Bare metal cloud is a computing service that provides customers with dedicated hardware and non-virtualized servers. Standard cloud servers are virtualized, meaning multiple clients use the same basic hardware. For example, a server with a 128-core Intel Xeon CPU could be virtualized into 64 dual-core servers (as virtual machines or VMs) for client use. Bare Metal Cloud, on the other hand, makes the entire server – in this example 128 cores – available to the client.
While expensive, such a service has several clear advantages for demanding or secure workloads:
Raw performance
Traditional servers are virtualized through a hypervisor, a hardware and software layer that manages the various VMs. Although the impact on performance is typically not large, a hypervisor does introduce some latency and consumes some of the server’s resources. Going bare metal completely eliminates the need for a hypervisor and gives the development team full access to the server’s resources. This approach costs more and requires more technical knowledge, but can prove beneficial for low-latency, high-throughput workloads such as cloud gaming and AI.
Custom hardware and controls
Another advantage is that (in many cases) you simply have root access to the server itself. Customers can install custom software, kernels, operating systems and, if possible, even request special hardware to be installed. The latter could include specific GPU models for AI inference or faster NVMe storage and RAM for bandwidth-sensitive applications.
Better security
A bare metal cloud setup is typically physically isolated from other clients. Resources are not shared. This can be crucial for sensitive applications and even for regulatory compliance (e.g. in the case of mandatory security for user health data). Using bare metal minimizes the risk of data breaches and leaks.
Cost efficiency
While a bare metal cloud costs more than traditional shared/virtualized cloud computing, such a setup can prove cost-effective when running demanding, sustained workloads. Good examples of this are applications that run 24/7 such as high-frequency trading, real-time multiplayer servers, data analytics and last but not least AI/ML applications.
Faster deployment and flexibility
Another area where the bare metal cloud is advantageous is deployment and flexibility. Shared servers or VMs are more flexible as they can be easily scaled up or down. However, deployment time – the time it takes to prepare and set up a new server, virtual or otherwise – tends to be much faster with a bare metal setup. This also makes it easier for developers to spin up a new server when needed, for example for testing or to handle an unexpected increase in demand.
The choice between a bare metal cloud or a VM/shared server primarily depends on the use case, where a development team must weigh the benefits of pure performance against the cost of such a setup. When security, low latency, or high utilization is expected, bare metal is usually the default option. However, VMs are still sufficient for most use cases due to their greater flexibility and significantly lower costs.
