Conventional hosting wisdom has always dictated that a database runs better with more resources assigned to it. In fact, some high traffic websites have entire dedicated servers just for their databases. Why then would a system administrator ever prefer virtualization for database hosting? What follows are a few key reasons why database virtualization is a good idea for cloud hosting.
First of all, it is important to understand the different types of database virtualization. It can range from simply running the database server executable on a virtual machine to a fully virtualized and scalable database cluster. In any case, it has its advantages.
Some of the advantages of database virtualization are:
1. Scalability – Need more space and power for your databases? With virtualization you can add them on the fly. If you have images ready to go, you do not even need to do much configuring, if at all.
2. Pooling resources – While a dedicated server for databases might sometimes make sense, it can often lead to CPU, RAM, and storage space sitting idly. With virtualization, you can put your resources to work.
3. Lower costs – Ultimately, if you save on server space and power, you will save money. Like server, virtualization, database virtualization costs less than dedicated database servers.
4. Performance boost – It is much easier to allocate and optimize with virtualization because it is all software defined. You decide exactly how resources are assigned. You can also pool cache across storage and effectively boost performance.
Leveraging the power of an open cloud platform, you can configure your database virtualization exactly how you need it and enjoy the scalability and high availability you need for your websites.