Horizontal scalability refers to the ability to spread a workload over multiple servers, rather than increasing the capacity of a single server.  This results in the ability to utilize more, less expensive pieces of hardware, rather than endlessly upgrading a single server at great cost.  Think of the Borg from Star Trek, or the concept [...]

Determining whether to migrate to cloud infrastructure (IaaS) or to a cloud platform (PaaS) requires a thorough understanding of the various recurring costs associated with one’s existing infrastructure (not to the mention the one-time cost of auditing the footprint of any existing setup).  Now, for anyone still in the planning stages of a start-up, the [...]

As we mention in Ten Technical Tips Your Startup Can’t Ignore, in the time crunch of pushing a new product to market, many early-stage projects launch utilizing a single physical server or cloud instance.  The convenience of having the web, database, and caching services all in one place is sometimes too tempting to pass up.  [...]

So you’ve made the decision to dive into “the cloud” head first. One question: Why? Don’t misinterpret our curiosity: there are many benefits to using cloud technology over more traditional hosting methods. However, it’s important to remember that “the cloud” isn’t all magic behind the curtain, and great caution must be taken when making new [...]

One of the hottest topics in computing today, by way of fast innovation and controversy, is whether or not to rely on the public cloud. Lured by the convenience and cost-effectiveness of these services, some computer users and business owners put their applications and data into the cloud without a moment’s hesitation.  For the most [...]