Bare Metal refers to physical server hardware dedicated to a single client, where the operating system runs directly on the server without a virtualization layer between the hardware and the OS.
In bare metal environments, the client receives exclusive access to all server resources, CPU, RAM, storage, network interfaces, and hardware controllers with no sharing and no abstraction.
What Bare Metal Means in Practice?
Bare metal is:
- A real, physical server assigned to one customer
- Full control over hardware and software
- Predictable performance under any load
- Direct interaction with CPUs, disks, memory, and network devices
Bare Metal vs Virtualization (Key Distinction)
- Bare Metal
- OS runs directly on hardware
- Maximum and consistent performance
- Full hardware access (RAID, NICs, GPUs, NUMA)
- Predictable latency and throughput
- Virtual Machines / Cloud Instances
- OS runs on a hypervisor
- Resources are abstracted and shared
- Performance depends on host load
- Hardware access is limited or emulated
Bare metal is preferred when performance, stability, and control matter more than instant scalability.
Bare Metal vs “Bare Metal Cloud”
The term “bare metal cloud” is often used ambiguously:
- True bare metal:
- Dedicated hardware
- No oversubscription
- Fixed pricing
- Client controls the lifecycle
- “Cloud bare metal” (marketing term):
- Often pre-provisioned servers
- Limited configuration options
- Automation-driven but less flexible
- Sometimes still partially abstracted
Understanding who controls the hardware and network is critical.
Key Characteristics of Bare Metal
1. Resource Exclusivity
All hardware resources belong to a single client, eliminating contention and unpredictability.
2. Hardware-Level Control
- RAID and storage topology
- BIOS and firmware configuration
- Network bonding and VLANs
- Custom kernel and drivers
3. Predictable Performance
No throttling, no hidden limits, no shared queues.
4. Fixed Cost Model
Pricing is independent of CPU load, traffic patterns, or I/O operations, allowing accurate budgeting.
Typical Use Cases for Bare Metal
Bare metal is optimal for:
- High-load databases
- Video streaming and CDN nodes
- Game servers
- Fintech and trading platforms
- AI/ML workloads
- Large-scale SaaS backends
- Private clouds and OpenStack deployments
Many private clouds are built on top of bare metal, not instead of it.
Bare Metal and Reliability
Reliability in bare metal environments is achieved through:
- Enterprise-grade components
- Redundant power supplies
- Hardware monitoring
- Fast replacement of failed components
- Thoughtful architecture (clusters, backups, failover)
Bare metal does not remove the need for architecture; it enables correct architecture.
What Bare Metal Is Not?
❌ Not virtual machines
❌ Not shared hosting
❌ Not automatically scalable by itself
❌ Not maintenance-free
❌ Not obsolete compared to cloud
Bare metal is a foundation, not a shortcut.
Business Value of Bare Metal
For clients, bare metal provides:
- Maximum performance per dollar
- Full transparency of infrastructure
- Stable behavior under peak loads
- Long-term predictability
For us, bare metal is the core building block of all higher-level services:
clouds, CDNs, storage systems, and custom infrastructure solutions.