Dedicated and Shared Servers are 2 of the most widely used servers for web hosting purposes. With dedicated server hosting, the web-users would locate every file and data that he owns on the server, utilizing all the resources on the server. Dedicated server is suitable for the case of companies with huge websites, which are loaded with hundreds of pages and links, pictures and images, require for a faster load time for each of their web page because of the huge number of visitors anticipated to be accessing their website with thousands of them trying to load a particular web page all at the same time. Dedicated server hosting provide the exclusive right to the one and only website residing and utilizing its dedicated server.
For any companies with a smaller websites and limited number of visitors, choosing for a shared server would be a better choice because the cost of a shared hosting server is at least 20% to 40% lower than a dedicated hosting server, which would help to save up some significant amount of money for some other stuffs whilst at the same time, they are good and comfortable with the shared hosting server which is shared between many other websites on the same server utilizing the same bucket of resources.
The key differences between these 2 types of hosting servers are:
1. The number of websites each of them are supporting today – with dedicated server being designed and allotted for one single website, whereas for the case of shared server hosting, the same server can be shared across multiple users, not limited to one or two web-users only.
2. The web-users will be given a dedicated IP address if they are on a dedicated hosting server; however in the case of shared hosting server, it is not by default that every web-user will be given a dedicated IP address to begin with. It is common to have web-users on a shared hosting server to share the same IP address with some other websites sharing the same server. There is a risk of sharing the same IP address among multiple computers and websites especially if there are any decent websites which are black-listed by the search engines. Therefore, if the Search Engine bans any specific website which is sharing the same IP address as you are, then your website will be banned as well
3. The cost of the hosting services with shared server is definitely cheaper than being on a dedicated server. The reason why it is cheaper for shared server hosting is because the cost of the server will be shared among all of the web-users on the shared server itself; while for the case of dedicated, the cost is way higher and a lot more expensive because the exclusive user will have to bear the entire server cost for the case of dedicated server hosting.
4. In a shared server hosting environment, the server management with restoring of data backup, security controls and all the necessary hardware such as routers, firewalls, computers, etc will be managed by the shared hosting service provider. One can surely leave all these administrative management stuffs behind as these will be taken care of by the web hosting provider. Unlike the shared server environment, anyone on the dedicated server environment, will be responsible for the machines ( hardware ) as well as all the software applications and tools required to run the necessary tasks for the dedicated server itself. The service provider will only be taking care of the data backup and the performance of the server in this case.
The Main Differences Between Two Types Of Servers – Dedicated and Shared Servers
23-03-2011 by adminColocation Vs Managed Hosting
08-03-2011 by admin
Web Hosting is crucial to the success of any website. There are a large number of options available to you when you are picking a host for your website and the best option depends on many factors. Factor around the individual site are important as different sites need different things from their hosting. Your own experience and expertise are also important; if you are a novice you will need assistance but this may not be necessary if you are knowledgably around the subject. Other factors, like budget, may also come into the decision making process.
There really is no definitive answer as to what the best type of hosting is; it does all depend on your situation. Here though, we’ll look at two of these types – Colocation and Managed Hosting. Colocation is where customers rent rack space from at a data centre and host their server there. The customer provides the server and all the equipment and runs the hosting themselves. Managed Hosting is, as the name suggests, where the hosting company manages the hosting for the customer, allowing them to concentrate on their core business.
The amount of control and amount of help you want is important to your decision. With Colocation you get complete control as you are only renting rack space. You are in charge of your hosting, which can be a negative when things go wrong, but it does allow you to have more of a say. If you don’t want this control and want everything taken care of by somebody else then Managed Hosting may be preferable. It means you don’t have to be too concerned with the hosting as experts are looking after you website. If you have no hosting knowledge but need complex hosting this could be the best option. There are many different types of managed hosting though, from partly managed to fully managed (although different providers have different definitions of fully managed).
Technical support is one of the main features of managed hosting. So if you need plenty of expert assistance this is the way to go. 24/7 monitoring is usually included which will put your mind at ease. Colocation doesn’t normally include support but many are starting to offer this with some packages. You may consider this if you think you might need a little support from time to time. This support will not be at the same level as Managed Hosting but depending on your circumstances, could be sufficient.
Your specific requirements are obviously key to your decision. Both Colocation and Managed Hosting are good for large websites, but not usually necessary for small, simple ones. For small sites basic hosting may be more cost effective.
Price shouldn’t be the only reason why you choose your host, but it can be a determining factor. Everyone has a maximum budget that cannot be exceeded so this needs to be thought about. If you can’t afford a particular package then you will have to choose something else. This is an area where Colocation has an advantage over Managed Hosting, as it is significantly cheaper. Managed Hosting is quite expensive but if you need your web hosting managed for you it can be very cost effective.
Andrew Marshall
Why Web Hosting is Important
02-03-2011 by admin
Web Hosting is an extremely important part of the success of a website. It is often the last thing people think about when they are designing or having a website designed, the type of web hosting you have can have a big impact on your site. There are all sorts of web hosting available from free hosting to more advanced hosting like managed hosting and colocation.
It is important that the web hosting package that you choose is able to cope with the number of visitors you expect. If the bandwidth is not sufficient then people trying to view your website will be unable to. This is not good for business, as it will be loosing you potential customers. Remember that your visitors may increase over time so you will need extra bandwidth on top of what you expect to require immediately.
No matter which hosting company you choose there will be some downtime, for example when updates to the server are being made. This should be as minimal as possible though. Downtime means that there is a problem with the hosting resulting in visitors being unable to view your site. This looks unprofessional and may put people off. This could cause visitors to go to a competitor and never come back. If you choose a host that has many problems and a lot of downtime then you are throwing money away.
You need to make sure that your hosting package offers you enough web space for your website to be able to have all the features you require. Minimal web space will limit the data you can have on your site. For example, if you want many images and video on your website you will need to have a fair amount of web space.
It is likely that you will want to make changes to your website from time to time. This is easier with some hosts than others. You may require FTP access, which allows you to upload HTML files to your site. This doesn’t just come down to what you need in terms of your website – it also depends on your knowledge. You may need a Content Management System (CMS) that allow you to make changes to the website. This is offered by some hosting packages but not others. It is also possible that you will want your website managed for you. You may not have sufficient knowledge to manage the hosting yourself, and there are packages that include management.
Depending on the type of website you have, the right domain name (website address) could be very important to you. Most web hosts allow you to have the domain name of your choosing (assuming it isn’t taken by someone else), but some of the cheaper hosts force you to use a sub-domain of there own. This is not good if you have a business site, as you will probably want your address to be the name of the business.
Depending on the size of your website you may need your site to be hosted on its own server. This will cost more but could be beneficial for large sites. Shared Hosting will probably be enough for smaller sites. With shared hosting, you website will be sharing web space and bandwidth with other websites. This limits the amount available to you more than hosting it on its own server.
Support levels are also an important consideration. The amount of support available can vary from unlimited to nothing. If you have limited knowledge of hosting then support could be an important factor when choosing a web host. You do not want to be in a position where you are struggling and need help, but none is available.
So there are many things to think about when deciding on you web hosting, some of which could have a significant impact on the success of your website. It is often underestimated, but choosing the right web hosting based on your circumstances is crucial.