your files, your rules. For pre-built high-performance file sharing see: Secure Shared Network Drives

Web server. Arguably one of the most common applications of cloud servers is to host websites. Unlike shared hosting, you have full control over the server, and you can easily scale resources (disk space, memory, and even CPU) to match your needs.

Mail server. Use your cloud server to run your own mail server. This can be beneficial to organisations who have specific requirements in terms of the emails they send and receive (e.g. spam filtering, country blocking, etc.) or that have specific compliance needs.

Database server. Cloud servers can be used as database servers for applications and websites that handle large amounts of database transactions. Since cloud servers are available for Windows and Linux operating systems, you can run any database management system that meets your needs. Storm provides purpose-built database servers for:

• MySQL
• SQL Server
• PostgreSQL

We know running your own cloud servers can be time-consuming and complex. Not only do you have to manage your app or website, but you also have to take care of the operating system and security.

Storm’s cloud servers are fully-managed by default. This means you get the server without any of the technical overhead. Whether you need a cloud server to run one or more websites, or a mail server for secure email communication, it’s all fully-managed by Storm.

The security of any server – whether an on-premise physical machine or cloud servers – depends on the security measures put in place to protect it. This means that security ultimately comes down to who is in charge of the server, and how serious they are about security. We’re very serious about protecting our customers against threats, which is why we go the extra mile to deliver ironclad protection:

• Quarterly fully-managhed PCI vulnerability scans
• Every Storm server is subject to thousands of security checks before deployment
• Hardware and software firewall protection
• 24/7 Surveillance by Storm and data centre NOC teams
• Multilayer physical security at Storm data centres

Cloud servers provide the added benefit of running on separate networks from users’ workstations. This is especially important given that attackers often gain access to networks by compromising user workstations through phishing campaigns.