One Server for Everything, or One Server Each?

About this interactive

A small office server often runs directory services, DHCP, DNS and file shares, and that works. Trouble starts when more is piled on: a web server, a database, a third-party app. Stacking services on one server causes three kinds of problem. They compete for the same memory, CPU and disk, which is resource contention. They clash with each other on a shared operating system. And every service opens ports and adds code, so one weak program exposes the others, and one break-in reaches everything. The old fix was a physical server for each service. That is stable and isolated, but each new service means quotes, a purchase and an install, the hardware bill grows, the room fills up, and there is more equipment to manage. Those costs are what virtualization, containers and serverless were built to remove. To sort a card, ask whether the problem comes from things sharing one machine, or from having too many machines.

What you'll learn

Recognize the problems of running many services on one server: resource contention, clashes between programs and a larger attack surface
Recognize the costs of giving each service its own physical server: hardware cost, scalability, manageability and agility

Aligned to

CompTIA Security+

3.1 Compare and contrast security implications of different architecture models.

Key terms

Resource Contention: A condition in which multiple services or applications compete for the same limited hardware resources, degrading performance and stability.
Server: A computer or program that provides services or resources to other devices, known as clients, over a network.
Attack Surface: The total set of points in a system where an unauthorized user can attempt to enter or extract data.
Scalability: The ability of a system to handle increased load by adding resources without degrading performance.

Topics

Interactive Streak Sort

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