Dedicated Server
For sites requiring more power
than what normal hosting can provide, a dedicated
server is usually the better route to take.
Having a dedicated server
is a completely different from normal virtual (shared)
hosting. The server is now fully yours - the entire
hard disk and all the bandwidth allocated can be used
as you want. There is no longer any CPU Usage restriction.
If you need, you can use up 100% CPU utilization.
You can put all your sites on this one server without
having to worry about paying hosting fees for each
site added.
But along with these new liberations
come new responsibilities. Most important is to ensure
that you server is always patched and up to date.
There are new updates being constantly released, which
if not applied to your server could let a hacker could
gain inner access to your server.
Because management can be
so difficult, there are usually two types of dedicated
hosting offered:
-
Unmanaged - your
host will not help you maintain the server. Far
more cheaper than managed dedicated, you should
only opt for an unmanaged server if you are well
versed with how a server functions. The server
will be given to you either with a plain operating
system installation or with a control panel installed.
It is your duty to take care of all upgrades,
patches, configuration, security, and fixing any
problems. In such a situation, it might be worthwhile
to hire a system administrator to ensure that
your server is always in good condition
-
Managed - your host
will assist you in the upkeep of your server.
This can be quite expensive, but for those without
the technical skills it can be very helpful. By
choosing to go with a managed dedicated server,
the web host will help you with the above-mentioned
administrator responsibilities. While more expensive,
it will save you the headache of trying to get
your server to work if there are any problems.
Dedicated servers come either
as just plain installations (where only the operating
system and basic services are installed) or with a
control panel. The control panel lets you easily modify
most server features from a web page. It should be
noted that the control panel will have limitations,
and will not provide access to everything.
It should be noted that with
a dedicated server, even though you may be paying
a set up fee, the server is usually owned by the company
- you are only renting it for the time being.
