Simply Junior

Cloud Computing is not a new computing technology rather it was present in a diminutive form right since the evolution of the internet. But cloud computing has really broken new ground in terms of potentialities in the last two to three years when companies like Amazon and Google built out large horizontal networks consisting of multiple services, platforms, applications and storage tools that allowed users to access various services from the internet directly without having to store or run the applications on their machines.

Cloud basically refers to the internet where different companies or service providers host or run their programs that the end user, be it the individual or corporate, can easily access without the need to run or store the application or program on ones own computer. A good example of a cloud application is the email or online editing software that allow the users to quickly access and modify the data from any machine at any time.

Cloud computing is beneficial to everyone. Start-ups can keep costs down by storing most of their resources like applications and data in the cloud. Research projects can be sped up by accessing online libraries and collecting and editing reports in the cloud itself. Companies can eliminate capital investments like purchasing state-of-the-art servers for storing their client data and service applications. Rather cloud servers can handle these tasks thus freeing the companies to concentrate on providing best quality services to their clientele.

This not only results in savings as one need not buy costly software, but it also saves time and provides flexibility in terms of access and availability. Also the user need not have knowledge of complex cloud computing technologies rather the implementation details are best handled by the cloud providers while the corporate can focus on providing best quality services to their clients and individual users can use the cloud services at their convenience on pay-per use basis.

Many a time we wouldn’t like to purchase costly software that will be used sparingly or on a test basis. In such a scenario cloud computing presents a cost-effective solution whereby we can test the application in the cloud itself before deciding to buy it or we can use it on a per-use basis like playing online games or using a thumb nailing software.

Companies like Sun Microsystems, Microsoft, Amazon, Google and others have already put in place their cloud computing offerings for individual, small, medium and big players. Companies that are security conscious can also build their own private clouds while others may utilize the public clouds consisting of multiple servers without the knowledge about which server is/are running their services.

Cloud computing also facilitates instant scalability whereby companies can demand higher or lower cloud resource allocation in an instant depending on the current demand. This saves unnecessary overheads like training additional personnel, maintaining extra infrastructure like servers and purchasing costly licensed software.

In future cloud computing will enable users to run operating systems from the cloud on the go rather than from their desktops. Companies will no longer need to maintain huge data-centers rather they can adopt a lean and mean approach to their businesses. Developers will be able to accelerate development cycles from days to just a few hours as clouds will host most of the development tools required and will enable easy collaboration and sharing among multiple development teams. No wonder every one is jumping on the cloud computing bandwagon, are you?

Once you’ve created a script, roleplay or not, one of the things that will either make or break the success of it is a good host. Your servers’ roleplay experience depends upon having a good server to provide an environment that is not laggy, and doesn’t crash. A game crashing SAMP often leads to lost player information, because it can’t save – and with roleplay servers the impact this has is exacerbated due to the complex nature of the game.

Another thing to consider is reliability, because if your server is continually going down, then it can become frustrating for players, leading to a diminished roleplay experience. When looking for a host, be sure to check their ‘Uptime’, or ‘Downtime’. This number, or percentage, indicates what amount of time the server is typically online for, taking into account any downtime. You should also see if they offer a guaranteed uptime.

The server host that you choose should also have a good level of support, because things can inevitably go wrong either with your server, or payments for the server, or something similar. A good communications relationship with your host will mean that these issues get sorted quickly and with relative ease.

It is for these reasons that I recommend choosing a larger, more established host. Although you may find new start-ups that offer discounted prices, you can never be sure if they will last, and their server providers may not be very reliable either. With larger companies, the chances are that they own their own dedicated servers and therefore can depend upon them, and the probably also have a better level of support. All in all, there’s a reason why they grew large.

My favourite SA-MP host would have to be ServerFFS, because they are definitely the most reliable and established hosts in the market. They have their own servers, and a good level of support. They also offer hosting for other games, and so you can easily add them to your account too.