About Dedicated Web Hosting Server
Have a vision of your web presence! You start building a web site, hosting it with a web
hosting company and it turns out to be a successful web presence. You then discover your
needs for more memory, more web space, more bandwidth and features. Therefore when it
comes to renting a server space, you basically have two options - to rent
shared server space or to
rent a dedicated server. Under a shared hosting configuration
(normally referred to as 'virtual hosting'), your web-site shares server space with
other companies' web-sites. But if you have a dedicated, you get an entire
server and network connection to yourself.
Shared servers are less costly to rent than dedicated servers.
It may be sufficient for your website to host under Virtual or shared hosting. But you
should keep in mind that you are sharing resources with others, similar to living in an
apartment building. But if you have
dedicated hosting, it is like owning the house. Your
web site will have complete usage of the server's resources therefore likely to be served
faster versus sharing with a 100 plus sites on the shared server. This option could very
well cost hundreds of dollars more per month over the virtual hosting but if your web
site and traffic, not to mention your business requires it, then skimping on money should
be your last concern. This is why shared servers are usually the best choice for entry-level
web-sites or for small businesses whose web-sites do not have high traffic levels.Unlike
shared hosting, a Dedicated Server is where you lease the
entire server including the hardware and the operating system. The hardware, operating
system, connectivity, redundancy, and monitoring costs are usually spread out over the
duration of the service agreement.
Typically, this includes connectivity to the Internet, redundancy measures, and monitoring.
Dedicated servers are for larger, professional web sites which may require a great deal of
traffic, use secure E-commerce applications, have sensitive content, application hosting,
resellers offering shared hosting services to their customers and so forth.
While shared servers are the most cost-effective option for small web-sites,
they are not necessarily a good option for large, "mission-critical" or high-traffic
web-sites. Dedicated servers are more expensive to rent than shared servers, and they also require
a higher level of technical skill to operate.
Dedicated Server hosting is a type of hosting
where you rent an entire server, and is a good solution for serious webmasters lacking the
initial startup capital to purchase their own server. Dedicated Server hosting offers a
high degree of control, and offers a lot of disk space and file transfer. Because your
site is the only one being served by your dedicated server, you can also count on a fast
connection. The advantages of Dedicated Server hosting is that it offers everything you
need to get top quality service, without having to purchase a server. The disadvantages
are that it is significantly more expensive than Virtual Hosting, and does not offer the
same levels of control that are available with Co-location hosting.
If your Internet business
or application falls into one of the categories above, leasing a dedicated server from a
web host can save you time and money in the long term, as well as reduce the risk involved
with owning and maintaining the hardware yourself. You don't have to bear the upfront costs
of purchasing the hardware yourself, plus the installation and Internet connectivity costs,
plus the costs of continuous monitoring and hardware maintenance.Resellers and developers
can benefit from a dedicated solution since the cost of adding new accounts/customers on a
dedicated server is zero. Another important reason to choose a
dedicated hosting solution is
the need for large amounts of bandwidth or data transfer capacity. If you have a heavy
traffic site, you will certainly require a large amount of bandwidth each month. Finally,
and best of all, only your data is on the server. You are not sharing the memory, processor,
or bandwidth with anyone else. Your server has it's own port to the Internet.
Depending on your requirements, you may be better off with a dedicated server than
a shared server. Dedicated servers are typically used in cases where there is a high
level of traffic, there is a strong need for security, or the user wishes to run their
own customised software and applications rather than the standard ones supplied by the host.
It is there to serve you. You should seriously consider renting a dedicated server. Here's why:
Web Server Response Times and Traffic Management
The server response times on a shared hosting arrangement depend on what is
happening with the other sites hosted on the server. Your own server response time
will be affected by service interruptions on another site - for instance, if another
site suddenly receives an unexpectedly high level of traffic. These interruptions
will be outside your control on a shared server. With a dedicated server, on the
other hand, you alone are responsible for managing, and planning for, traffic levels
and other events that may affect server response times.
Flexibility and Software
With shared servers, you will have limited access to the operating system,
and software applications will be limited to those, which are provided by the host.
If you want to be able to install run your own advanced, customised ecommerce or
database applications you will probably need a dedicated server.
Deciding Between Unix and Windows Web Hosting
We recommend in most cases, your needs will be better satisfied by choosing
one of our Unix Web Hosting Accounts. Some newcomers to hosting make the mistake
of thinking that if they use Microsoft Windows on their own computer, Windows
hosting will be better. This is not correct. Only for those extensively utilizing
Microsoft Windows® specific applications such as MS Access, MS MSSQL, ASP, and
VBScripts, do we suggest Windows hosting. The reasons are simple. Unix is
definitely more reliable, more stable and more universally compatible with any
operating system. This is due to the functionality and speed of the Unix operating
platform. Without a doubt, Unix is far more stable than Windows in a shared-server,
or multi-user environment. So if you are unsure and you do not think you will be
using one of the above, we recommend a Unix account.
Compatibility with Existing Software and Skills
Is your host's server, software and support services compatible will the skills
and software that you (or your design team) are using? If, for instance, you are
used to working in a Unix environment, then it probably makes little sense to
choose an NT host.
Scalability
As your site grows, your traffic grows and your applications become more
demanding, you will need to upgrade your server. If you are using a shared
server, your upgrade options will be limited. Your host will usually allow you
to increase the amount of disk space available to your site -- but that is all.
You will not be able to upgrade the hard drive, Ram processors, platform or
software applications yourself. When you are using a dedicated server, you can
do all of these things.
Flexibility and Room for Growth
You do not need a database solution now, perhaps, but you may need one in the
future. Similarly, a shared hosting arrangement may be fine for you now, but
what if your traffic levels explode, and you need one in a years' time? It is
much easier to remain with one host than to change. So, when choosing a host,
keep in mind your possible future needs, and whether the host will be able to
accommodate them.
Security
Information on a shared server is likely to be less secure than information on a
dedicated server. A dedicated server can also be provided with its own firewall.
If you are storing highly sensitive information on your server, this increased
security will obviously be a high priority.
How much Web Site traffic to you expect?
One of the most important considerations you should make is how much traffic
you expect to receive. For most Web Sites traffic is not an issue but some
receive thousands of visitors per day and this puts a heavy strain on the web
server. The method that Web Hosts use to determine how much traffic your site
receives is called data transfer. This is not exactly the same as traffic but
the more traffic you get, the more data transfer you use. Using the above 33K
per page example, 2000 MB of data transfer is roughly equivelent to 60,000 page
views. Most Web Hosting accounts allow you to use 1000-4000 MB of data transfer
or 30,000 to 120,000 page views per month. You should use this as a guide to
determine whether or not you will exceed your data transfer limit.
Platform
Obviously, your choice of platform will depend to a large extent on the types
of applications you are using and the skills and knowledge you already possess.
The two most well known operating systems are Windows NT and Unix (which includes
the Linux, and Solaris platforms). Windows NT, the more expensive option is
regarded as the most user friendly and easiest to install, especially for those
who use Windows on their PCs. Unix is cheaper, but there is usually a much steeper
learning curve for those who are not familiar with the more arcane Unix environment.
Data Transfer
Most dedicated server providers will allow you to choose your level of data
transfer, usually in gigabytes per month. Usually, you will be paying for this,
so you do not want to purchase more data transfer than is realistically needed.
This can always be increased as needed.
Data Backup
If you run a site, which is constantly being updated, you will need to back it
up frequently. This can be a hassle. Many dedicated hosting providers will
provide a back up service for you - usually for an added fee, but the convenience
may be worth it.
Monitoring
Your server will need to be monitored constantly to prevent service interruptions.
Check to see that your host can provide such monitoring, and how frequently it is
done (eg every 5 mins), and what measures they use to deal with problems, which are detected.
FAQ about Web Hosting you want to know.
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Internet presence!
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