What Are The Differences and Why Does it Matter?
Cloud computing and virtualisation are often spoken about in the same sentence, but they are actually very different concepts. When it comes to playout, both play a vital role, but what are the differences, and why does it even matter?
While one can’t exist without the other, the two have distinct differences that make them similar in nature but contrasting inindustry application. Here, we discuss what the key differences are between the two and present the ultimate guide to applying cloud computing and virtualisation to your workflow.
Let’s start with the basics.
Cloud computing, in a nutshell, is the on-demand availability of system resources, especially data storage, in replacement of a local server or on-site computer.
The on-demand resources are sourced entirely from clouds(pools of virtual resources orchestrated by management and automation software). Clouds, by nature, can be assessed by users in an on-demand and self-service fashion. Clouds are the spaces in which cloud computing happens, and cloud computing is the act of running workloads within that space.
These two concepts work hand in hand, and practically every experience a user has on the internet will involve cloud computing to some degree.
With cloud computing gaining such a far reach on the internet, it’s pretty much impossible to experience the internet without encountering the cloud. In playout, cloud-native environments make the perfect scenario for delivering efficient and high-quality content in broadcasting.
For this reason, the system has gathered increased development over the years, and comes with a long list of benefits, including:
Virtualisation refers to the creation of dedicated resources from a single, physical hardware system.
A hypervisor directly connects with this hardware system and allows for secure environments (known as virtual machines) to be distinctively identified. Virtualisation allows for users to create multiple, simulated environments, designed for integrating with other resource handling systems.
Basically, virtualisation is the system that cloud computing often exists within.
As the foundation for cloud computing, virtualisation holds significant benefits that can be applied to any organisation. Specifically in the broadcasting and post-production industry. Benefits include:
When it comes down to it, virtualisation is the foundation that needs to be created before cloud computing can exist.
Virtualisation can look like physical hardware that abstracts resources and is then made available to virtual machines. Their sources might include things like power, applications, storage etc., containing all the resources for deployment. This is where virtualisation stops, and cloud computing begins.
In order for cloud computing to exist, resources need to be grouped into self-serve, on-demand pools – otherwise, the software is known as virtualisation. Regardless, virtualisation needs to be present before the cloud can be created.
Using both cloud computing and virtualisation, together or separately, is undoubtably the way to go for broadcasters and media service providers.
With the industry as a whole moving further away from on-site, physical hardware – cloud-native is, for many, the future-proof answer to centralised security and the reduced costs that the industry craves. Not to mention the efficiency, scalability and on-demand nature of the cloud in comparison to a studio computer.
By incorporating clouds and virtualisation in broadcast playout, media service providers can access a reimagined, future-ready solution that cuts down the complexity of the playout workflow and increases scalability.
For more information on our cloud-native playout platform, Veset Nimbus, drop us a line or request a demo.
