Choosing a bare metal server provider is a major decision. It’s hard to know where to start, what to ask, and how many servers you need. Don’t fret! This article will teach you everything you need to know about choosing a bare metal server provider so that you can start your search with ease

From the basics of what a bare metal server is, to understanding the different types of providers and their services, read on for everything you need to know about picking the right bare metal server in 2021

**1) What is the bare metal server plan that you get
Is it a fully dedicated, self-contained bare metal server that allows you to experience the raw power of bare metal servers? Is it a service that allows you to work within your own virtualization environment and environment-aware software such as VMware or Hyper-V? What about security features, like DDoS servers protection?
Bare metal providers offer dedicated, pre-configured, and fully tuned bare metal servers that can scale up to handle any load or application that you throw at them

Some providers like Maxihost offer a hybrid cloud or hosting service that may involve a mix of bare metal servers and virtualized virtual machines (VMs) running on bare metal servers. Bare metal hosts are available in 2-node configurations and are built for enterprise systems

**2) How is the bare metal provider architected
Does the provider run on its own hardware, or is it a company, perhaps partnering with other hardware manufacturers? The answer to this question will dictate the type of environment you will get to experience

The architecture of your bare metal server provider will dictate the type of hardware you will get. Modern bare metal servers are designed to be self-contained and have an optimized operating system and hardware configuration

Bare metal hardware manufacturer’s product line and device management systems are becoming more and more advanced, and each manufacturer has its own footprint and naming conventions. Having a working knowledge of the vendor’s products is key to getting the best performance and reliability out of your server and to getting optimal manageability

**3) Is there a pool of hosting capacity on demand? Do you need to make a reservation to use the available server resources

Reservations for hosting capacity should be carefully thought through and negotiated. The amount of server space and features of your server plan are not locked in at the bare metal provider’s price. Furthermore, a hoster that offers hosting capacity without reservation should be a red flag

Make sure to pay close attention to how much server space you will get and how it’s organized. Ask the provider if the server is equipped with load balancers to facilitate high-traffic web applications

**4) Does the bare metal provider offer a hybrid cloud or hosting service
In many cases, the bare metal server provider offers a hybrid cloud hosting service. The provider’s hardware configuration can include bare metal and bare metal VMs. The hypervisor for the bare metal server will be the hypervisor the hosting provider uses. On top of this, the bare metal hypervisor can be a third-party software that you can add on top of the bare metal server

These hybrid cloud hosting services often feature SLAs (Service Level Agreements) to guarantee the stability and scalability of the provider’s hardware. A good rule of thumb is that the provider should be offering both bare metal and bare metal VMs

**5) What kind of security does the bare metal provider offer
Each bare metal provider offers its own security model. Check to see if they can be managed via different service accounts, be it access credentials or a security group

Understanding the security models of the provider’s security features is key for ensuring a secure environment for your servers. A provider that can protect the physical server hardware and provide you with adequate levels of isolation from the public network is the best choice

If data security is a major concern on your cloud provider, you should strongly consider on-premise bare metal. With on-premises servers, your IT team can increase the security and protection of your server environment

Security concerns will always be on the radar for IT pros. If you can get your hands on a fully integrated bare metal server from a trusted provider with secure hardware and network layer protection, you can feel confident in the security of your IT environment.