Scalability
The right infrastructure is vital to the growth of a business, especially as it scales. Every facet of the organization, from accounting to manufacturing, logistics, personnel, and beyond, should be ready to handle increased demands. This is an area, again, where on-premises and cloud servers have clear differences.
On-prem scalability comes at a cost
For starters, on-premises servers are scalable—but they come at a cost. Being bound to physical hardware means that as your organization’s computing and data storage needs expand, so does your need for well-functioning hardware.
Scaling with on-premises servers means purchasing new servers, and potentially purchasing new property on which to host the servers. This doesn’t even include the support hardware needed to keep it operational: voltage management systems, HVAC systems, internet pipeline and cabling, and more.
Scaling your cloud is quite easy
Compare this with the scalability of a cloud-based server: Whenever extra processing power and data storage is needed, it’s as simple as adjusting a subscription with a cloud service vendor: no hardware and no scaling perimeters.
Control
By sheer proximity, on-premises servers seem to give more control over operations—having your own team to set up privacy and access protocol, install antivirus software and firewalls, and protect against cyberattacks can give some companies an improved sense of confidence, assuming they have adequate IT support to set up and maintain their on-prem servers.
While technically true, cloud services offer as much access and control, if not more, as an organization would reasonably need, while eliminating most if not all of the cumbersome maintenance tasks associated with on-premises servers.
For example, natural disasters, while rare, can pose a significant risk to on-premises servers. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires are just a few examples of natural disasters that pose threats to on-premises server systems and the data they host. Cloud providers simply provide more protection, with Amazon Web Services even reporting that between 2015 and 2017, they experienced fewer than eight hours of downtime.
Accessibility
Cybersecurity is the study and set of secure practices that ensure computer security and data accessibility. In this respect, on-premises servers and cloud servers have a couple of key differences.
On-prem poses accessibility challenges
Because they’re the result of a period of rapid tech advancement, physical or on-premise servers are often a mishmash of aging tech hardware that can be a headache to update and maintain. Further, having dedicated hardware means having dedicated software, and part of the job of organizations with on-premises servers is keeping up with the correct software as well.
Operating systems function only with the right hardware, and physical hardware system maintenance requires investments in hardware updates, software purchases, vendor licenses, and vendor license updates.
Accessibility is multi-faceted, however, and may be the only area where on-premises servers may have a slight advantage over cloud-based systems. Because on-premises server systems rely on hardware rather than an internet connection, they can be more accessible in areas and circumstances with limited internet connection. However, these circumstances are rare.
Cloud offers easy access
A public cloud service provider, on the other hand, is responsible for vendor updates, which may be enticing to some companies. They’re able to distribute the cost of updated software amongst all of their clients, reducing the individual cost for each client.
It’s worth mentioning that cloud-based software is notoriously easier for employees to access and collaborate on compared to traditional software downloads that must—and can only—be accessed on a specific device.
Backups and data recovery
Losing information and experiencing a data breach is the worst nightmare of many IT professionals. In fact, data recovery is a lucrative service provided to businesses of all sizes.
On-prem data backup put a strain on resources
Many of these businesses work with on-premise server utilizers—there are many organizations whose business model is to backup servers in case of emergency, and recover information in the event of a natural or unnatural data breach.
Protecting against a data breach is not just monetarily costly—recovering data takes time and energy that will most likely drain from your organization.
Cloud data backup is remarkably simple
Not only is cloud backup a suggested practice of any business (as automatic daily data updates), but cloud service vendors are typically contractually bound to manage data backups on your behalf.
Redundancy and RAID: Differences in data
The major advantage of cloud-based servers is redundancy—the ability of cloud systems to back up data multiple times with zero loss of information—and a common feature within redundancy is RAID.
Redundancy Array of Independent Disks, otherwise known by IT specialists as RAID, is the process of creating several copies of files throughout multiple hard drives. The primary focus of RAID protocol is that, if and when a single hard drive in the array fails, the other hard drives in the array pick up the slack, ideally with minimal interruption.
Most on-premises data servers run RAID 6. The program protects against two-disk failure and works by offering two spare disks to backup operations, even if the original two disks fail. This system, even while providing the highest success rate in long data retention environments, still requires some parity management, which will result in disk overload and some amount of latency.
Support
Personnel is also a major consideration when setting up your server system.
Support at cost with on-prem
An on-premises system will require a dedicated professional team to maintain machinery, a server room, and operating systems. From preventing breaches to implementing security measures to correcting security errors, IT support personnel can represent a considerable cost to any organization.
Cost savings and support with the cloud
Compare this to web-based cloud service providers who offer complete 24/7 technical support and who do it at no additional cost. The time saved from dealing with hardware, plus the monthly cost savings make the cloud an almost flawless market competitor in modern server systems.
On-premises vs cloud: Find the right solution for you
Today, 83% of IT leaders use more than one cloud service provider and 44% use more than three. And the market is still growing. According to Statista, the cloud applications software market is expected to reach $168.6 billion by 2025.
From cost and time savings to enhanced security, accessibility, and flexibility, the cloud is proving to be an overall better option for businesses of all sizes and industries.
