From Dedicated Servers to Docker Container Hosting and Serverless Platforms
The evolution of server and hosting technologies has played a key role in shaping the digital landscape over the years. From the early days of dedicated servers to the advent of virtualization and cloud computing, each new stage has brought significant improvements in scalability, flexibility, and cost efficiency. In this article, we will look at the evolution of hosting technologies, starting with dedicated server hosting and ending with the cutting-edge era of serverless computing. Along the way, we will also look at the reasons why serverless platforms, with their event-driven architecture and pay-as-you-go model, have become so popular in the modern era of application development.
On-Premises Servers
Initially, applications were hosted on physical servers located on the company's premises.
Organizations had to manage their own infrastructure, including hardware, software, and networks.
Local hosting required significant investment in equipment, maintenance and expertise.
Due to the cost budget constraints faced by many software development companies, a new trend in hosting has emerged as a more convenient alternative to local server hosting.
Virtual hosting (Shared Hosting)
Virtual hosting has proven to be a cost-effective solution.
Several applications were hosted on a single server, sharing its resources.
This was useful for small and medium sized sites with moderate traffic.
Hosting providers managed the infrastructure and maintenance of the servers.
In Russia, this technology is represented by companies such as: Beget, Reg.ru, Ru-center (nic.ru)
But virtual hosting had one major limitation: if one of the applications experienced a sudden spike in traffic, it could potentially impact the performance of other neighboring applications hosted in the same virtual hosting environment. Therefore, applications with high traffic and resource requirements needed an alternative hosting solution.
Dedicated Servers
Dedicated servers have become popular for websites with high traffic or special requirements.
An entire server was dedicated to a single application, providing better performance, control, and customization options.
Organizations had full control over the server, managed it themselves, and were responsible for its maintenance.
Representatives in Russia: Selectel, Reg.ru, Timeweb and 50+ more
Despite many advantages over virtual hosting, dedicated servers turned out to be economically ineffective in a number of cases. It was difficult to manage the utilization of such a server's resources depending on the needs of a specific project. As a result of working on a solution to this problem, a new hosting strategy was developed, which led to the introduction of virtual private servers (VPS).
Virtual Private Servers (VPS)
VPS hosting provides a balance between cost and performance.
VPS hosting made it possible to implement virtualization technology.
Compared to dedicated servers, VPS hosting is more affordable because multiple virtual servers are created on one physical server, each of which operates independently.
VPS offers the same benefits as a dedicated server, but at a lower price.
Users have more control over their virtual server, including root access and custom configurations.
All the advantages described above make VPS an attractive option for individuals and small businesses with a limited budget.
In Russia, this is now one of the most massive segments in the industry, with 100+ companies represented on the market. The TOP 5 search results look like this: RuVDS, Beget, Reg.ru, Hostkey, Timeweb
For a time, VPS hosting perfectly met all the needs of the market. However, the need to constantly scale projects to be able to serve an ever-growing user audience led to the emergence of cloud hosting. While VPS hosting provided the ability to scale with a gradual increase in the VPS resource, cloud hosting technology offered virtually unlimited, seamless, virtual scalability. As a result, cloud computing gained popularity and became the next evolutionary stage in the development of hosting.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting has revolutionized the hosting industry.
Applications were hosted on a network of interconnected virtual servers, often distributed across multiple data centers.
Cloud hosting has provided unrivaled levels of scalability, flexibility and high availability, surpassing anything previously seen in the industry.
Cloud service providers managed the underlying infrastructure, allowing users to focus on their applications.
In Russia, similar services include: Yandex Cloud, VK Cloud, Cloud.ru
When the technology of distributed servers united into a single cloud reached the peak of popularity and became the most productive solution, a new problem arose. This problem was that some applications could run smoothly on one host machine, but when deployed to another host machine, difficulties arose. Containerization technology helped to solve these problems.
Containerization
Containers like Docker have gained immense popularity for deploying applications.
Containers encapsulate an application and its dependencies, enabling consistent deployment across different environments.
Containers offer lightweight and scalable solutions with simple distribution and management.
In Russia, this direction is only gaining popularity; similar services include: Yandex Cloud, Cloud.ru, Dockhost
Cloud services were only accessible and effective if the user had access to DevOps engineers or specialized knowledge in setting up and maintaining the infrastructure. To reach a wider audience, cloud service providers have adopted serverless computing technology, providing the convenience and simplicity of cloud services without the need for extensive server management knowledge.
Serverless computing
Serverless architecture allows developers to write and run code without explicitly allocating resources or managing servers.
Cloud service providers dynamically allocate resources based on demand, reducing operational costs and expenses.
Developers have the ability to focus on code (features) and can pay only for the resources actually consumed.
In Russia, only large market players are starting to develop this technology, for example Yandex Cloud, Cloud.ru
Examples of Serverless in the world include AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, and Google Cloud Functions for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud respectively. There are also many other services provided by cloud service providers that serve as serverless, but these 3 services always come first when someone talks about serverless computing.
Edge computing
Edge computing emerged with the growth of Internet of Things devices and the need for low-latency applications.
Edge servers are placed closer to end users, reducing latency and providing faster data processing.
This is especially useful for real-time applications and scenarios where low latency is critical.
The evolution of hosting technologies reflects the ongoing quest for efficiency, performance, and cost optimization. From dedicated hosting to virtualization, cloud computing, and serverless computing, each phase has contributed to the transformation of the way applications are deployed and managed. As businesses embrace the cloud and demand scalable, cost-effective solutions, serverless computing is at the forefront of this changing trend. Its event-driven architecture and pay-as-you-go model allow developers to focus on code and product without worrying about managing infrastructure. That said, it’s safe to say that hosting technologies will continue to evolve, driven by the relentless pursuit of innovation and meeting the challenges of the ever-evolving digital landscape.
From the author:
The article very accurately describes the main trends in the development of hosting technologies. Digitalization is penetrating deeper into all areas of our lives, the number of applications and users is growing, the requirements for mobility and flexibility of IT solutions and the speed of implementing changes are increasing. Responding to new market challenges, the hosting industry in Russia is also forced to change.
Today, almost all major market players offer their containerization solutions and cloud platforms. Some companies offer their serverless computing services.
In addition, new players are emerging in the market that specialize in developing cloud platforms with broad user capabilities for launching and scaling applications that can become an alternative to classic VPS.
Technology continues to evolve, the next stage that the hosting industry will live in for some time is universal clouds and serverless computing. What next? The question is still open.
