For #1, are you trying to do "Cloud-ception" e.g. running your own proxmox virtualization on top of an already virtual machine, so that you're basically two layers deep?

For #2, of course you need to be able to survive a hardware failure (using RAID1 or some flavour of DRBD for example) but having to think about such things is the "trade-off" of having access to the bare-metal layer.. it does have advantages, for example if you want to install your own virtualization layer without any involvement from the hosting provider. You'd usually have agreements with the hosting provider about how/when hardware replacements would be done.

Best regards,
Martijn
From: NANOG <nanog-bounces+martijnschmidt=i3d.net@nanog.org> on behalf of Bryan Holloway <bryan@shout.net>
Sent: 19 January 2021 18:18
To: William Herrin <bill@herrin.us>
Cc: NANOG list <nanog@nanog.org>
Subject: Re: Hosting recommendations ... ?
 
Perhaps I'm missing something, but in your #1 example "Cloud", what
prevents me from running a Proxmox ISO (which is more or less Debian)
vs. a "standard" Debian install on the provider's virtual server?

If I can, I've succeeded. That is the sort of hosting provider I'm
looking for, if they exist.

#2 would be suitable, but it seems to be that if leased bare-metal dies,
it will be some time for ETR. Less desirable, but I'm open to ideas.

#3 I do now. Trying to move away from that.


On 1/19/21 5:44 PM, William Herrin wrote:
> On Tue, Jan 19, 2021 at 8:31 AM Bryan Holloway <bryan@shout.net> wrote:
>> I would like to stop personally dealing with bare-metal. That's what I'm
>> doing now.
>
> Hi Bryan,
>
> Cloud = you get virtual servers with virtual storage, generally
> adjustable to meet your needs. You manage the operating systems and
> storage within the virtual environment. You DO NOT manage the host
> operating systems or hypervisors.
>
> Bare metal = you lease physical equipment. You manage all software on
> the equipment including any hypervisors needed to run virtual servers.
> You DO NOT deal with hardware break/fix, that problem belongs to the
> service provider.
>
> Colocation = You lease space in a data center. You provide physical
> equipment in your custom configuration.
>
> With this terminology, at least one of your requirements is unmeetable
> for contradicting the others. So I ask again for clarification: which
> of these do you seek?
>
> Regards,
> Bill Herrin
>