The only web hosting service capable of offering power and performance at a high level is a dedicated server and although the most expensive form of web hosting available, for businesses that rely on their website and email services to provide them with a way to communicate with their customers and to promote themselves then the cost is easily justified. A dedicated server is the only form of physical web hosting available from any web hosting company because all other forms of web hosting are virtual to some extent; although this is the main reason for the high price tag, it does mean that you are able to extend the resources of a dedicated server to greater heights to achieve the dedicated hosting environment that you require. If you wish to make the most of a dedicated server then it is important for you to guarantee that your server will be managed properly; if you are an experienced dedicated server user then this means choosing the operating system that you are familiar with to ensure that you won’t face any management issues, or if you lack the skills required to manage a server properly then you can consider fully managed dedicated server hosting.
Windows Dedicated Server
Businesses that are using Microsoft’s enterprise-class applications will have little choice but to consider a Windows dedicated server for their needs, primarily because the software giant has designed its server software to work on the Windows platform only and no other operating system. As a Windows web developer you will be able to truly appreciate the features that Windows has to offer as a Windows dedicated server is only going to be of use to you if you are able to make the most of the features that are unique to Windows. Windows is a commercial operating system for which you need to purchase a license to use legally; this can bump up the cost of a Windows dedicated server making it more expensive than a Linux dedicated server for the same specification, something that may make it less appealing to some. However, the exclusive support that is offered for the ASP scripting frameworks as well as popular applications such as Microsoft SQL Server means that Windows dedicated server hosting is the one form of web hosting that makes the most sense for some businesses.
Linux Dedicated Server
For businesses and individuals on a lower budget, a Linux dedicated server can provide you with a highly reliable dedicated web hosting experience at a cost that is much lower than that of a Windows dedicated server. Linux is an open source operating system, a benefit to end users because it means that you have no need to pay for any licenses because it is free to use; the same can be said for a majority of the applications that are available for Linux meaning that the cost of setting up and configuring a Linux server to meet your needs is far reduced when using Linux instead of Windows. The main advantage of using Linux over Windows is that there is a wide variety of Linux distributions available, each of which are a different version of the operating system; most Linux distributions have been designed for a specific purpose, allowing you to choose an operating system that will be able to aid you in creating the perfect dedicated web hosting environment. Linux is also seen as being the more reliable platform, making it popular with companies looking to achieve a stable hosting configuration on a budget.
Benefits of Using a Dedicated Server
For businesses there can be many benefits to using a dedicated server, some of which include:
- Reliability – a dedicated server will be able to provide you with a level of reliability that is unrivalled by any other form of web hosting available – if you are after a high uptime web hosting service that you can be sure won’t fail on you then a dedicated server is the right form of web hosting for you, regardless of the operating system that you wish to use – in order for a dedicated server to remain reliable, it is important for you to be able to ensure that you can manage your server properly, if not you should choose fully managed dedicated server hosting
- Security – as you won’t be sharing any portion of your dedicated server with anyone else, you won’t have to worry about anyone else compromising the security of your web hosting environment – this means that dedicated server hosting is ideal for situations where you may be storing the personal information of your visitors including their contact details or credit card information because your visitors are going to want some kind of assurance that their data is being held securely – the dedicated web hosting environment will also allow you to install the security applications of your choice so that you can secure your dedicated server to a level that suits the purpose of the server
- Flexibility – a dedicated server can provide you with much more flexibility than any other form of web hosting because you will have the ability to install any applications of your choice on your dedicated server, allowing you to make the most of the dedicated web hosting environment to provide yourself with a highly customized web hosting service – the benefit of this is that you will be able to install any additional features or components that you may need for your website to run properly that aren’t supplied by any shared web hosting plans.
In conclusion, a dedicated server hosting service will provide you with the resources required to host a large website that receives a large number of visitors daily without any stability issues. Although dedicated server hosting may set you back more, the added cost is justifiable through the added benefits that a dedicated server has to offer over any other form of web hosting that is available. In order for a dedicated server to be effective, it has to be managed properly which is why many web hosting providers have the option of fully managed server hosting available as this is aimed at businesses and individuals who lack the necessary skills required to manage a server themselves.