Posts Tagged ‘Cloud Hosting’
Cloud Computing: Basic Terms to Know
“Cloud Computing” can seem like a complicated and hard-to-understand concept, especially when providers tack their own branding onto already unfamiliar terms.
This list includes the basic cloud terms that can help you move past confusion and start exploring the exciting things cloud computing has to offer.
The Cloud
A metaphor for a global network; commonly used to represent the network of servers comprising the Internet.
Cloud Computing
Using services housed in “the cloud” instead of in your own computer or servers.
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Cloud Provider (or Cloud Service Provider)
A company providing cloud-based hosting, platform, infrastructure, or application services, such as EarthLink Cloud.
Cloud Storage
A service that allows customers to save data by transferring it over the Internet or another network to an offsite storage system.
Cloud Sourcing
Replacing traditional, physical IT services with cloud services.
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Private Cloud
Services offered over the Internet (or over an internal network) only to select users.
Public Cloud
Services offered over the Internet to anyone who wants to purchase them.
Internal cloud
The type of private cloud in which services are provided for an organization by its own IT department.
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PaaS (Platform as a Service)
A computing platform (such as an operating system) delivered, as a service, over the Internet by a provider.
Saas (Software as a Service)
An application delivered, as a service, over the Internet by a provider. Saas applications don’t have to be installed on and don’t run on the customer’s computer(s).
Note: SaaS providers are also called Application Service Providers (ASP)
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
A virtual computing infrastructure delivered, as a service, over the Internet by a provider. This infrastructure, which can include virtual servers, networking systems, hosted applications, and cloud platforms, does not require any physical equipment purchasing.
EarthLink Cloud offers IaaS Cloud Hosting services, which allow users to build and deploy custom virtual server in only minutes.
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Cloud Operating System
A computer operating system that does not run on the user’s computer; is accessed by the user over the internet. The operating system is actually running in the operating system’s provider’s data center. A type of PaaS.
Hosted Application
An Internet-based application running on a remote server. A type of Saas.
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Elastic Computing (or Elastic Cloud Computing)
The ability to quickly assign differing amounts of processing, memory, and storage resources to satisfy varying demand…without having to physically engineer such changes.
Cloud (or Content) Delivery Network (CDN)
A system of computers, located in different places on the network, that contain copies of data, allowing clients to access the copy closest to them.
View Comments →Cloud Computing, Small Business Server 2011 and More! LogicalSolutions.net’s February eNewsletter
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Public Cloud vs. Private Cloud
There is no denying that the use of the Cloud is on the rise. You may have even heard the phrase “Public Cloud or Private Cloud” floating around out there, but do you know what this actually means, or are you aware of differences? Let’s take a look at what differentiates the Public Cloud vs. Private Cloud.
First, whether it’s a Public Cloud or a Private Cloud, both are great fits for a hosted solution. In a hosted solution with an Enterprise Class Datacenter like EarthLink, both scenarios enjoy benefits of multiple fiber rings providing carrier neutral bandwidth with full redundancy. We also provide multiple diesel generators for power redundancy, redundant security systems, and 24/7 video surveillance. Power, cooling, and security are all included in a predicable monthly cost. Not only that, you also get the benefit of extending your IT staff by leveraging our expert systems and network engineers as they manage your hardware and environments. So what is the difference between a Public and Private Cloud? Here is a brief overview that will help answer this question:
- Sharing Resources – Shared hardware and resources among multiple users reducing costs and overhead.
- On Demand Environments – Easily fire up a new virtual machine anytime you need it.
- Pay For Only What You Use – On demand services means you only pay for the resources you use.
- Scalable – Easily increase RAM or storage when needed with a quick restart of your virtual machine.
Private Cloud
- Dedicated Hardware – Exclusive hardware to be used by only you.
- Virtualization – Efficiently using server virtualization allows you to run a large amount of virtual servers all running on only a small amount of physical servers, keeping your costs down.
- Flexibility – Allows you to run multiple applications and environments on fewer pieces of hardware.
- Separation – Your environment and network is completely separated from other users. No resources are shared.
- Multiple Virtual Machines – You’re able to partition as many virtual machines as needed all running on only a few pieces of hardware.
You still might not be sure which direction is the right fit for you. This is where our team of experts can help. Let’s sit down and talk so we can learn more about your IT needs and work with you to provide the most cost effective solution.
View Comments →Hosting Email in the Cloud
Email is the most common first step when an organization begins migrating to the cloud. Why? Moving to an Enterprise Class Data Center gives you multiple internet providers and N+ 1 redundancy in server power. Combine these features with increased physical security and 24 hour video surveillance and you have a more reliable environment with increased security. Here are a few common questions and concerns for hosting your email in the cloud:
- What are the benefits of moving my email to the cloud? There are many benefits to the cloud. The two benefits that provide the largest impact are no hardware or OS licenses to purchase and you can free up your IT staff for mission critical tasks. When you move to a hosted or cloud environment, there is no hardware to purchase and maintain. This can streamline your budget into a predictable monthly recurring cost while eliminating the surprises of unexpected hardware upgrade, replacement, etc. You no longer have to be fielding support calls and maintenance to your mail server.
- Is it secure? You bet it is. We have several different types of Hosted Exchange with security being a priority. Whether you’re using our shared Cloud Exchange environment or we setup a dedicated server, the only one with access to your information is you. We also provide email encryption to ensure your messages are secure on route to their destination.
- Am I compliant? EarthLink is a fully compliant, SAS70 Type II certified facility. In addition, we also provide full HIPAA and GLBA compliant email hosting. More often than not, organizations with which we discuss compliant email with are not compliant with their current, in-house solution. We can provide encryption, archiving, and a dedicated environment with managed firewalls and custom security policies. Migrate your email to the cloud and let the experts handle your compliant environment.
- What about uptime and availability? We guarantee a 100% uptime when it comes to our network and facility. This is something we take very seriously. We provide carrier neutral bandwidth on multiple fiber rings with redundancy you simply can’t match internally. We also have 99.99% SLA guarantees on our managed services.
- Who manages my email? EarthLink is a Microsoft Gold Partner. Your Exchange environment is managed by our Microsoft Certified staff. We are Exchange experts and have 10+ years of managing hosted Exchange environments.
- Cost? When you look at the total cost for hardware, software and a dedicated email admin, migrating to the cloud can easily cut your email budget in half.
Whether you’re looking to upgrade to Exchange 2010 or simply migrating your current environment to the cloud, let us help. We make the transition painless and as seamless as possible. Contact us today to learn more.
View Comments →Is the Cloud Secure? Rochester Cloud Hosting
A common objection that we face here at EarthLink with our Cloud Hosting services is, “Is the Cloud Secure?” Questions and concerns regarding the security of the cloud simply come from the lack of knowledge of how the cloud works. Here are a few common concerns or misconceptions surrounding the cloud:
- I have no control over where my data resides. This may be true with large companies and public clouds such as Rackspace, Amazon, or Microsoft, but at EarthLink, you know exactly where your data resides. You are part of the process of setting up your environment throughout our consultative approach. We encourage you to visit our facility and we can physically show you exactly where your information lives. If you would like a disaster recovery plan that pushes your data to a remote location, we’re here to work with you on this as well. There’s never any guessing or wondering; You know exactly where your data and servers live, right here in Rochester, NY.
- Others have access to my information. This is simply not true. No one has access to your data but you. When using cloud services at EarthLink, you are in isolated environments. Your dedicated virtual private server or dedicated server is completely independent from any other customer. No one can see your information or has access to your information. Sometimes there is the issue of Logical employees having access. It’s fairly common for us to complete confidentiality agreements which we are more than happy to accommodate in order to provide additional piece of mind.
- It’s not secure. More often than not, hosting data in EarthLink’s SAS70 Type II certified facility is safer and more secure than housing internally. Our facility is locked down and no one gains access without the escort of a EarthLink employee. We also provide managed dedicated firewalls that allow for a secure connection to the cloud with an encrypted tunnel from your office to our facility.
- I have sensitive data. Security is one of our top priorities and we take it very seriously. We provide hosting services for health care and financial industries that store very sensitive information. We are a fully compliant, SAS70 Type II certified facility. We can provide fully compliant HIPAA, GLBA, and PCI environments.
- Public Cloud vs. Private Cloud. The Public Cloud provides many benefits. However, you may have a large infrastructure or require the most secure environment possible. If this is the case, EarthLink can setup a Private Cloud. A Private Cloud would provide a complete dedicated hardware scenario, isolating your network from any shared resources. For larger networks, this option can be more cost effective in many cases.
- Is it compliant? Again, we are a fully compliant, SAS70 Type II certified facility. We can provide fully compliant HIPAA, GLBA, and PCI environments.
- Cost? The cloud is a great way to streamline your efficiencies and reduce your costs. Let us show you how.
Hopefully this has provided a clearer picture of the cloud. Cloud services at EarthLink provide a secure environment with complete transparency. You know where your data is and can rest assured that no one other than you has access to it. Not sure if a Public or a Private Cloud is the right fit for you? Schedule some time with one of our Sales Engineers to discuss options and find out how to save money with the cloud in 2011.
Moving to the Cloud – January eNewsletter
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 EarthLink Continues to Grow! EarthLink welcomes Jim Pearson as the newest member of our Datacenter support staff. Jim has a Windows and .Net background and was formerly employed as an intern at Cazbah. Jim will be working in the LSN Datacenter NOC. Welcome aboard Jim!
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 Moving to the Cloud in 2011 Looking to move to Exchange 2010 or leverage Cloud Services this year? Speak to one of our Sales Engineers to see how adding application failover and virtualization can cut IT costs and spending in 2011. Whether you’re looking for offsite disaster recovery or looking to run your production environment in the cloud, we have you covered. Our trained staff has custom solutions built for you with the experience and expertise to make the migration as seemless as possible.
Calculate your cost savings today! |
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“New Cloud Server iPhone App” EarthLink has a new gateway to your cloud servers on our latest Cloud Hosting Platform. The Cloud Server iPhone App allows customers to view all of their server information as well as functionality to control tasks on the server. |
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Ubuntu Linux Cloud Server GUI Install
When customers deploy a Linux cloud server it does not come with a GUI installed on the server by default. Customers need to use a tool like Putty to SSH into the server to configure their applications. If you are looking to run a Graphical User Interface (GUI) you can follow the steps below to access a GUI on your Cloud Ubuntu Linux Server.
Step 1: Deploy a Ubuntu 10.04 Cloud Server on the EarthLink Cloud Platform, my default build server has 1GB Ram and a 10 GB Hard Drive.
Step 2: Using the Cloud Console log into the server with root/userdefinedpassword. Run the following commands on the server:
apt-get update
apt-get dist-upgrade
apt-get install xubuntu-desktop icewm menu
apt-get install tightvncserver
vncserver :2
Step 3: Access the Linux GUI by running VNC, as you cannot connect using RDP as you would with a Windows 2008 Server. If you do not have a copy of VNC, you can download a free copy of VNC Here. You can now access the Ubuntu GUI and install any needed applications.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame Chooses the LogicalSolutions.net Cloud
The National Baseball Hall of Fame’s (NBHOF) website (baseballhall.org) was undergoing development and a redesign. With the growing popularity of social media and video content on the web, the NBHOF needed a hosting company that can provide a stable, secure environment with plenty of available bandwidth. With the popularity of baseball and interest in the Hall and Museum, the Hall of Fame is a very high traffic website and 100% uptime was imperative. Two additional priorities were cost and customer support. The NFHOF is a non-profit organization so the price had to be right. Finally, if the NBHOF wasn’t able to call in and speak to someone when there was an issue or a change was needed, this would be a deal breaker.
Read the Full Case Study Here
Comparing LogicalSolutions.net vs. Amazon Cloud vs. RackSpace Cloud
The primary reason most organizations look to cloud computing is the cost savings. So when you’re evaluating cloud hosting providers, it’s important to understand the price models of each vendor. It’s easy to get caught up in advertised entry pricing but be sure to compare apples to apples.
When comparing what is included with EarthLink against the Amazon Cloud or RackSpace Cloud, you’ll quickly discover how much EarthLink can save your company on their hosting costs.
Here is an example of a typical Cloud Server (or virtual private server) environment for one of our customers.
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EarthLink |
Amazon Cloud |
RackSpace Cloud |
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Windows 2008 |
$80 |
$88 |
$0 |
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Windows OS |
Server 2008 |
Server 2008 |
Server |
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RAID Drives |
Included |
Included |
Included |
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Control Panel |
Included |
Included |
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1 GB RAM |
Included |
Included |
$58.40 |
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20 GB Drive |
Included |
Included |
Included |
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Backup |
Included |
$7 |
$3 |
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Bandwidth – 1,000 Gb |
Included |
$100 |
$80 |
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Bandwidth – 1,000 Gb |
Included |
$150 |
$220 |
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Load |
Included |
$18 |
Available |
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Total Cost Per |
$80 |
$363 |
$361.40 |
You can clearly see the cost savings that EarthLink’s pricing model provides. There are no hidden costs or other pay as you go expenses that can add up in a hurry. If you’re already with Amazon or RackSpace, or simply looking into Cloud Hosting options, contact one of our Sales Engineers today for a free cost assessment.
Online Ordering added for the Linux VPS Cloud Offering
EarthLink has offered Highly Available Linux virtual private servers (VPS) on a Dell Hardware Powered Cloud for years and has over 1200 running virtual instances in its Enterprise Class Datacenter. The Rochester, NY Cloud Offering provides a dedicated Linux Operating System running any Linux Operating System that your business applications require, such as: CentOS, Debain, Ubuntu, or Fedora. The highly available (HA) offering features a dedicated IP address, cPanel Option and can be upgraded at any time to increase RAM and RAID Hard Drive Space as your business grows.