Explained: Why we run SapphireOne on a Dedicated Application Server.

December 4, 2020 11:00 am | by John Adams

We are often asked the reason we choose to run SapphireOne on a Dedicated Application Server, so we want to take the time to share why.

In today’s tech-savvy world, businesses both large and small are faced with a wide range of hosting options, and deciding if a dedicated application server or cloud environment will best support your business is a critical decision for any enterprise. 

Ultimately, the decision is not always black and white, and comes down to how each server addresses a businesses individual needs. The industry, size, budget and businesses goals are just a few factors to take into consideration when making such a decision.

For Medium-Large sized businesses with large data sets, a large number of employees, who want things to be quick, efficient and scalable with the best possible performance, then a dedicated server is the best possible solution.

Dedicated Application Server vs Virtual Cloud Server.

What is a Dedicated Application Server?

A dedicated application server is a physical server that is purchased entirely for your own businesses needs. They are typically used by large businesses and organisations that require high levels of data security and a steady, high demand for server capacity.

What is a Cloud Server?

A cloud server is a virtual server running in a cloud computing environment. Instead of being hosted on a physical hardware that’s solely used by you, they reside in a shared ‘virtualised’ environment that’s managed by your cloud hosting provider and shared with other businesses.

Benefits of a Dedicated Application Server.

1. Optimal server performance.

Firstly, and most importantly, a dedicated application server ensures that the performance of the hardware is totally maximised, and that you are receiving the very most out of what your software has to offer.

As all the servers resources are dedicated solely towards powering the application, it guarantees maximum uptime for your business, giving you the best of the server and powering your application to ensure optimal performance at all times.

2. Server resources are not shared.

For Medium-Large sized enterprises, a dedicated server provides more stability and reliability than a shared environment as all the resources are allocated solely to your individual business. 

Virtual servers have less space because you are sharing environments, leaving you vulnerable to other businesses using up the servers CPU and Ram space, and spikes in bandwidth usage causing your server to slow down.

With a dedicated application server you will have peace of mind knowing that you’ll be receiving the full resources of the single server, and that your server will always have enough space to support your business.

3. Total control of your server.

A dedicated application server gives you complete control over your server, and the ability to customise the server environment to fit your specific business needs.

This means you are not limited by a virtual environments server requirements, and your system administrators can configure the dedicated server for the exact level of space that is required to support operations.

4. Increased server security and data integrity.

A dedicated physical server means that you always know where your server is, and can always be certain of its safety and security.  

A dedicated server also means you have total control over who has access to your data, and the means that are being taken to protect it. You can also 100% sure that you are not sharing your server with any malicious websites or potential scammers, and that your data never falls into the wrong hands.

Let’s think of it this way…

You have a nuclear powered submarine that has the ability to stay underwater for months on end. By deciding to convert it to diesel power, the submarine now has to spend time coming up to the surface every week in order to repower, using up precious time and resources, and leaving it open to external threats.

By choosing to power the engine with diesel, the capabilities and performance of the submarine are not being maximised, and it is not being used to its full potential. 

It is similar thinking when looking at a Medium-Large enterprise running the SapphireOne application on a virtual server. The SapphireOne application has the ability to process billions of records, however a virtual server is not designed to power and support such a system. This allows for flaws in the running of the system and leaves the application open to vulnerabilities and external threats. 

When running your application on a dedicated server, you have total control over your physical server, and can be confident that your software is being maximised and supported to perform to the very best of its ability.

In conclusion.

At the end of the day, we care most about the server that will provide our customers with an efficient and scalable solution, power their SapphireOne application, and ensure that they are always receiving the best possible performance for their business.

Blog post written by John Adams and Maddie Kent.