Also known as dedicated hosting, a dedicated server can be defined as a web hosting service where an entire physical server is dedicated to providing a web hosting environment for a single website. In effect, this would mean that the website will be faster, more secure, and it will be able to handle a lot of traffic without slowing down. While all this sounds great, a dedicated server isn’t the right option for everyone, but for those that really stand to benefit from it, it is by far the best option. So, how do you know if it’s right for your own website or not? Well, that’s exactly what we are going to discuss next.
Do You Have the Technical Knowhow?
This is quite important because unlike when you are using shared servers, having a single, dedicated server attending to all your website’s needs means that you will require some technical expertise to be able to keep it secured and maintained. If you do choose unmanaged dedicated hosting, some of the common tasks that you will need to take care of include the following:
- Backup verification
- RAID alarm monitoring
- Checking and optimizing data on disk
- Updating of the OS, the applications, and the control panel
- Checking for hardware errors, security concerns, server utilization, and remote management tools
- Periodic and regular password changing
Can a Managed Dedicated Hosting Service Help?
If all of this sounds too daunting, you can always opt for managed dedicated server hosting, which will have an expert team of professionals catering to most of your server’s needs. In addition to providing the dedicated hosting service itself, HostGator also provides comprehensive management of the dedicated server for users that do not have the time or the deep technical knowledge necessary for maintaining everything regularly. Keep in mind, though, you will still need to do a small amount of the maintenance tasks yourself and, therefore, at least a decent understanding of how things work will be required.
Is the Cost Worth It?
To be clear, dedicated servers are meant for handling and managing large websites that experience a lot of traffic and have a range of complex applications running on the website. Also, dedicated hosting means significantly improved security and a much more reliable uptime estimation as well because you are not sharing your web resources with hundreds, if not thousands of other websites! However, all that comes at a steep price point as should be expected, and unless it is a profitable venture that you are investing in, or you have the funds necessary to keep the lights on till the time you break even, you should reconsider all options again.
To conclude, it can be said that a dedicated hosting service is the right choice for those that have the need and the funds for it. The advantages are plentiful and it should even be considered necessary if the site is big enough, but if your needs and potential profits are not enough to justify the cost required for maintaining managed dedicated servers, a shared server can be a better fit.
