Since the foundation of the concept of cloud computing many have argued about its relation with Virtualization to the extent that some even consider cloud as synonymous with Virtualization. While there may be certain similarities, is cloud computing actually another name for Virtualization? Or is it any different from? We will find answers to it here.

To understand the differences and similarities between these terms we first understand what Virtualization exactly means.

Virtualization refers to the creation of an intangible version of any physical resource like hardware, storage or operating system which is converted into a virtual form. It seeks to create multiple version of hardware which can be then utilized for various users instead of one and thereby reduce the overhead costs.

With Virtualization it is possible to create many virtual computers from one single machine and each virtual machine so created can be run independently. Each virtualized machine can have its own operating system and software.

On the other hand, Cloud Computing can be understood as the cluster of computer or machines which are interconnected with each other and the resources are provided in a combined manner and the load is balanced between them to reduce failure on a single machine and provide better performance to users.

Although Virtualization may the base for Cloud Computing there are many differences in the ways these two are used and implemented. Cloud computing may be implemented with Virtualization and in some cases without it as well. Both these provide on-demand utilization, optimized resources and scalability. However, the areas of differentiation include factors like self-provisioning, utility based billing and APIs.

To understand the actual difference between the two is not that difficult. Self- serving model is an essential characteristic of cloud computing but it may or may not be so for Virtualization. Although in many cases there is self serving in Virtualization but it is not essential. However, in cloud computing it becomes important to deliver the resources as and when required which is its main feature.

The main benefit of Virtualization is that reduces the complexities in traditional IT infrastructure. This also allows organization to reduce their operating expenses to some extent. However, the businesses still have to have their own IT infrastructure and equipments and software as well.

On the contrary, cloud computing allows you to do away with need of having such infrastructure and have the freedom to get resources on demand and thus reduces your capital investment.

What’s better?

Virtualization allows you to reduce your overhead costs but it does not do away with the need to maintain hardware. Whereas, Cloud Computing has low upfront cost, provides resources on demand, the ongoing cost is also not high due to the pay per use model. And most importantly it allows you to access your data from any location and thereby increasing your business efficiency.

The term “cheap hosting” is applied to web hosting packages with the aim of attracting customers who have tight budgets, but are still looking to establish some sort of online presence. As a term, cheap hosting is a successful branding mechanism for web hosting companies looking to attract budget-conscious consumers, but in reality the service provided by a cheap hosting plan often fails to live up to the expectations of customers.

Even though the resources and features of cheap web hosting plans are limited and usually force customers to pay for upgrades in order to create an environment capable of hosting their website, a cheap web hosting account is usually more than suiting for users with basic requirements.

Quality Over Quantity

A number of web hosting companies that brand themselves as being “cheap” or “low cost” often offer high resource assignments with their web hosting plans and in these scenarios you shouldn’t expect to ever be able to make the most of these resources. Furthermore, the support offered by such companies is often lack luster and so you should always consider quality over quantity – if support isn’t available when you need it then this could damage the availability and credibility of your website.

Choosing a credible web hosting company that has a good reputation is likely to provide you with a more reliable hosting service over the long term. This is something that will benefit your business, as uptime is key to generating high rates of returning visitors.

Features of Cheap Hosting

Cheap hosting services take the same form with most web hosting companies: they are usually based on the Linux servers running the cPanel control panel. For first-time developers and budget-conscious users, the cheap hosting label does seem applicable here because a majority of the technological features provided such as support for PHP and MySQL are open source, therefore meaning that customers are able to learn about these and develop dynamic websites at no added expense.

Upgrading

Even though cheap hosting may prove to be inadequate for some customers in a relatively short amount of time, there will always be support available to assist you with the move from shared hosting to a more advanced form of hosting such as a cloud server or a dedicated server. Whilst not as cheap as a shared web hosting plan, there are always special deals available that can prove to make cloud hosting and dedicated hosting very affordable where it’s necessary.

Conclusion

As a conclusion, the term “cheap hosting” does make sense for describing the low cost shared web hosting plan as a whole solution – technologies such as PHP, MySQL and Linux are all open source so customers are able to develop their websites fairly cheaply. Thus, these hosting plans are very successful in meeting the needs of their target markets.

Data security is an important consideration because if the information stored in your web hosting account falls into the wrong hands then it could spell trouble for your business. eUKhost operates servers that are secured to the highest standard possible so that in the event that your website or our servers are attacked, the chances of the hackers being able to gain access are minimal.

Standard security features included with all eUKhost web hosting plans to guarantee the security of your data include:

• Anti-spoof/anti-sniff network technology
• High-end Cisco anomaly detector with sophisticated algorithms to analyse traffic
• Out-of-path traffic filtering system to block malicious traffic without affecting normal traffic.

Shared Hosting

The servers used for the hosting of our shared web hosting customers use the highest levels of security in the industry, with all servers secured to PCI (Payment Card Industry) standards so that you don’t have to worry about the safety and security of data hosted under your shared hosting account.

Improving the safety and security of your data further in a shared hosting environment can be done by applying an SSL certificate to your website. An SSL certificate will be responsible for encrypting any data sent between your website and visitors’ computers, therefore making it useless to anyone wanting to snoop on the connection.

VPS, Cloud and Dedicated Hosting

As the user of one of our VPS servers, cloud servers or dedicated servers you will have your own dedicated hosting environment that won’t have any of its own security features to begin with. Whilst having a dedicated hosting environment does offer greater flexibility than is achievable with a shared web hosting environment, you will need to setup your server hosting environment to meet your precise needs – part of this process is to install the security features and applications you deem as necessary for the protection of your data.

If you are using one of our public cloud products such as eNlight Cloud or VMWare Cloud then you will be guaranteed complete isolation. In a Cloud environment isolation means that your cloud VMs will be separate from all over VMs, therefore meaning that the performance of other VMs will not impede on your performance of your own servers. From a security perspective this is a benefit because it removes any possible backdoors to your data because you will have full control over the security applied to your VMs.

In short, regardless of the form of hosting that you wish to use, your data will be secure when choosing eUKhost as your web hosting provider. We utilise a number of different security measures at every stage to reduce the chances of hackers gaining access to our systems. There are of course measures that you can take to improve the security of your individual hosting account, such as using strong passwords, strong code and encrypting data.

All websites start with an idea in someone’s head. There are many ways in which you can seize upon that idea – you can either pay someone to build a website for you, or you can go it alone and develop it yourself. Whilst paying someone to develop a website on their behalf has always been a popular idea for many people, it can be costly because of the initial outlay required along with the regular maintenance that often incurs extra charges. Developing your own website is always the most favourable option because it represents the most affordable choice and gives you complete control over how your website and content looks. If you have the necessary technical skills that allow you to craft HTML from scratch then you can develop that idea in your head into reality, however if your technical skills are limited then fear not because there are tools available that give you the opportunity to create your own website without the need for any previous knowledge or experience.

Doing it yourself

Even if you haven’t created a website before, there is nothing to stop you starting from scratch by downloading a trial of Adobe Dreamweaver or any other favoured coding/design application. There are a number of tutorials available that can teach you the basics of HTML and how to achieve the layout that you are after – all website designers and developers had to start somewhere, so there’s nothing to stop you learning the basics and then picking up the rest along the way!

By creating your own website from scratch you will have complete control over how your online presence looks and can add and take away from it as you wish. The best part of this is that when you need to perform maintenance, you can undertake this yourself instead of having to pay someone else to! This could be particularly important to businesses that want to update their inventories on a regular basis so that customers always have a good choice of products.

Hiring a website designer or developer

If you are looking for a bespoke website that looks and functions exactly in the way that you want it to, then hiring a professional website designer or developer is still the best way to achieve this. Paying someone who has a lot of experience with something that can be incredibly complex benefits you in two ways – first it guarantees you a product that will function properly, secondly it should be delivered in an acceptable amount of time (granted you aren’t asking them to do anything too complicated).

With the onset of HTML5, there are now so many different effects that can be achieved with HTML trickery. A professional website designer will be able to take your ideas and turn them into something that your visitors can interact with. Having something a website that is easy to use and navigate is intrinsically important to retaining visitors – your customers want to be able to find what they are after quickly and easily.
Hiring a third-party to build a website for you, especially from scratch, can be expensive. Not only is the initial outlay going to be big, but if you require the developer to maintain your website for you over the long-term then you need to be prepared to pay out on a regular basis.

eUKhost’s Build a Website

Web-based applications that allow you to develop your own site from scratch are becoming increasingly popular because they are cheap and there is no need for any additional software – all the work is done through your web browser.

eUKhost’s Build a Website package provides you with a platform on which you create your own website in just a few clicks without the need for any technical knowledge. We offer a range of different templates for you to choose and customise as you desire. The Build a Website application offers you a number of different modules that you can add to your website so that you create something that is reminiscent of that original thought in your head; whether you want a simple website or are looking to develop an online storefront for your business, all aspirations can be met with the use of Build a Website. Starting at just £3.49/month, Build a Website represents one of the best value for money website development platforms available.

Websites created using the Build a Website application are hosted on eUKhost’s popular and reliable VMWare Public Cloud, an environment that is backed by a 100% uptime Service Level Agreement.

“Like this post” – let eUKhost know what you are looking at and get great additional benefits. Email sales@eukhost.com for more info.

Startled by the benefits offered by Cloud Computing organizations usually fail to take into account other factors like their actual requirements which need to be met by moving over to the cloud. Simply focusing on getting the best without a plan of action usually gets one into trouble.

Same happens with cloud computing as well. User’s focus only on what they will get by moving to the cloud and do not consider the amount of data to be moved to the cloud and how much it will cost. The absence of planning about the required cloud storage and the cost for the same often reduces the benefits which are expected off the cloud.

Cloud Computing is famous for various benefits it has to offer and reduced costs being one of them. However, most of the times businesses shift their processes to the cloud without calculating the needs which may turn out to be higher than expected. The main reason for this behaviour is the inherent quality of the cloud which provides additional resources as and when needed thereby reducing the concern related to running out of capacity. So businesses procure additional resources as and when needed and the costs keep accruing bringing down the whole cost efficiency that is expected of it.

When businesses have to run basic applications and processes the capacity is usually known and hence the cost can be kept under control. However, when big applications and mission-critical processes are deployed in the cloud it becomes necessary to keep track of the resources need otherwise it can be very expensive. This can be avoided by planning the requirements in advance and calculating the returns based on the cost to derive maximum benefits from cloud computing.

Planning is the key

Based on your requirements one should chalk out an approximate estimate of the overall resources that would be needed and procure the resources accordingly to avoid over-expenditure at a latter stage.

Cloud computing does provide valuable benefits to businesses and users and its full potential can be realized when proper planning is done and then processes are deployed to the cloud.