From Bare Metal to Serverless
The world of IT infrastructure has undergone a stormy development over the past 20 years. The market is constantly changing and new innovations are popping up everywhere. For example, in addition to dedicated servers, virtualization, containerization and serverless systems have also been added in recent years. But.. what exactly is the difference?
Serverless
A few decades ago, anyone who wanted to run an application was assigned to complete “bare metal” servers. These machines are often designed to perform a single task. They are ideal for high constant loads and provide consistent disk and network performance. A disadvantage is the large investment that these servers entail and the lack of flexibility in use.
Virtualization ensures that multiple separate systems can be placed on a single server. These so-called ‘virtual machines’ (VMs) are much more flexible than the bare metal servers. They make it easier to create new systems, are easier to manage and faster to recover in the event of any problems. In contrast, the hypervisor that manages the virtual machines requires a relatively large amount of capacity.
With virtualization, each machine runs its own operating system, which creates some overhead. The solution? container! Unlike virtual machines, containers use the host’s operating system. An application such as Docker makes it possible to run an application quickly and reliably in a defined environment. These containers contain everything needed to run an application; code, runtime, system tools, libraries and settings.
The most recent development is ‘serverless’, where on-demand computing power in the cloud is only deployed when the application is called. For example, the application only runs when it is actually used. Contrary to what the name suggests, this technology still runs on physical servers, but it is set up in such a way that you don’t have to worry about the underlying infrastructure. Well-known serverless platforms include AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions and Microsoft Azure Functions.
Can you still run an application on a bare metal server in 2021? Certainly! Every platform has its advantages and disadvantages, and every challenge requires a tailor-made solution. At Sue, our consultants are ready for you with suitable solutions for your issue. Of course we also keep a close eye on all subsequent developments and innovations!