Virtual Router vs Physical Router in Cloud Networking
In cloud networking, one of the key decisions an organization needs to make is whether to use a virtual router or a physical router. Virtual routers are software-based and provide networking functionality within a virtualized environment, whereas physical routers are hardware-based and connect physical networks.
Let's dive into a fact-based comparison between the two options.
Cost
The cost of virtual routers is considerably lower than physical routers. With virtual routers, you don't have to pay for the hardware, maintenance, and energy costs that you would with physical routers.
According to a study by Gartner, organizations can save up to 50% in costs by using virtual routers instead of physical routers for their networking needs.
Performance
Physical routers provide better performance compared to virtual routers. Physical routers are designed to handle more traffic than virtual routers, and their dedicated hardware allows for faster processing speeds.
Virtual routers can still handle a substantial amount of traffic, but as the traffic increases, they require more resources from the virtualized environment, which can impact the overall performance of the network.
Scalability
Virtual routers offer more scalability than physical routers. With physical routers, if you need to expand your network, you need to purchase additional hardware, which can be expensive and time-consuming. On the other hand, virtual routers can easily be scaled up or down depending on your requirements.
Management and Maintenance
Virtual routers require less management and maintenance compared to physical routers. With virtual routers, you can easily manage and configure the network through a web-based interface, whereas managing physical routers requires more expertise and specialized knowledge.
Moreover, virtual routers offer better backup options, disaster recovery, and high availability than physical routers, which requires more investment in hardware redundancy.
Conclusion
Both virtual routers and physical routers have their own advantages and disadvantages. While virtual routers are cost-effective, scalable, and require less management, physical routers offer better performance.
Therefore, organizations need to decide which option best fits their networking needs based on considerations such as cost, performance, scalability, and management.