SolarWinds Platform System Requirements for Cloud Hosting

The rapid pace of technological evolution has introduced a variety of software solutions designed to reduce operational costs and enhance workflows within businesses. For example, accounting software improves financial tracking, customer relationship managers (CRMs) enhance client management, and business management services optimize organizational workloads. However, the sheer number of these service platforms makes it challenging to keep track of and manage all of them. This is a particularly pressing problem for bigger businesses that rely on a wider range of applications, necessitating the use of IT management tools, such as SolarWinds.

SolarWinds provides a streamlined approach to overseeing IT environments, monitoring network performance, analyzing traffic, ensuring security compliance, and managing servers. In a nutshell, it is designed to provide comprehensive visibility and control over business IT elements. The key components included in the SolarWinds platforms are:

• Main Polling Server: This includes the SolarWinds Platform Web Console and the main polling engine, which gathers device statistics to monitor performance and create alerts and reports.
• Network Performance Monitor (NPM): Monitors and troubleshoots network issues.
• Server and Application Monitor (SAM): Monitors servers and applications.
• NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (NTA): Performs comprehensive network traffic analysis.
• Virtualization Manager (VMAN): Monitors virtual environments.
• Storage Resource Monitor (SRM): Monitor storage.
• Web Performance Monitor (WPM): Monitors web applications.
• Security Event Manager (SEM): Provides security information and event management to improve organizational security posture.

These tools all work together to ensure that an organization’s IT infrastructure – whether cloud-based, hybrid, or on-premises – is operating optimally and remains compliant with internal and external regulatory standards. The SolarWinds platform is available as a self-hosted solution, requiring organizations to host and manage the application on their own servers, or hire a third-party cloud desktop hosting provider to host the application.

Benefits of Cloud-Based Hosting for SolarWinds Over On-Premises Deployment

Given the increasing popularity of cloud hosting and the substantial benefits it offers organizations, on-premises and self-hosted applications are becoming less common. They are now only used for applications requiring extensive security or specialized management.

The following table outlines the benefits of cloud-based hosting for SolarWinds compared to self-hosting.

Aspect	Cloud-Based Hosting	On-Premises (Self-Hosting)
Management	Managed by the cloud provider, reducing internal workload	Requires in-house management and maintenance
Scalability	Easily scalable based on demand	Scaling may require significant investment in hardware and infrastructure
Hardware Cost	Often lower upfront costs, with a pay-as-you-go model	Higher initial costs for hardware and ongoing maintenance expenses
Updates and Upgrades	Automatic updates and upgrades provided by the cloud provider	Updates and upgrades must be managed internally, which can be time-consuming
Security	Includes robust security measures and compliance features	Security depends on the organization’s own measures and expertise
Accessibility	Accessible from anywhere with an internet connection	Limited to the organization’s local network or requires VPN for remote access
Disaster Recovery	Built-in disaster recovery and backup solutions	Requires separate disaster recovery planning and implementation
Technical Support	24/7 support provided by the cloud provider	Support is managed internally
Resource Allocation	Resources are dynamically allocated by the cloud provider	Requires dedicated hardware and resources on-premises

The comparison clearly illustrates that cloud-hosting SolarWinds would be the ideal way to maximize the benefits of the IT management platform. Also, it would be inefficient and counterproductive to invest a lot of time and resources into managing your management service.

System Requirements for Cloud-Based vs. Locally Deployed SolarWinds Platform

Before we talk about hosting SolarWinds on the cloud, it is essential to understand the minimum server requirements to optimally run it in a cloud and self-hosted setup. The following table will outline the minimum hardware and software requirements for each of the two instances.

Requirements	On-Premises (Self-Hosting)	Cloud Deployment
Processor	2.4 GHz or faster	2.4 GHz or faster
RAM	Minimum 16 GB (32 GB recommended)	Minimum 16 GB (32 GB recommended)
Storage	Two 146 GB 15K (RAID 1/Mirrored Settings) hard drives	Two 146 GB 15K (RAID 1/Mirrored Settings) hard drives
Operating System	Windows Server 2016, 2019, 0r 2022	Windows Server 2016, 2019, 0r 2022
.NET Framework	.NET 4.8	.NET 4.8
Network	Stable, high-speed internet	Stable, high-speed internet
SQL Server versions	SQL Server 2016 SP1 and later	SQL Server 2016 SP1 and later

The Importance of a Cloud Expert in SolarWinds Cloud Hosting

As previously mentioned, it is counterintuitive to spend excessive time and money managing your IT management platform. By hiring a cloud service provider to host and manage your SolarWinds platform, you ensure minimal disruptions and maximized uptime, all while eliminating concerns about hosting requirements. A cloud expert will ensure that your application is seamlessly migrated to the cloud and will handle all technical management tasks like deploying updates and installing security patches.

A competent service provider will also ensure that you are hosting your SolarWinds platform in a cloud environment that suits your requirements and is managed by them to ensure that your business activities remain uninterrupted.

Leverage Apps4Rent for Optimized SolarWinds Cloud Deployment

We at Apps4Rent have operated in the cloud and virtual industry for over two decades and during this time have helped over 10,000 businesses streamline their operations, enhance their IT infrastructure, and achieve their business goals with our tailored cloud solutions.

Apps4Rent can help you seamlessly migrate to a cloud-hosted SolarWinds setup for enhanced business operations. Contact our dedicated customer support team to learn more about how we can help you transition to a better and faster cloud setup.