In dedicated servers, you would have the total control over all aspects of the server including the hardware, operating system, and more. This ensures stability and guaranteed high performance, as there are no fluctuations in the network due to other companies accessing it.
These servers are often located in data centres or collocation facilities, which provide a stable power supply and powerful, efficient cooling mechanisms. However, due to this, dedicated servers are often quite expensive to rent, and used only for specific purposes.
Dedicated Hosting Versus Shared and VPS Hosting
Dedicated hosting has a leg up on shared hosting for one reason: the client is in total control of it. Dedicated hosting servers provide better performance and stability than shared hosting, although there are a few downsides. Many dedicated hosts will not allow adult content, as the content may be illegal or simply consume too much bandwidth. Dedicated hosts also do not allow the hosting of copyrighted content. However, so long as the content hosted on the server is legal, there should be no difficulties.
Shared hosting does have its advantages. It’s much cheaper than dedicated hosting because the cost is split between all of the companies that use it. It’s the most common option for this reason; the majority of companies do not see the benefit of having such a large expense as dedicated hosting.
VPN hosting is usually offered not by a collocation facility, but by a company allowing you to rent a virtual server on one of its existing servers. Restrictions can vary based on what the renting company decides to allow through their servers. However, it is common that companies may advertise higher numbers than are possible due to technological boundaries.
Do I Need a Dedicated Server?
Determining whether your company needs to employ the use of a dedicated server or not isn’t a simple question. There are several variables in play at any given time, and knowing what these factors indicate will help make that decision – not just looking at a single topic.
Performance is a big indicator. While website slowdown can be caused by several issues such as coding, it can also be caused by server overload – if it has been determined that the issue is not internal, then it may be the case that a dedicated server is needed. Symptoms of server overload include increased page times, error messages upon database requests, and pages that fail to load because too many people are accessing them at once. This commonly happens on websites that have grown extremely large, and these kinds of pages often need a server set aside to handle their traffic alone.
Another sign that you might need a dedicated server is if you’re unable to achieve the level of customization you want. Many shared hosting programs have a set list of software that can be used, and no more – if there is a specific program you wish to employ, or web maintenance on your site causes all the other sites to suffer, it may be time to consider getting a dedicated server that allows you to make the changes you want without bringing down all of the other sites on the server.
Finally, even if you do need a dedicated server, make sure that you or someone within your company has the understanding to run the server. Installing and upgrading software onto the server, as well as maintaining it during times of technical difficulty, are a must; if you’re unable to do these, find someone who is. Understanding how the servers work will give you the ability to modify it and dedicated specific amounts of resources to pages within your site, allowing resources to be allocated where they are needed.
Dedicated hosting is a reliable tool that is often worth its high price tag; however, it is not always necessary, particularly not for smaller businesses or those just starting. Websites that receive millions, if not billions, of visitors each month need a dedicated host just to support the traffic, but start-ups should do just fine on a shared hosting plan.