Dedicated servers – Gaining a Better Understanding
Dedicated server hosting is diametrically different to shared hosting. In web hosting, dedicated servers configuration means an entire server and its resources are available for one company and its website. The dedicated server can be setup in-house or externally as a service from a web hosting service provider. Dedicated servers are primarily used to:
- Host a website with high traffic or resource intensive website
- Host an application with high-traffic or resource intensive application
You see, in shared hosting, the server resources are not at your command and not exclusively available to your website. This is fine until your website has less traffic, but when you expand your website to serve more customers, you would need a reliable and powerful web hosting to support your business growth.
The growth in traffic puts a strain on server resources, and when the limits are exceeded, all sites on a shared server, including your website, will slow down and freeze the server. Here are some of the benefits of a dedicated server:
Customization – Dedicated servers give you more freedom and control over the server resources. Since the server is for exclusive use, the hosting service provider can customize the server and the resources to meet your website needs. Companies can select any additional services needed for their website by paying for it.
Uptime – The availability of the website directly depends on the uptime of the hosting server. If you are running a website with high traffic, you need to ensure it is functional and accessible at all-time; else you risk losing your customers to competitors. Dedicated hosting ensures stability and high performance for your website at all times and the server operation level is almost 100% (above 99.4%). The web hosting service provider also offers backup services to ensure your website and its functions are seamlessly available to your customers without any interruption due to any reason.
Congestion – Network or Server congestion is less likely to crop up on a dedicated server, especially in comparison with shared hosting. In shared hosting, the risk of congestion is high, as multiple websites hosted on the same server compete for server resources like CPU processing power, internet bandwidth, and memory and storage capacity usage. This is not the case with a dedicated server, where only one website is hosted on one dedicated server and all resources are reserved for exclusive use of that website only.
Security – Dedicated servers have optimal security as the service provider uses a dedicated platform to deploy security services. Also, the firewall and antivirus software can be tuned to specific requirements of your website. Unlike shared hosting, the dedicated server does not have to face security vulnerabilities that are often caused by activities of neighboring clients. Web hosting service providers take tight security measures to secure dedicated server physically by employing biometric authentication, mantraps, and security guards.
Support– Since dedicated servers are used to host critical applications and high traffic websites, the web hosting service provider does everything to ensure minimal or no disruption. The service provider offers dedicated support round the clock all round the year for resolving any technical issues that might hamper the performance of the dedicated server.
