Microservers are more focused on specific tasks and can thus perform them more effectively than larger servers, which can do a lot of functions reasonably well.
Key Takeaways- A microserver is a small server used by small- and medium-sized businesses for smaller-scale applications
- Microservers can be more affordable, and lots of them used together can create a lot of power more efficiently when they share an infrastructure
- Large enterprises typically wouldn’t use microservers and require general-purpose servers for mixed workloads
What is a microserver?
A microserver — also known as a “micro server” or a “server appliance” — is a small server designed for smaller applications. It doesn’t have as much processing power as a standard server, and it has less storage capacity. Microservers usually have up to two processors and up to four memory slots. They typically have several disk drives and USB connectivity capability. The first uses of these smaller servers were for lighter computing tasks, but they have expanded to include more powerful functions like serving more complex web elements, hosted desktops, and digital signal processing for telecommunication companies. With big data analytics becoming more and more crucial to businesses, microservers will become more instrumental in carrying out tasks. Some medium-sized applications and services also use microservers. They provide services like:- VPN connections
- Firewalls
- Printing
- FTP
- Data sharing
Pros of microservers
Microservers are often used for specific uses within a business. For example, they could come preinstalled with applications like a small firewall or email server. These servers are extremely good at performing hyper-specific tasks instead of having the ability to do everything at a simply acceptable level. Because of these applications, microservers are useful for well-defined computing tasks and provide effective, consistent results. Other benefits of microservers are:- They are easy to install and use
- There is not much maintenance involved
- They come with pre-installed hardware, software, and operating system
- All applications are preinstalled
- The server works with an existing network
- There is little lag time between installation and use
- There is little configuration or support required
- They are more affordable overall