The increasing popularity of dedicated servers amongst web hosting users is clear to see. The fact that many hosting firms go to the extra effort to ensure that each server is fully optimised and configured to offer their best performance is also testament to the fact that this market is fiercely competitive.
Dedicated servers are not a new phenomenon. In fact, they have been around since the late 1990s. However, it was not until quite recently that web hosting firms started to take them seriously as a viable option for customers. The main reason for this is the significant increase in performance that dedicated servers offer. In order to put this into perspective, let us take a quick look at the various dedicated server configurations available from some of the leading web hosting providers.
What is a Dedicated Server?
Put simply, a dedicated server is a physical server that is solely leased to a customer for the duration of their contract with the hosting provider. The customer is responsible for all the server maintenance, including backing up and scaling their applications as necessary. Most web hosting providers offer a minimum of 1 GB of memory, a 40 GB (or greater) hard drive, and a gigabit Ethernet connection.
While it is possible to purchase a dedicated server directly from a web hosting provider, this is usually not the preferred option. Instead, many users prefer to rent one from a reputable firm. Some of the reasons for this are discussed below.
Why Choose to Rent a Dedicated Server?
Renting a dedicated server from a web hosting provider has many advantages. First and foremost, it is extremely cost-effective. Second, the dedicated server is usually offered in a datacentre that is geographically close to the customer. This reduces the chances of any unexpected downtime. Finally, the customer is free to take their pick from amongst a variety of hardware and software configurations that are offered by the hosting provider. There is no need to worry about any compatibility issues since the dedicated server has been designed and optimised to run exactly what the customer needs without any problems.
As a result of all of this, most web hosting customers choose to rent a dedicated server. In fact, many firms offer special deals and attractive financing schemes for those that do so. It is important to keep in mind that just because a dedicated server is hugely beneficial it does not mean that they are without their disadvantages.
The Disadvantages of Renting a Dedicated Server
Just because a dedicated server is hugely beneficial does not mean that they are without their disadvantages. First and foremost, it is extremely cost-effective initially. This is because the cost of the dedicated server only needs to be paid for during the initial setup and configuration. After that, the customer only has to make a minimum payment per month. Most hosting providers that offer dedicated servers also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. As a result of this, many customers do not see the need to purchase their own dedicated server.
The next disadvantage to renting a dedicated server is the lack of flexibility that this entails. While the customer is free to take their pick from a variety of hardware and software configurations that are offered by the hosting provider, it still needs to be ordered and set up according to the requirements of the customer. This is largely because the dedicated server is designed to perform a particular function and cannot be easily modified or reconfigured to suit various needs or requirements.
The final disadvantage of renting a dedicated server is the fact that it is not scalable. Many customers choose to rent dedicated servers because they do not wish to deal with the headache of scaling their applications as their needs grow. The dedicated server is optimised for a particular size and cannot be easily expanded to meet increased demand and traffic. This also means that any problems that are encountered are more difficult to deal with.
Despite all of this, there are many advantages to renting a dedicated server. First and foremost, it is extremely cost-effective. Second, the dedicated server is usually offered in a datacentre that is close to the customer. This reduces the chances of any unexpected downtime. Finally, the customer is free to take their pick from amongst a variety of hardware and software configurations that are offered by the hosting provider. There is no need to worry about any compatibility issues since the dedicated server has been designed and optimised to run exactly what the customer needs without any problems.