The internet is constantly evolving, and companies must adapt to this reality to maintain market competitiveness. This growth was accompanied by technological advances, which allowed the emergence of new tools for process optimization. All of this caused new forms of storage to emerge, such as cloud hosting.
It is a type of website hosting that uses several servers to balance the use of resources and ensure that the services function completely and securely. Furthermore, this feature is very useful for those who need large storage space in their company.
Therefore, we prepared this text so that you know which sites use this type of hosting and how to adopt this technology in your company. Check it out now!
What is cloud hosting and how does it work?
Cloud hosting is the operation of several virtual servers interconnected on several computers to expand storage and processing capacity. Instead of using a single server, a website can access a “cluster” that uses resources from a centralized pool.
This means that even if one server has problems, another steps in to keep everything working correctly. The cloud is a network of different computers that are interconnected. As more machines are connected to this network, more resources are added to the overall cloud.
Therefore, with cloud hosting, you will have part of the so-called cloud “cluster”. Unlike traditional hosting methods, where you would only have a volume of space on a single server.
It differs from VPS hosting, which acts as a virtual server that has its dedicated operating system. However, cloud hosting is capable of guaranteeing greater customer stability and security against adverse events.
Difference between cloud and traditional hosting
Cloud hosting has its origins in virtualization technology, which makes it possible for multiple operating systems and applications to run on a single physical server.
From this technology, cloud hosting evolved, allowing highly scalable and flexible virtual environments to be created, which easily adapts to changes according to business needs.
Unlike traditional hosting, which usually runs on dedicated physical servers, cloud hosting runs on a set of interconnected servers that form this virtualized environment.
These servers are managed by specialized software that allows computing and storage resources to be dynamically shared among cloud-hosting users.
Therefore, cloud hosting is an evolution of traditional hosting, offering more scalability, flexibility, reliability, and other advantages that we will present throughout this article.
What types of websites use cloud hosting?
Shared hosting is the most common and most used model for websites on the internet. Even so, there are specific website models that work better with cloud hosting, which are:
lead creation and management of websites;
- e-commerce;
- advertising and marketing agencies;
- corporate pages;
- projects with a lot of information and user traffic.
Furthermore, the cloud model is best suited for projects that can scale quickly. Taking into account that the user needs more resources and bandwidth power to run their website effectively, this service is ideal for projects that expect to receive many clicks, exchanges of information, and traffic on all pages.
In general, it is a very effective option in most situations, even more so because it is superior to shared hosting and VPS hosting.
What are its advantages?
With technological evolution, there is a great demand for innovations that can meet needs and maintain a workplace with high availability. Cloud hosting offers this. See below some of its benefits.
Cost control
This hosting model is contracted according to the need for use. In other words, if there is a need to use additional resources, the charge is made considering what the company consumes.
This means that it is possible to hire an environment that meets what you need in your daily life, and provides extra resources if necessary to manage your processes.
An e-commerce company can use cloud hosting to host the website, instead of having to spend extra money on purchasing and managing its servers.
Scalability
Scalability is the possibility that the environment has to expand or reduce computational resources according to the precision of use. There are occasions when a website requires more resources, such as network, disk space, etc.
With cloud hosting, this increase is done automatically. This way, as soon as the system notices a greater processing request, it automatically releases it. Furthermore, when processing returns to the common pattern, the environment slows down to its original state.
Possibility of processing
The cloud model uses multiple servers to create the virtual environment. Because of this, it is possible to add and remove computational resources very simply. As a result, processing capacity can increase according to the need for use.
Cost reduction
Cloud hosting helps companies reduce costs when investing in infrastructure. As it is a very flexible type, you can use hosting for activities such as storing files, creating a website, and hosting a blog, among others.
However, instead of investing capital in expensive hardware and program licenses, you can hire this type of service according to your usage needs.
Greater availability
With cloud hosting, businesses can guarantee greater availability of use of their applications and servers. This is because updates and fixes are automatically applied by the cloud hosting company.
This function also helps to ensure greater security and better performance of applications and data.
For example, a company that provides online payment and services had a problem and the payment system went offline. Using this type of hosting, this company can host its system on several servers in different regions.
So, if a server goes down or fails, the other servers take over the work and ensure that customers continue making payments normally.
Automatic updates
With this type of hosting, companies no longer need to worry about maintenance and their servers. Necessary updates and corrections are made automatically by the contracted hosting company.
It is another efficient way to ensure greater security, as well as better performance for applications and data valuable to the business.
In the case of a software development company that hosts its application in the cloud, it will have access to these updates automatically. Otherwise, if the hosting was on its server, it would have to deal with operating system updates, security, and software patches manually.
Collaboration made easy
Cloud hosting can facilitate collaboration between company employees, allowing them to share and access files and data much more easily.
Furthermore, it also allows these collaborators to work together on the same project, simultaneously and in real time. All of this is regardless of the geographic region in which they are located.
A design company, for example, can use cloud hosting to store its files so that they can be accessed and modified by other members.
Backup and recovery
Cloud hosting provides advanced backup and disaster recovery features. This feature ensures that data is preserved, kept secure, and available for access.
These cloud hosting providers regularly automatically back up all data stored on their servers. If an e-commerce company, for example, has its hosting in the cloud and a problem occurs, it can easily restore its data from the most recent backup, which greatly minimizes the damage caused.
Global reach
Cloud hosting offers global reach, meaning companies can have an online presence anywhere in the world without having to build a physical structure in each location.
If a company wants to expand its operations to the United States, for example, it simply needs to choose cloud hosting, with servers in the country of expansion.
Strategic value
By opting for cloud hosting, the company can stop worrying about third-party activities, such as IT management for the provider, and focus entirely on strategic growth objectives.
It is a great advantage for companies that want to expand their business reach to other regions, which requires resources, investments, and a lot of work.
Agility to adapt
Cloud hosting allows very efficient adaptation to necessary changes, even if they are seasonal. This is because this hosting model allows computing and storage capacity to be increased or decreased according to demand.
E-commerce can request to increase this capacity for the Christmas sales periods, for example, and reduce it after this period, avoiding wastage of resources in times of fewer sales.
How to adopt this type of hosting in your company?
Before adopting this type of hosting in your company, you need to understand the formats in which this service can be contracted. Check out what they are now.
SaaS
In this model, a given application runs in the cloud and is available directly to its users. You can log in via a web browser or app. Examples of Software as a Service are Hotmail, Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
PaaS
Platform as a Service is a model that includes hosting websites, virtual stores, and blogs in the cloud. In this case, you will hire the cloud platform as a service and it will offer the necessary resources to host your website or application.
As examples, we can mention databases, servers, and other resources. This service is offered through specific platforms to meet the demand of developers and people who want to host a website.
IaaS
Infrastructure as a Service is a model used by IT teams looking to virtualize their infrastructure. This type of hosting can be contracted by configuring the systems and applications that will be used practically from scratch, in this case taking advantage of the infrastructure to do so.
As examples of this model, we can talk about the Amazon cloud (AWS), which provides several types of infrastructure as a service.
How to migrate your hosting to the cloud
If you already understand the importance and advantages that cloud hosting generates for business, it’s time to find out how to make the migration in the best way. Follow along!
Choose your cloud hosting provider
The first step is to choose the best cloud hosting provider. There are several possibilities, but you need to evaluate all the options to understand which one is best suited to your business needs.
Furthermore, you need to ensure that the cloud hosting provider is reliable, scalable, flexible, and delivers the resources that are most needed by the company. The possibilities of hosting plans should also be taken into consideration.
Make a full backup
Before carrying out the migration, it is necessary to back up the data and files, to ensure the security and maintenance of the data and files, in case any inconvenience occurs during the migration process.
Customize your hosting configuration
After choosing the provider and carrying out a complete backup, it is time to configure your cloud hosting. At this point, think about the company’s needs to create virtual servers, databases, network configuration, and whatever else is necessary to support the company’s website or application.
Migrate your data
Now, it’s time to migrate the data and files saved during the backup. Migration can be done manually or using the tools offered, such as automated migration tools.
Test and optimize
After all the previous steps have been carried out, carry out tests and make the necessary optimizations for the website or app. This is the time to check that everything is working correctly and with the maximum optimization offered by the provider.
Ultimately, cloud hosting is an ideal solution for companies that work in an online environment. However, for this to be carried out correctly and efficiently, it is necessary to hire a company specialized in hosting and reselling such as Namecheap or Hostinger.
