A cloud server is a virtual server that runs on cloud computing environment. Cloud Servers are built, hosted and delivered through a cloud computing platform over the internet. They run as software-independent units and do not depend on any centrally-installed software. Cloud servers possess similar capabilities and exhibit similar functionality as a typical server but are accessed remotely from a cloud service provider. A Cloud Server is also referred as Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS).
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There are two types of cloud server: Logical and Physical
Logical Cloud Server: Logical Cloud Server is delivered through server virtualization. Here the physical server is logically distributed into two or more logical servers. Each logical server share physical components from the underlying physical server but have separate OS, user interface and apps.
Physical Cloud Server: Commonly known as Dedicated Cloud Server. It is accessed remotely through the internet and cannot be shared or distributed.
Benefits of Cloud Server:
Ease of set up - Cloud servers do not require much initial setup
Flexibility and scalability - Extra resource can be accessed when required
Reliability – If there are problems with some servers then the resources will be shifted to other available servers so that clients remain unaffected.
Cost-effective – Economically more efficient than standard dedicated servers. Clients only pay for what they are using at a particular time. In terms of web hosting also, site will run faster on cloud hosted server as compared to traditional server with similar price.
Thus cloud servers are very popular and sometimes preferred over traditional dedicated servers. Cloud hosting offers clients best of both worlds. Resources can be scaled up or down as per the requirement, making it more flexible and cost-effective. When there is more demand on the servers, capacity can be automatically increased to match that demand without having to pay any extra amount. This is similar to a heating bill where you access what you need, when you need and pay for what you have used later.