Choosing The Best Cloud Services Provider To Manage Your Hypervisor

By Author: Wordsworth White
Total Articles: 73
Comment this article

There are an endless string of factors to consider when choosing cloud services, as options and opportunities continue to evolve as fast as the technology itself. Luckily, most cloud packages don't lock you into long term agreements, but it's important to read the fine print. The best service packages will only demand your loyalty through proven satisfaction, allowing you to change services at any time you like. If competitor introduces a hypervisor that outdoes your current services provider, you should be free to switch clouds, no questions asked. After all, competition drives the climate of the cloud infrastructure. Here are a few other factors to consider.

Self Managing- the New Magic Buzz Word
All items that you self manage should be hosted by the cloud and be the responsibility of your service provider. If your cloud services don't host every single self managed service you need, move on. You aren't getting your money's worth. It's the sign of missing technology or an immature product. At this level of cloud development, you have the right to demand the very best.

Well Powered Hypervisor
A hypervisor, ...
... also called virtual machine monitor (VMM), allows multiple operating systems to run on a host computer concurrently. It's essentially the heart and soul of your cloud services. Make sure the provider's hypervisor powers plenty of disk I/O to support your system's requirements.

Simple Pricing Model
The pricing model for your cloud services provider should be simple and easy to understand. Some of the less scrupulous companies try to hide hidden costs in the mumbo jumbo of contract speak. The best cloud systems charge per cloud instance per a day, or some even offer hourly rates. You shouldn't have to pay for more then you use, and you should be able to easily understand everything your being billed for. It's the only way to truly gauge the cost-benefit analysis of the cloud service.

Backed Up Services
If you're looking for management of your OS and application, make sure it's included in the cloud services package. Will the company run the hypervisor itself, or will your own team be responsible? Read the fine print about how much service your cloud provider offers. If you want completely managed infrastructure, ensure that's provided for in the contract.

Security as Big as the Guard Dog
Security is naturally a huge concern when it comes to choosing cloud services. The rule of thumb is the larger and more established the provider, the more secure the system will be. These guys work with too large stakes to not have the security tried and tested. It's usually a much more sophisticated option than you'll get from the mom and pop shops, even the ones that provide a hypervisor.

Claudia Eastman is the author of this article on choosing cloud services for your hypervisor.