What You Need in a Dedicated Server

There are a number of options for hosting your site these days.  Do your prefer hosting with Linux or on a Windows platform?  Are you going to create one site or does your business call for multiple domains?  Some options will actually cover several of your hosting needs.  However, if you’re planning to run a database driven operation or simply need more control over the hardware itself, you would be more suited for a dedicated server.

Similar to conventional hosting, a dedicated server is leased to you by a web host.  Instead of sharing server space and resources with other clients, the machine is dedicated exclusively to the needs of your business.  This gives you complete control over server administration along with all the software configurations.  With an entire server to work with, you can create a powerful web presence without concern of the issues associated with shared hosting.

To assist in your mission of acquiring a dedicated server, we have listed a few essentials that need to be considered when looking for a host.

Operating Systems: The platform you choose to run plays a tremendous role for many reasons.  First of all, you must have some level of experience with the software in order to administer the server.  It will also determine just what software applications you are able to incorporate.

Windows NT is one of the most popular and generally the most expensive solution.  This software is very comprehensive as it brings a look and feel from the Windows desktop environment to a server platform.  Linux is another option, not as well known and a bit more complex.  Many experienced webmasters prefer the flexibility and stability of Linux.

Bandwidth: With your own server, disk storage shouldn’t be much of an issue.  However, you still need to be concerned about the amount of transfer.  Dedicated server hosts generally provide a certain amount of bandwidth every month.  You certainly need to make sure its enough to compensate for the traffic of your business.  The good thing is that most companies allow you to purchase higher levels on demand.

Backup and Restoration: A reliable backup solution is vital in any web hosting environment.  Because manually backing up your data can be a hassle, you should look for a host that offers an automatic backup solution.  This might cost a little extra but the convenience is well worth it, especially if something out of the ordinary should occur.

Monitoring: Since you are leasing the dedicated server, you do not have the ability to physically watch over it.  This is why you should invest into a company that provides constant monitoring of their equipment to ensure that your site is always functioning.  Do some investigating to find out approximately how frequently they monitor the equipment and then ask how they go about handling issues when they are detected.

Automated Tools: Maintaining your own server takes far more knowledge than managing a shared hosting account.  At the same time, you don’t have to be a technical genius to enjoy the benefits of dedicated server hosting.  A host that offers some type of automated system can make the task much easier.

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Nov 17, 2008 : Dedicated Servers No responses yet

Popular Myths About Managed Hosting

Managed hosting has become a popular option for many businesses primarily due to the cost-efficient, hassle free service.  Just as with most services relevant to the internet, there are numerous myths circulating about managed hosting, some of which can weigh heavy on your decision.  In this article we will separate fact from fiction and set the record straight about managed hosting.

The Managed Hosting Provider Takes Care of Everything

This all depends on the package you sign up for.  A fully managed service definitely provides you with more server maintenance and support than the outright dedicated hosting plan.  However, the level of service varies tremendously among different vendors and especially pricing tiers.  Even when buying a managed hosting plan with the highest level of service, you will likely be required to provide the software, build your own site and tend to various other tasks.

Managed Hosting is More Expensive than Dedicated Hosting

Although managed hosting is initially more costly than a dedicated hosting plan, things tend to balance out over time.  As you do not have to worry about server administration or keeping the system updated with security patches, you will eventually enjoy cost savings and more time to focus on other aspects of the business.  This often results in lower costs in terms of staff and office space, making the managed solution a greater value than dedicated hosting over the long haul.  If you want to refer to shared hosting as a managed service, then it is undoubtedly cheaper than a dedicated server.

Managed Hosting is For Beginners

This is perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions.  Although managed hosting can be considered as invaluable to someone who lacks technical logic, it also preferred by companies with highly skilled IT staffs in place.  Such organizations usually choose managed hosting because it gives the benefit of having professionals to handle server maintenance and the cost savings mentioned above.

Managing Hosting is More Secure

In most cases, a managed host will provide you with solid security.  The key here is to read the fine print of the contract that binds you with the provider.  When reading it over you may find that the company is not responsible for protecting your content under every condition.  For instance, if something physically happens to their data center, servers and backups could all be destroyed, possibly leaving you out of business.  This is why its always a good idea to keep recent backups of your website data just in case a terrible disaster strikes.

Managing Hosting Assures That Your Site is Always Running

Of course the responsibility of the managed host is to make sure your website is accessible, but you should keep in mind that things do happen.  This is another instance where you need to finely comb that contract as some companies will try to elude liability in the event of situations beyond their control.  While many providers advertise an uptime guarantee of 100%, there may be some instances where your site is down from minutes to hours.  Remember that a web server no matter how powerful it may be, is still a man-made computer.

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Oct 08, 2008 : Managed Hosting No responses yet

Calculating the Cost of Colocation

Similar to the dedicated server environment, colocation is a solution for those who require more control over server administration. This service involves an offsite company that houses your server and enables it to make an internet connection. Some will offer servers for a fee or even build a custom machine just for you. This type of hosting distinguishes itself from the dedicated environment as all of the network equipment is owned by you opposed to the web hosting company.

Dedicated hosting gets costly but a colocation setup is typically more expensive. Before making upgrades to your hosting environment, you might want to consider what’s involved to determine if it’s the right move. The cost of a colocation service can be associated with two categories: connection fees and rental fees.

Connection Fees: Conventional hosts generally measure the total amount of gigabytes transferred on a monthly basis. With colocation hosting, the amount of bandwidth used per month is usually divided by the total number of seconds in that particular month to determine a figure. An increasingly used method is known as the “95 percentile”, a system in which bandwidth is measured every five minutes. At the end of each month, the user is billed at the highest remaining percent while the top 5% of bandwidth measurements are discarded.

Rental Fees: These costs are associated with the service of storing your servers and other network equipment at the provider’s data facility. Prices range from 1U’s to full racks, which describes the measurements of the servers being stored. Most servers today come in one 1U or 2U sizes. Larger servers or those with multiple hard drives range from 3U to 4U.

Along with the primary fees come all the components that make up of the cost of your base service. Some of these fees are based on the following:

The Facility - When it comes to the facility that houses your equipment, price shouldn’t be the only issue. You want to make sure the company’s data center is physically protected against theft and natural disasters with redundant systems to ensure the functionality of your business. It is also important to know where the center is located as most providers give you physical access to your equipment.

Bandwidth - This is one resource you never want to run out of. Higher bandwidth will probably cost you a little more but it could be well worth it. Different internet connections make for different types of bandwidth. You should certainly confer with the web host to determine what’s suitable for your business.

Support Options - One of the most critical aspects of any kind of web hosting, your colocation plan should come with solid support. You need to know that the individuals maintaining your equipment are both knowledgeable and supportive.

Cross-connection fees - This is a rare feature that you might encounter. Cross-connection fees are applied when you physically house your server with one provider and allow another host to provide the internet connection.

Uptime guarantees - Any reliable colocation provider should openly publish their uptime guarantee. This ensures the overall performance of your operation and is essentially something that can make or break your business.

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Oct 07, 2008 : Dedicated Servers No responses yet

The Guide to Dedicated Server Hosting

A website is an important piece of virtual real estate for the individual involved in any sector of e-commerce.  If you want to get online with a business of your own, its safe to assume that you are going to need some form of web hosting.  While the incredibly low price attracts many people to a shared hosting solution, there are a few individuals who realize they need much more.

What is Dedicated Server Hosting?

Most of the web hosting companies that make up the market provide clients with accounts on shared servers.  In this environment, you are literally sharing resources with hundreds or possibly thousands of other clients.  This includes precious bandwidth and storage space, two of your most critical assets.  Some hosts make use of multiple shared servers while others only have access to one.  Unfortunately, you also share a host of security problems and traffic issues.

Hence the name, a dedicated server is one dedicated solely to your hosting needs.  This prevents you from all the restrictions that come along with shared hosting, giving your business tremendous opportunity for growth.  Here are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy:

Extensive Capacity - with an entire server of your own to work with, you have more space available for your files, images, web pages and features.  The same holds true for your bandwidth.  Server response time will no longer be an issue as you do not have to compete for transfer.  This enables visitors to easily access and interact with your website.

Server Administration - most web hosting companies supply their customers with control panel software, allowing them to control the operation from the client side.  With a dedicated server, your control panel gives you the power of web host with control over the day to day operation.  This environment allows you to administer every aspect from the server software applications to the operating system.

Solid Security - the dedicated server certainly makes for a more secure hosting solution.  You don’t have to worry about inexperienced users making the server unstable with scripting errors and other mistakes.  You also have the option of locking your server down with reliable network security software.

The Downside to Dedicated Servers

There are two main disadvantages to dedicated server hosting - cost and maintenance.  Since you are essentially in control of the equipment, you are the one who is responsible for making sure the operation stays running.  Because of this, you should at least have a few administrative skills before making the move.  While a dedicated server is initially more expensive, a good way to level things out is to calculate the total fees related to shared hosting over a long period.  When weighing the option against variables like resource overage and security issues, dedicated server hosting seems more attractive almost instantly.

Is Dedicated Server Hosting for You?

Things may start off slow, but as your business grows, so will your hosting needs.  Pushing the resources of your limits is not good for your web presence.  The thought of storing the credit card details of your clients on a server with thousands of other people could be all the motivation you need.

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Sep 16, 2008 : Dedicated Servers No responses yet

Dedicated Linux Hosting

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Jul 21, 2008 : Linux Web Hosting No responses yet