Bare metal environment definition
A bare metal environment is a computer setup where an operating system or applications run directly on the hardware. There's no intervening layer like a hypervisor or virtual machine, which improves performance. It's excellent for tasks requiring a lot of computing power or security is a big concern. However, managing this setup is more complex than setups that use virtualization.
See also: bare-metal provisioning
Where is the bare metal environment used?
- Gaming Industry. For hosting high-end, multiplayer online games, where low latency and high performance are essential for a good gaming experience.
- Web Hosting and Data Centers. Particularly for dedicated hosting services, where a client needs full control over the server for performance, security, and compliance.
- Financial Services: In trading platforms and other financial applications where real-time processing is critical.
- Media and Entertainment. For tasks like video encoding, 3D rendering, and digital content creation.
- Telecommunications: Bare metal servers handle large volumes of data and ensure high-speed connectivity.
- Healthcare and Life Sciences: For data-intensive applications like genomic sequencing or medical imaging, where processing speed and data security are vital.
- Retail and E-Commerce: To handle high traffic and transaction volumes, especially during peak times like sales or holiday seasons.
- Manufacturing and Engineering: For running complex simulations, CAD/CAM applications, and other resource-intensive engineering software.
- Research and Development: In environments where developers need a controlled setup for testing and development that closely mirrors a production environment.
