This article is intended to be a deep explanation of bare metal servers. What they are and how they differ from other server and some use cases for bare metal servers.
Table of Contents
What is Bare Metal?
Definition of Bare Metal
Allocated Entirely to a Single User
Bare metal server is an evolved term which refers to a single physical server or a single dedicated server within the control of a user. A way to look at this is that the user gets full access to the ‘metal’ which is used to physically manufacture the bare metal server and refers to the user getting full control over the physical server hardware.
I must also point out that while users do get full access to their bare metal server, it is not physical access where they can start customizing the physical server hardware like RAM, hard drives and processors, but they access their servers remotely over the internet and get full usage privileges of their bare metal server.
Bare metal servers are physical machines that don’t have an abstraction layer of a hypervisor or shared virtualization environment. Unlike cloud based virtual servers which share resources among multiple tenants, bare metal servers are allocated to one user only. This means all the server’s resources are devoted to that one user’s workloads, making it perfect for workloads that need high performance, reliability and security.
Provides Dedicated Resources
Bare metal servers provide their clients with dedicated resources. There is no hypervisor, the software layer that enables virtualization, which means no performance overhead of managing multiple virtual instances. Clients get complete access to the entire server hardware allowing bare metal servers to deliver raw power, so applications can use the CPU, memory and storage without interference from other users. This allows applications to run without being slowed down or sharing any of their performance power.
Single Tenant and Non Virtualized
Bare metal servers are not virtualized. As single-tenant (non virtualized) systems, bare metal servers provide complete resource isolation so performance isn’t impacted by other users. This also means security is enhanced as the physical separation of resources eliminates cross-tenant vulnerabilities that can occur in shared environments. Plus, the non-virtualized nature of bare metal servers gives users complete control over the hardware so they can customize configurations to meet their workload requirements. This combination of isolation, control and performance makes bare metal servers a good match where both control and performance are needed.
Evolution of Bare Metal To Cloud
History of Bare Metal Servers
In the old days of computing before the internet and the cloud, organizations used to rely on bare metal servers. These were physical servers bought and maintained within their own facilities or office space, usually in dedicated server rooms within office buildings or business facilities. There would be IT teams responsible for everything on these servers, hardware, software, updates and uptime. This required an investment in infrastructure, cooling and power backup to keep the servers running. And scalability was a problem, as adding more servers meant needing more space and more power consumption.
As the global infrastructure for communication advanced, businesses started to see the benefits of centralizing their server operations. This led to the development of data centers, (large facilities designed to house servers and networking equipment). By consolidating their server rooms into data centers, organizations could achieve more efficiency, better scalability and better management of IT resources. Data centers allowed businesses to leverage economies of scale, with advanced cooling, backup power and physical security for their critical infrastructure. This was a big step towards modern computing and the foundation for the cloud that was to come.
The concept of the cloud came from running bare metal servers in centralized data centers. As virtualization technology advanced, organizations realized they could virtualize these bare metal servers into multiple virtual servers running on a single bare metal server. This allowed them to use hardware more efficiently and reduce costs while maintaining flexibility. The move from dedicated bare metal servers to virtualized environments was a big moment, it was the foundation for scalability, efficiency and on-demand of modern cloud. While the cloud has evolved to include many services, its roots are still in the consolidation and centralization of bare metal servers.
Bare Metal vs Virtual Servers
Key Differences
Virtual servers are a cornerstone of cloud computing, providing significant efficiency and flexibility. These servers can be rented on-demand, provisioned in minutes, and decommissioned when no longer needed, making them ideal for dynamic workloads. Organizations benefit from reduced upfront costs and the ability to scale quickly to meet fluctuating demands. However, virtual servers share the underlying physical hardware with other users, which can sometimes lead to performance bottlenecks, particularly for resource-intensive applications.
In contrast, bare metal servers offer unmatched performance and security for workloads that require dedicated resources. Because they are not shared with other users, bare metal servers eliminate the potential for the “noisy neighbor” issues, ensuring consistent performance. This makes them a compelling choice for running applications without interference. Additionally, their dedicated nature enhances security, providing organizations with greater control over the hardware and software stack.
Benefits of Bare Metal Servers
Advantages of Bare Metal Servers
- Unparalleled performance
Bare metal servers deliver exceptional speed and reliability since they aren’t affected by shared hardware limitations, making them ideal for resource-intensive applications. - Control
With bare metal, you have full control over the server’s configuration, software stack, and operating system, allowing for precise customization to meet your specific needs. - Security
Since bare metal servers are not shared with other users, they offer enhanced physical and data security, reducing the risks of breaches or unauthorized access. - Raw processing power
These servers provide the full computational power of their hardware, ensuring optimal performance. - Dedicated resources
Bare metal servers allocate all resources—CPU, memory, storage—exclusively to your workloads, eliminating performance inconsistencies caused by resource sharing. - Enhanced customization
Bare metal solutions allow you to configure hardware specifications, operating systems, and applications precisely to match your unique requirements. - Lower latency
With no virtualization overhead, bare metal servers consistently outperform virtual servers for latency-sensitive and high-demand tasks. - Increased security
Dedicated environments reduce exposure to vulnerabilities associated with multi-tenant systems, ensuring greater compliance and protection for sensitive data. - Predictable costs
Bare metal servers typically come with fixed pricing, allowing businesses to better plan and manage their IT budgets without surprise charges for usage spikes.
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Bare Metal Server Providers
Some Known Bare Metal Server Providers
Below are some bare metal server providers to show actual examples.
- ServerDime (US)
This is us! ServerDime provides dedicated servers / bare metal servers through our Dallas, Texas data center location. We run our own network under AS 62633 and guarantee 99.9% uptime. - Cherry Servers (LT)
Based in Lithuania, Cherry Servers specializes in delivering customizable, high-performance bare metal servers with a focus on privacy and transparent pricing, catering to developers and SMBs. - Psychz Networks (US)
Psychz Networks, based in the United States, specializes in offering DDoS-protected bare metal servers and colocation services. Their global network ensures low latency and reliability, catering to businesses needing secure and scalable hosting solutions. - Ioflood (US)
IOFLOOD is a US-based hosting provider specializing in unmanaged bare metal servers based in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area. - Clouvider (UK)
Clouvider, a UK-based provider, focuses on high-performance bare metal servers with robust network connectivity. It offers a range of solutions for businesses requiring reliable and secure hosting, supported by its global data center presence. - Hivelocity (US)
Hewlett Packard Enterprise delivers enterprise-grade bare metal services with integrated solutions for hybrid and edge computing, ideal for large-scale IT environments. - Leaseweb (NL)
- Based in the Netherlands, Leaseweb offers bare metal and cloud hosting services with a focus on scalability, performance, and global reach. It provides dedicated servers tailored for gaming, e-commerce, and enterprise applications.
- ServerHub (US)
- ServerHub is a US-based hosting provider offering high-performance bare metal servers and cloud hosting solutions.
Bare Metal Server Architecture
Components and Deployment
A traditional bare metal server consists of just two layers: the physical hardware and the software.
Traditional bare metal servers consist of a physical machine (the hardware) and the software that operates directly on it, such as an operating system or application stack. This simplicity ensures maximum efficiency by removing additional layers like hypervisors or virtualization software. Without these intermediary layers, bare metal servers deliver raw computing power directly to the applications running on the system. This makes them particularly appealing for workloads that demand high-performance computing, low latency, and full access to the server’s resources.
Hardware Layer
The hardware in a traditional bare metal server serves as the physical infrastructure that powers the entire system. It includes critical components such as the CPU, RAM, storage drives, motherboard, power supply, and network interface cards. Each of these elements has a specific role: the CPU executes instructions, the RAM provides fast temporary storage for active processes, and storage drives handle long-term data retention. The motherboard connects these components and facilitates communication between them, while the power supply ensures stable energy delivery. Network interface cards manage data exchange with external systems over the internet or private networks. Together, these components provide the raw computational power and physical resources that the software layer relies upon to function. The hardware’s task is to perform operations reliably, continuously, and at the highest level of performance possible to meet the demands of the hosted applications.
Software Layer
The software layer interacts directly with the hardware to control its behavior and perform specific tasks. At its core is the operating system (OS), which acts as a bridge between hardware and applications. The OS allocates resources like memory, storage, and processing power to various tasks, manages file systems, and ensures secure and efficient multitasking. Beyond the OS, application software runs specific workloads, such as managing databases, hosting websites, or processing large datasets. Unlike virtualized environments where a hypervisor abstracts hardware access, software on bare metal servers interacts with the hardware directly. This direct relationship minimizes latency and maximizes resource utilization, making the software highly efficient for compute-intensive or latency-sensitive applications. By clearly defining its roles, the software ensures that the full potential of the hardware is utilized to meet the demands of the user’s workloads.
The server hardware is housed in a specialized data center that oversees security and ensures optimal performance and reliability.
Bare metal servers are typically located in professional data centers designed to provide an optimal environment for critical IT infrastructure. These facilities maintain rigorous physical security measures, including biometric access controls, surveillance systems, and 24/7 staffing, to protect the hardware from unauthorized access. Additionally, data centers are equipped with redundant power supplies, advanced cooling systems, and robust network connectivity to ensure consistent performance and minimize downtime. By hosting bare metal servers in such specialized environments, providers can offer reliable and secure services that meet the high standards required by businesses.
Unlike virtual environments, a bare metal server allocates all resources to a single tenant.
In a bare metal setup, all the server’s resources—CPU, memory, storage, and bandwidth—are dedicated to a single tenant. This exclusivity eliminates resource contention, which is common in shared or virtualized environments, where multiple users compete for the same hardware. By isolating resources, bare metal servers deliver predictable performance and enhanced security, as no other users share the physical infrastructure. This model is ideal for industries and applications that demand high levels of performance, such as gaming, financial trading, and big data processing, where consistent and reliable access to resources is crucial.
Use Cases for Bare Metal Servers
Real-World Examples
Game servers
Bare metal servers are ideal for hosting multiplayer game servers due to their low latency, high reliability, and ability to handle the significant resource demands of online gaming. Game developers and publishers rely on bare metal to ensure smooth gameplay experiences, avoiding lag and downtime that could frustrate players. These servers are especially effective for games requiring real-time responsiveness, like first-person shooters and massively multiplayer online games (MMOs).
Application development
Application development teams benefit from bare metal servers for their ability to provide a stable, controlled environment for building, testing, and deploying software. Developers can configure these servers to match production conditions closely, enabling accurate performance testing and debugging. This level of control ensures applications are optimized for scalability and performance before being rolled out to end-users.
AI and machine learning
Bare metal servers are indispensable for AI and machine learning workloads, where intensive computational tasks like training models and processing large datasets demand high performance. With the ability to support GPUs and other specialized hardware, bare metal servers accelerate the development of AI applications. Industries ranging from healthcare to autonomous vehicles use these servers to power cutting-edge innovation.
Ensuring maximum performance
For businesses that require the highest levels of performance, such as financial trading platforms or scientific research organizations, bare metal servers deliver unparalleled speed and reliability. By dedicating all resources to a single tenant, these servers eliminate the overhead of shared environments, making them an excellent choice for latency-sensitive and compute-intensive tasks.
Containers
Bare metal servers provide a strong foundation for containerized applications, enabling tools like Kubernetes to operate efficiently. By eliminating the need for a virtualization layer, bare metal ensures that container workloads run at maximum speed with minimal overhead. This setup is particularly advantageous for businesses managing large-scale microservices architectures.
Number crunching
High-performance computing tasks, such as big data analytics, financial modeling, and scientific simulations, benefit greatly from bare metal servers. These use cases require significant processing power and memory bandwidth, which bare metal servers deliver without compromise. Organizations in finance, academia, and engineering frequently leverage these servers for data-intensive projects.
High security
Industries with stringent security requirements, such as defense, healthcare, and finance, depend on bare metal servers for their isolated environments and enhanced control. Since resources are not shared, businesses can implement custom security measures to meet regulatory compliance and safeguard sensitive data.
Control and configuration
Bare metal servers give organizations full control over their IT environments, from hardware specifications to software installations. This level of customization is invaluable for businesses with unique needs, such as legacy application support or specialized hardware configurations, ensuring optimal performance and compatibility.
Databases
Bare metal servers are a popular choice for hosting databases due to their ability to handle high transaction volumes and ensure quick query response times. Applications with heavy database demands, like ecommerce platforms or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, benefit from the consistent performance of dedicated hardware.
Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing
The decentralized nature of IoT and edge computing requires infrastructure that can process data quickly and reliably near its source. Bare metal servers excel in these scenarios by providing the raw computing power needed for real-time analysis while supporting the scalability required for growing IoT ecosystems.
Bare Metal Server Costs
Pricing Models and Options
- The cost of a bare metal server can vary depending on the server’s hardware specifications, the hosting provider, and any additional services included (like management, security, and support).
- Prices can be broken up into three levels: entry-level, mid-level, and high-end bare metal servers.
Bare Metal Server Management Tools
Options and Providers
- Configuration management software
Tools like Ansible, Puppet, and Chef are popular choices for managing bare metal server configurations.- Ansible: A simple and agentless automation tool that allows you to configure servers, deploy applications, and manage systems with YAML playbooks. Its ease of use and scalability make it ideal for bare metal management.
- Puppet: Offers a more structured approach, using a declarative language to automate system configurations and enforce desired states across multiple servers.
- Chef: Focused on infrastructure automation, Chef uses Ruby-based scripts to manage complex configurations, making it a flexible tool for diverse IT environments.
- Logging and reporting tools
Solutions like Graylog, Logstash, and Splunk help manage and analyze logs from bare metal servers.- Graylog: Provides a centralized logging platform with robust search and analysis capabilities, enabling teams to quickly identify and resolve server issues.
- Logstash: A component of the Elastic Stack, Logstash collects and parses logs from various sources, providing real-time insights into server performance and errors.
- Splunk: Known for its powerful analytics, Splunk transforms raw server logs into actionable intelligence, helping organizations monitor operations and enhance security.
- Automated management tools
Tools like Terraform, SaltStack, and CloudBolt enable automation for bare metal server provisioning and management.- Terraform: A widely-used infrastructure-as-code tool, Terraform automates the provisioning and lifecycle management of servers, offering compatibility with bare metal and hybrid environments.
- SaltStack: Focuses on configuration and infrastructure management, with features for remote execution and task automation, making it suitable for large-scale server fleets.
- CloudBolt: A hybrid cloud management platform that extends automation to bare metal environments, allowing for seamless provisioning and operational efficiency.
- Monitoring software
Tools like Nagios, Zabbix, and Datadog provide comprehensive monitoring for bare metal servers.- Nagios: One of the oldest and most reliable monitoring tools, Nagios tracks server health, performance, and availability, with customizable alerts for quick response.
- Zabbix: Offers advanced monitoring with predictive analytics and capacity planning, ensuring proactive management of server resources.
- Datadog: A modern monitoring solution that integrates seamlessly with bare metal servers, providing real-time dashboards and alerts for system performance and applications.
Challenges and Limitations
- Higher upfront costs
Bare metal servers often require a larger initial investment compared to virtualized or shared cloud solutions. Since these servers are dedicated to a single tenant, the cost of the hardware and associated resources is typically higher. This can be a barrier for startups or small businesses with limited budgets, though the long-term benefits may offset the upfront expenses for certain workloads. - Limited scalability
Unlike virtual servers, bare metal servers are not as agile when it comes to scaling resources up or down. Adding or reducing capacity often requires provisioning new hardware or reconfiguring existing infrastructure, which can take time and effort. This makes them less suitable for businesses with highly variable workloads or sudden spikes in demand. - Requires technical expertise
Managing bare metal servers demands a high level of technical know-how. Tasks like configuring hardware, managing operating systems, and implementing security measures require skilled IT staff. Organizations without in-house expertise may need to invest in training or outsource server management, adding to operational costs. - Limited flexibility
Bare metal servers are highly optimized for specific workloads, but this can limit their flexibility for rapidly changing requirements. Unlike virtualized environments that can run multiple instances or applications on a single physical server, bare metal is less adaptable to shifting needs. This makes them better suited for static, predictable workloads rather than dynamic, fast-changing ones.
We offer Affordable Dedicated Servers with great uptime and DDoS protection. Rent your dedicated server here. If however, your are looking for virtual, we do offer affordable virtual servers at our site ServerCheap.
Conclusion
Bare metal servers represent a powerful solution for businesses seeking dedicated, high-performance infrastructure. Allocated entirely to a single user, these servers provide exclusive access to the full capabilities of the hardware, ensuring reliable and consistent performance. Their single-tenant and non-virtualized nature eliminates the inefficiencies and potential vulnerabilities of shared environments, making them a superior choice for workloads that demand speed, security, and stability. With resources like CPU, memory, and storage allocated solely to one user, bare metal servers deliver unparalleled computing power and are tailored to meet specific operational needs.
When compared to virtual servers, bare metal servers offer several distinct advantages. The absence of a virtualization layer removes performance overhead, enabling faster and more efficient processing. This makes them particularly well-suited for applications requiring low latency and high computational demands, such as AI training, real-time gaming, and financial modeling. Additionally, the dedicated nature of bare metal servers provides enhanced control and customization, allowing businesses to configure their systems precisely to their requirements. These benefits make bare metal an attractive choice for organizations that prioritize performance, reliability, and security.
The versatility of bare metal servers extends across a range of use cases, from hosting game servers and powering AI applications to supporting secure environments for sensitive data. Their ability to deliver predictable performance and unmatched reliability makes them a trusted solution for industries like finance, healthcare, and e-commerce. Whether you’re managing data-intensive applications or operating in a high-security environment, bare metal servers offer the flexibility and power needed to meet your business goals. As technology continues to evolve, their role as a cornerstone of modern infrastructure remains as relevant as ever.
