On initial set-up you will probably decide to host your web site on a shared server provided by one of the many web hosts out there, this is generally a much more cost effective and risk free option with the additional advantage of requiring much less know how and input on your part. But as your business grows so will the content of your website, and more importantly so too will the traffic your web site receives. Many shared solutions offer masses of storage and unlimited bandwidth but it should be noted that this bandwidth refers only to the maximum you may use in one month without incurring an additional charge from your web host and does not mean you are able to accommodate an unlimited amount of visitors at any one time. With shared host you share your server with many other websites and if any of them are receiving lots of traffic the speed of your site will be adversely affected, this is where dedicated hosting comes into it's own.
Managed Server Hosting, is where you lease the Dedicated Server from your web host and they run it for you, managed server hosting costs slightly more than unmanaged server hosting but gives you the peace of mind that all up-keep, maintenance and required upgrades are provided by the host.
Un-Managed Server Hosting, is naturally cheaper that managed server hosting, but comes with some additional responsibilities, primarily that of maintenance. You will be expected to carry out any up-keep required including adding patches, security and software upgrades and altering configurations, you should only choose to host your web site on an unmanaged server if you are comfortable with how a server works and how to maintain it.
Dedicated Server Hosting as with shared server hosting comes with many choices, the first of which will be that of disk space, then of processing power and finally but very importantly of platform, Windows or Unix based. Your choices will be driven by the type of web site you are hosting, how many visitors you receive and what you are intending to host on it. If you are intending to run Windows based software such as MS Access or host windows media files WMVs for music or video then compatibility and licensing issues will require you to use windows based hosting. If you do not need to host these type of software, and will be using mp3, Vlc or Quicktime instead then you will be able to use a Unix based server, which can prove much more cost effective as most providers use the Linux form of Unix which is open source software and free, a saving which can be passed on to you.
Your dedicated server will usually be provided to you at a set cost per month which is made up of the lease of the server plus any extra packages including server management and software if you choose to have them. Most dedicated servers come with a graphical user interface in the form of a control panel not unlike many of those provided by the shared hosting options, although you will have much greater flexibility over the configuration of your web space as you are able to alter the server's configuration yourself. There is no limit (other than disk space) to the number of domains you can host which makes dedicated hosting a valuable option for those who want to avoid having to pay for each of those domains to be hosted separately.
Dedicated Server Hosting With
Having a dedicated server hosting account provides more flexibility for a company that needs to acquire hosting for their website. It also allows the client to have much more control over the server, or servers, that are being used. Some of the control that is available for dedicated hosting accounts, which is not available with shared hosting packages, is having a choice of operating system that is used, customized script installations and hardware choices.
A dedicated hosting service, which is often referred to as a dedicated server or managed dedicated server hosting, is one specific type of internet website hosting that a company can choose, in order to get the site files uploaded and have their website displayed online. When a client chooses any type of dedicated hosting, they lease the entire server and it is not shared with other clients of the hosting company.
There are many instances where a company with a growing web presence will hesitate to make the move to a dedicated server hosting arrangement. They have the mistaken idea that it means the dedicated servers have to be housed and managed on-site. In reality, most of the websites that are run on dedicated servers are located on the premises of the managed dedicated hosting company, which provides round the clock maintenance and support.
Managed dedicated server hosting is a beneficial choice because the hosting client has the security of knowing that they are the only one using the server and that it is 100% exclusively used for their website needs only. This eliminates issues of potential downtime that might be caused by problems on another website that is on the same server and with security issues as well. Many companies have a great deal of proprietary information and customer databases that need to be protected, and managed dedicated servers help to add an additional layer of data safety.
While shared web hosting plan options are less expensive, they are also less secure. In addition to the security issues, there are also accessibility issues that should be considered. If another site on a shared server has a large promotion and experiences a sudden surge in traffic, then that could cause all websites on that server to load slowly or even be inaccessible for periods of time. With a dedicated hosting service, the only traffic flow that needs to be considered and planned for is under the control and plans of the company using the dedicated hosting.
Dedicated hosting services is the best choice when a website project is considered to be "mission-critical" and when the site owner wants to concentrate on the content development and design elements of the site and leave all the technical issues to the experts. The web server hosting providers that offer dedicated server management are responsible for having a technical support staff available around the clock to immediately take care of problems, and assure that the server is up and running at all times.
When a company is new or has a fairly minor presence on the internet, shared hosting is usually more than sufficient and is a budget friendly choice. However, as the traffic demands and complexity of the website grows, then a dedicated server hosting account will likely become a necessity at some point.
Both Aleen Peterson & Mike Selvon are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.