It looks like your servers are struggling under their current loads. You’re thinking of purchasing another. But what if there was a solution that allowed you to expand your server capabilities without purchasing more servers?

Introducing a virtual server.

A virtual server can improve the versatility of existing servers. It requires no new hardware. And best of all, you can scale it up based on need.

But what are the benefits of a virtual server? Should you get one for your business?

This article will discuss the advantages of server virtualization. By the end, you’ll know how one Los Angeles IT support company can help you to set up server virtualization on existing hardware.

What Is a Virtual Server?

You likely know what a physical server is. These are the big, black racks that every online service needs to serve its contents. Servers are computers that provide digital assets and run online services.

Suffice it to say our world could not run without servers. Websites would not exist without them. Their raw computing power is necessary to keep business operations afloat.

However, a physical server is only one device. It runs only one operating system. That means a server cannot divide and conquer in the event of disparate tasks.

Server virtualization solves this problem. Rather than purchasing a new rack, you can turn your existing server into multiple servers.

Partitioning Resources With a Virtual Machine

This is the same principle as a virtual machine. A virtual machine adds a hypervisor layer over your existing OS and computer.

In a physical server, there is no boundary between hardware and OS. The OS is installed onto the hardware and communicates with it via kernels and daemons. By adding a hypervisor layer, you can create virtual machines on top of a physical machine.

All of this means to say that one machine can be turned into multiple. Each virtual machine (or server) takes a slice of the resources. Each virtual server runs its own OS.

All of these virtual servers behave as one machine separate from the others. You can place them in a sandbox to isolate them from the operations of others. The only limit is how many computing resources your server can dedicate per server instance.

A Physical Server Versus a Virtual Server

So what’s the real difference between a physical and virtual server?

To create another physical server, you need to purchase more hardware. That means another motherboard, hard drive, and processor. There’s no way to divide an existing physical server into two separate devices.

A virtual server splits up a physical server into smaller pieces. In theory, you could have dozens of virtual servers on a single physical server.

Now let’s discuss some of the benefits of a virtual server over a physical server.

Reduced Cost

You might have plenty of processing power, but you need unique servers to handle unique tasks. The only solution for you without server virtualization is to purchase more hardware.

Servers are not cheap. The best servers need high-quality components. Further, they need regular upgrades and maintenance to keep functioning.

By splitting one server into two or more, you save that money for other things. In any case, make sure you trust a professional in Los Angeles IT services to install new hardware.

Better Efficiency and Scale

Physical servers can be difficult to scale. You need to have enough for when your business is at its busiest. But having too many servers during slow periods is wasteful.

You can have as many or as few virtual servers as you want at any time. If you experience a spike in traffic, you can have the system create virtual servers as the need arises. When demand drops, you can get rid of unnecessary servers to avoid idling.

Having multiple virtual servers means you can divide out tasks. If you need a specific operating system for one small task, you can create a virtual server in minutes.

If you still need more servers, scaling up is easy. One new physical server can translate to potentially dozens of virtual servers. That’s less cost for you and more efficiency.

Security and Isolation

Virtual servers excel when you need to keep certain data under strict permissions. Having one virtual server with sensitive data prevents employees or users from interfering with it.

Virtual servers are also great for protecting your organization from viruses or spam. Having a virtual proxy server to filter incoming traffic can protect you from bad actors.

Server virtualization sandboxes all digital instances. A sandbox is an isolated partition that can prevent things from getting in or out. If a hacker attacks your business, or a virus hits, you can close off that server and control the spread of damage.

If you’re looking for IT consulting in Los Angeles that can boost your business IT services and security, make sure to go with one you can trust.

Limit Downtime

Letting your system go offline could be devastating. With server virtualization, you can add new servers on demand to account for those you take down. While you’re performing maintenance on one virtual server, the rest stay up and running.

Compare this to a physical server. If the physical server needs digital or physical maintenance, the whole server goes down.

Even if you do need to perform physical maintenance, the downtime is less severe. Another server can take up the load with more virtual servers if need be.

Set Up Virtual Servers for Your Business

Virtual servers improve the efficiency of your physical servers without extra hardware. They allow one server to handle a wide variety of tasks and provide scale on demand. Their isolation provides security benefits to protect an entire server pool from damage or downtime.

Your situation is unique. Find a virtual server solution that works for your Los Angeles IT Services. Get in contact with professionals to find out how you can use this useful technology.