Our Hosted Computing Platform FAQ

Virtual machines offer a variety of benefits to business IT systems, including the ability to consolidate servers, invest in fewer physical machines, and isolate machines to prevent security breaches. However, since virtual machines are run as programs, you will have to choose which operating system (OS) is best for your platform.

How to Choose the Right Operating System for Your Virtual Machines

Once you have set up a host machine and a host operating system, you can run nearly any OS of your choosing in a virtual machine. The majority of virtual machine programs will walk you through the process of creating a virtual machine and installing a guest OS using the operating system’s installation disc. The guest OS appears in a window on your computer using the emulation engine (hypervisor), running as if it’s just another program.

Depending on software compatibility, processing power, and the amount of storage you have available, you can install as many OS as you want, allowing you to:

• Test operating systems. A VM is ideal for testing out programs before adding them to your platforms, including potential new operating systems, like Windows or Linux. You can also test out new versions of operating systems before you upgrade your OS system-wide. Additionally, you can even see how your software appears across different operating systems, testing whether an application works for all users and or clients.
• Train employees. If you are rolling out a new system, you can install programs on VMs to ensure all of the software works together and create a training space for employees to learn the programs and get used to the interface either before launch or without affecting anything in production.
• Use multiple systems. It is possible to install and use a wide variety of operating systems as VMs, allowing you to select the OS that works best with each of your chosen software programs. You can even run multiples of the same OS and have them all performing task and processes simultaneously to maximize efficiency with little impact on one another.

ATI Soltuions Can Anwser Questions About Virtual Machines

Our specialists at ATI Solutions would be happy to consult with business owners about the services we offer in our data centers. Contact us today to get more information about the storage and service options in our D.C. data centers, or set up an appointment to tour our Chantilly facility.

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Cloud computing allows businesses to run many different online environments from the same physical hardware. One “host” machine can run millions of “guest” virtual machines (VMs), each one with the ability to run entire operating systems and perform all of the functions of a physical computer. A hypervisor is software, firmware, or hardware that controls the guest operating systems and manages the activities on all of the virtual machines.

Understanding the Different Kinds of Hypervisors

Hypervisors, also called virtual machine managers, separate a computer’s applications and operating system from its physical hardware. The hypervisor allows multiple virtual environments to exist on the same physical machine while remaining isolated from one another. With more virtual machines and fewer physical machines, having a large infrastructure becomes drastically more affordable. One of the most important benefits of hypervisors is that if one of the many VMs crashes or is corrupted, recovery is quick and easy since it only affects that one VM, leaving the rest of your virtual infrastructure unscathed.

Two Types OF Hypervisors

There are two types of hypervisors: type-1 or type-2. Type-1 hypervisors, known as “native” or “bare metal” hypervisors, run directly on the host's hardware to control the hardware and manage guest operating systems. Type-2, also called “hosted” hypervisors, run on a conventional operating system with the guest operating systems running as a process on the host. The hypervisor layer separates the guest operating systems from the host systems, while running all of the virtualization processes.

Benefits of using our industry-standard hypervisors as part of a fully-managed virtual platform include:

• Extending the capabilities of existing servers and hardware
• Easily scalable technology for more or less virtual machines
• More efficient use of bandwidth and memory
• Allowing businesses to test new software and debug programs without disrupting the existing platform
• Improved security and reliability
• Lower costs

Learn More How Hypervisors Can Be Used To Help Your Business

The professionals at ATI can evaluate your needs and help you determine which storage and service options are right for you. Contact us today to get more information about how our data centers can serve your needs or set up an appointment to tour our Chantilly facility.

Related Links: Are You Prepared for a Disaster? How to Choose Cloud Computing That Works for Your Business Is it Time to Transition Your Business to a Hosted Computing Platform?

 

Business owners often consider Amazon Web Services (AWS) when they begin transitioning their business to the cloud. As a large provider of web services, AWS can offer cloud computing at a relatively low cost. However, many independent providers offer the same products and services, with the added benefit of keeping your operations close to home.

Choosing Between ATI and Amazon Web Services

ATI Solutions offers the same flexibility and scalability of major cloud providers with the addition of having a full-service staff of technicians on-site and ready to help clients implement the platform and deployment options that work for them. Since we offer multiple levels of cloud deployment that allow you to maintain as much control of your online processes as you’re comfortable with, your customers enjoy a quality online experience, and you have the peace of mind that your business will remain up and running at optimal levels 24/7.

At ATI, our technical staff can help with a variety of cloud deployment concerns, including:

• What if my business needs change suddenly? – ATI’s hosting options are tailored to each individual client we serve, and we recognize that your cloud computing requirements must be flexible. You will not be limited to a set amount of bandwidth or storage, and can quickly access additional computing resources as you need them—and with our “pay as you grow” pricing, you will only be charged for the resources you use.
• Will I have to get all new software? – Our services support multiple operating systems and programming languages, allowing you to select the programs and development platforms that are most beneficial to your business. In addition to deciding which services you want to use, you can also select the manner in which they will be implemented.
• What if an adverse event occurs? – Our servers are configured to switch mission-critical operations to offsite secure alternative servers in the event of a power outage or other service interruption. We have multiple redundancies in place to ensure minimal end-user disruption.
• What if I need help? – Our technicians are available around the clock to provide intervention in the case of an emergency as well as help you discover better and more efficient ways to serve your customers.

The professionals at ATI can evaluate your needs and help you determine which storage and service options are right for you. Contact us today to get more information about how our data centers can serve your needs or set up an appointment to tour our Chantilly facility.

Related Links: Are You Prepared for a Disaster? How to Choose Cloud Computing That Works for Your Business Is it Time to Transition Your Business to a Hosted Computing Platform?

 

Once you have decided to invest in cloud computing, you will need to consider who will be responsible for hosting and maintaining your infrastructure. Large corporations may host their own platforms onsite, but this is often not feasible for small- or medium-sized businesses who do not want to devote a large portion of their resources to the IT department. Fortunately, third-party hosting services can take on as much or as little of the hosting and deployment necessary for your virtual environment.

Hosting Options for Cloud Computing

In most cases, businesses have three options for the deployment of a virtual platform: hosted infrastructure, hybrid infrastructure, and private infrastructure. Each one carries significant advantages, and can be scaled to meet the changing needs of business operations. The following is a brief overview:

• Hosted. A hosted cloud is owned and maintained by a service provider, with the hardware necessary to deploy the cloud in an offsite location. The business pays a monthly subscription fee, and the provider manages all of the applications and services.
• Hybrid. In a hybrid system, part of the infrastructure is hosted by a provider and part is hosted by the business. This system can involve many different combinations of solutions depending on the individual needs of each business. One of the benefits of a hybrid solution is that it allows companies to migrate into the cloud slowly, keeping sensitive systems onsite and using hosted clouds for less critical applications.
• Private. A private infrastructure is optimal for businesses who want to keep their servers and equipment onsite. The hardware is kept on the company’s premises, and the service provider is responsible for deploying and maintaining the cloud platform.

Ask Us About Our IT Solutions For Small And Medium Businesses

Many different factors can impact the choice of an infrastructure plan, including the type of industry, client base, and scale of operations. The professionals at ATI can evaluate your needs and help you determine which cloud computing plan is ideal for you. Contact us today to get more information about how our data centers can serve your needs or set up an appointment to tour our Chantilly facility.

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Infrastructure as a Service, or IaaS, is a way for businesses to have flexible cloud computing without the need for installing and managing their own virtual platforms. A third-party cloud provider hosts the infrastructure components—including servers, storage, and networking hardware—allowing the business to run its online processes and applications through the cloud.

Infrastructure as a Service Advantages

IaaS is a great option for businesses of all sizes who want to focus on their daily operations without devoting resources to IT management. The infrastructure is hosted on the business’ server and the client accesses operations remotely over a network. The system stays in a secure location, and the business runs all of its programs through a virtual environment using virtual machines (VMs).

There are many reasons a business may choose IaaS, including:

• Cost benefits. IaaS is typically purchased on a usage-based, pay-as-you-grow system, and only charges clients for the number of machines and resources that are actually being used.
• Resilience. IaaS cloud providers have the ability to run large numbers of VMs for multiple clients, allowing businesses to run large workloads without worrying about service availability and performance.
• Scalability. Clients can scale their needs up or down without delays or service interruption, while not having to worry about purchasing additional licensing for the hypervisor or virtual platform licensing—which can become costly very quickly.
• Security. Not only do data centers offer physical security, but there are also additional options for virtual security. These include the most up-to-date patched systems, intrusion detecting software, virtual environment security that is segmented over a massive network of WAN connections, and virtual private networks (VPN) to protect data during transmission and storage.
• Backup and data recovery. IaaS can be utilized from any secure terminal, making it easy to institute a disaster recovery plan immediately using cloud-hosted backups. With IaaS, your back up and data recovery is available depending on your back up schedule and retention time periods.

ATI Solutions is proud to offer a wide range of technical services for all business sizes and types of operations. Our highly flexible IaaS options can support large numbers of virtual machines with fully-redundant backups, allowing your IT processes to be as resilient and stress-free as possible.

Infrastructure as a Service Options Available

Our data centers offer all the power, connectivity, redundancy, and security you need. Contact us today to get more information about how our data centers can serve your needs or set up an appointment to tour our Chantilly facility.

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Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and analytics—over the Internet. Users can access their data whenever and wherever without physically hosting software or hardware. While it is often referred to as a singular “the cloud,” there are actually multiple clouds, each one controlled by a different provider (for example, Apple's iCloud).

Advantages of Cloud Computing for Businesses and Users

Cloud computing allows files, photos, software, documents, and other digital information to be stored and shared securely. The cloud can be used to stream video, analyze data, create apps, and complete virtually any task that requires data storage. As long as you have Internet access, you will be able to open and share anything that is stored in the cloud.

The exact benefits will vary according to the type of cloud service being used; however, some advantages of cloud computing include:

• Scalability. Your business can scale your operation and storage needs up or down to suit your situation, allowing flexibility as your needs change. Rather than purchasing and installing expensive upgrades yourself, your cloud computing service provider can handle this for you.
• Reduced costs. A cloud system reduces the need for high-priced hardware and software, as well as labor and storage costs associated with maintenance. Businesses can simply rent the space that they need on demand, without worrying about expensive infrastructure costs.
• Global scale. Cloud computing allows users to access files anywhere in the world using any Internet-enabled device, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The cloud makes it easy for users in multiple locations to work on the same project, since all users can access and edit files simultaneously (without the need for back-and-forth emailing).
• Reliability. If data loss occurs, cloud-based data duplication technology will allow users to securely store and recover their data. Protecting your data and systems is an important part of business continuity planning. Being able to access your data again quickly allows you to conduct business as usual, minimizing any downtime and loss of productivity.
• Manageability. Cloud computing provides enhanced and simplified IT management capabilities through central administration of resources. IT infrastructure updates and maintenance are eliminated, as the service provider maintains all resources.

Explore Cloud Computing Options For Your Business

ATI Solutions has partnered with cloud computing vendors to deliver three customized levels of invisible infrastructure to our clients. Let our data centers provide all the power, connectivity, protection, and security you need. Contact us today to get more information about how we can serve your needs or set up an appointment to tour our Chantilly facility.

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