What is a Dedicated Server?

When you make your first website, you will most likely choose a shared web hosting because it is the most accessible.

In shared hosting services you are together with hundreds or thousands of other websites within the same server, sharing resources such as memory, hard drive, etc.

But when your site grows, and the requirements of a project are higher, then one option is the dedicated server. In this case, your site is only on this server, this provides several benefits.

On a Dedicated Server you do not share resources with other sites (CPU, bandwidth, Hard disk, RAM).

Since the server is only yours, you can use all the resources to the maximum for maximum availability and speed.

Dedicated servers have much more capacity compared to VPS Hosting or basic web hosting . They are designed for projects that require greater resources and stability.

In general, the term dedicated server refers to the rental of a computer equipment, in the facilities of a provider that provides all the hardware, software, maintenance, update etc. Also including Internet connection.

When choosing a dedicated server provider, there are many points to consider, but there are some that are essential for the proper functioning of your project.

There are varieties within these services:

Managed Servers
Unmanaged Servers
Linux servers
Windows servers

When should a dedicated server be hired ?

The main reasons why dedicated servers are hired are:

When there are growing sites

When a blog, website, ecommerce, etc. They begin to have thousands of daily visits, it is likely that most shared hosting is not enough for the required performance and speed .

Sites that require more security and privacy

In projects that, although not yet in demand for resources, do have the need to handle a high level of security, so it is preferable to have a dedicated server that is completely separated from other sites, so that security is not compromised .

Special Settings and Customization

When a very specific configuration and a more detailed degree of customization is required, then shared hosting is not a good option, as the configuration is the same for all customers.

On a dedicated server you can make all the necessary configurations and adaptations, without worrying about affecting the other sites.

Benefits of a dedicated server

The main reasons why dedicated servers are hired are:

Better performance and Security

When you have a server, you don’t have to worry about being with other users who can perform practices that compromise server security, for example, when installing outdated software or with weak passwords.

Non-dedicated servers with more websites, and therefore more users, are more prone to hacker attacks.

In addition, other users may have practices such as spam delivery. Being on your own server, this does not happen.

More Administration options

By hiring a dedicated server, you will see that different providers can offer you a wide range of configurations, ranging from hardware to software, special installations and additional services such as Firewalls, backups, etc.

In general you can choose all these configurations and adapt them to your real needs.

You do not have to hire a service but you need it.

More freedom in your configuration

Since the entire server is for the use of your website and applications, you can apply all the changes you need on your server. For example, change PHP version, increase hard disk, increase or decrease RAM, etc.

You can try new settings and make all the necessary changes as many times as you need.

Of course, you will have to take into account the costs imposed by the provider, but having the freedom to do them is the most important thing.

It is much cheaper than installing your own server

Some companies prefer to have their servers in their own offices. Although in principle this seems like a good idea, it soon becomes a great expense for the company.

For a correct installation of a server in a local office a special space, air conditioning, a redundant internet connection (basically 2 connections available all the time), computer equipment available to make changes in case of failures and electrical power, and batteries in case of failure.

This only for the hardware, for maintenance three shifts of available engineers are required.

Instead of all this, a dedicated server provider includes all this for a minimal cost in comparison.

Potential disadvantages of a dedicated server

It can be expensive

A dedicated server will always be more expensive than a shared hosting, even if you choose a cheaper service.

This is inevitable, so you must understand what you are really looking for when hiring a server, because if you consider everything, they do not have to be an excessive expense.

Technical knowledge is required

With a dedicated server, you will have to access the server for some maintenance and service tasks. Although the control panel allows you to manage the most basic and common elements, you may occasionally need to do some additional things.

For this if you need some technical knowledge. Again, consider the option of a managed server if this is not what you want from your service.

More responsibility for the manager

When you hire a hosting, many of the basic maintenance tasks are covered by the hosting company, such as backup, software update, scanning, etc.

But in a dedicated server many of these functions become the responsibility of the client, so you should keep it in mind when hiring. One option you can consider is the fully managed server, which includes most of these services.

How to choose dedicated server hosting?

The first part of choosing a dedicated server company is to know if it really is what we need.

The transition from a hosting service or a VPS to a dedicated server can significantly raise the cost, in addition to the technical aspects that have to be considered as maintenance and updates.

If you are sure that this is what your project or your website needs, then there are a number of elements that you should review carefully to make the hiring.

1. Hardware

In this case, it is always better to go for the best because we will have to work with this team for some time, so you must make sure that it meets all the requirements you need.

2. You must decide if you use HDD or SSD discs

SSDs are faster, but also more expensive. It is not always necessary to have this type of hard disk, but you should consider it as an advantage.

3. Enough memory

There are different RAM options. You should also consider a server that can grow with your needs, so you should check with your provider what growth capacity the team of your choice will have.

4. OS

Linux is a good option. If you are going to choose Windows, make sure it has the capacity for the systems you want to install, such as databases and email management.

When choosing a special attention in:

Bandwidth

The bandwidth will depend on several things: the number of users that you will receive, the amount of information that will be transmitted, the size of the files, the type of files (videos and music, for example, require much more bandwidth ).

In general, you should try to calculate your requirements, and hire a bandwidth that covers this and at least 50% more, to consider your growth.

Today the cost of bandwidth has been greatly reduced, but it is still an important cost.

In any case, check with your provider the update options available so you know when your cost could increase if you exceed the contracted.

Technical support

All providers at this level offer 24/7 technical support, so it is not an important consideration. What you should keep in mind is the speed of attention to your problems.

If you only attend by email, for example, support will be much slower. Also consider the language. If you have no problems with English, all providers can support you. But if you need support in Spanish, you better find out if your provider can support you in this language.

The quality of support is also important. You should be able to access well-trained technicians, who understand your problems and really try to help you. Otherwise, you can run into technicians with bad personal attention.

Administered vs. Unmanaged

One of the most interesting options when hiring a dedicated server is to choose it managed or unmanaged.

When you choose a managed or fully managed server, the provider helps you with all the server configuration and any problems that may arise.

It will help you update the software (databases, programming languages), server maintenance, backup configuration, operating system updates, server scanning, etc.

This option is more expensive, but it has the advantage that many of the administrative tasks are covered, and you remain calmer knowing that your server is protected.

However, check the terms of service well so that you are sure what is included in the service and what is not. Nothing worse than waiting for a service to discover that it is not included in your contract.

In contrast, unmanaged servers include only the basics of administration: re-starting the server, some security updates and little else.

Almost everything else you need will have to do it yourself or you will have to hire it when you need it.

If you have the technical knowledge to do this type of administration, then you can save the server administration. However, I always recommend hiring the managed server

It is relatively cheaper to hire the managed server service than to hire services when problems arise.

Connection quality and online time (uptime)

Even the best server will have problems at some point. When you choose a dedicated server it is crucial that you read and understand the terms of service, as well as the conditions of the plan you are hiring. With this type of service generally many things run on your own, so you should know well what is included and what is not.

Ideally, find a provider that proves to have an excellent network and a good service history.

Try to locate the Grade Level or “Tier.” It is the best indicator of the infrastructure they will offer you:

Ideally we will want the best service. As always, remember that this will cost you more. You must weigh how important your project is to you and how much you are willing to pay.

Control Panel

A control panel offers you a much simpler administration for basic tasks, such as database administration, email accounts and file management (FTP).

Among the most popular in the market are cPanel, Plesk for Linux.

Actually, you as administrator do not use the cPanel, but WHM.

Windows servers have their own control panel, very similar to the one you use on your PC every day.

For Linux servers, we strongly recommend cPanel for its ease of use and security.

Scalability

When your site grows or has peak demand for resources, you will need more bandwidth to support the demand. Even if it is only early, it is important that you know the options that your provider gives you to hire bandwidth, either on demand or once.

If you know that your project will have a stable demand for bandwidth, then look for a service that offers you the expected demand plus at least 50% more.

If you know you will have peak demand, for events, special dates, etc. Ask your provider if they have services that can be hired only during this time. So you will not have to pay indefinitely for a service that will only be used for a small season.

Back

This is one of the services that you should pay more attention. Many providers still consider this the responsibility of the user.

A common configuration on dedicated servers is to use two hard drives, one for daily operation and one for backups.

Other common configurations are:

Backup on another server (you’ll have to hire another server for this)
Support on specialized servers. These will make the backup of your site in the established times, and will make historical backups. For example, one daily, one two days ago, one week ago, etc.
Immediate support A super-specialized server, which makes backups immediately as soon as they detect changes.

Depending on the level of reliability and value of your information you will have to decide which one is best for your project.

Meet here the best hosting providers in Mexico

conclusion

Many people do not realize the big differences that may exist between dedicated server providers.

Others make the mistake of basing their purchase decision solely on the price.

Although it is understandable that you want to spend as little as possible, choosing the most economical option can lead to poor technical service, maintenance problems and security problems.

When you choose your hosting company, be sure to read the terms of services carefully, as well as the prices of the different additional services you may need.

We always recommend using a fully managed service (fully managed servers) against unmanaged ones, even if you have technical knowledge.

The fully managed service will give you peace of mind, knowing that whatever happens, at any time, will always be attended by a specialized technician.

Some suppliers also offer services such as changing parts in case of failure, check well what is the response time in this type of eventualities.

If you consider that your website or project is ready for a dedicated server, you will get many benefits such as speed, performance and security, which in turn will give your visitors a better experience.

One last thing you should consider: moving your website from a shared hosting or a VPS to a new server also has its own problems.

Create a plan to make the change with time and with the support of your provider, so that your site is not off the air for a long time.