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Managed Hosting Versus Unmanaged Dedicated Hosting
Why A Dedicated Server May Be Necessary
The more traffic intense websites generally require more
than the average shared hosting account can offer.
Shared hosting offers an excellent introduction to the
Internet for you and your website, however, there will
come a time in the lives of many business and even
personal websites when the limitations of a shared
account become blatantly obvious. These limitations can
come in many ways. As well as the limitations of
bandwidth and disk space, shared hosting accounts do not
offer the same level of flexibility or security that
managed and unmanaged dedicated hosting offers but which
of these, if either, is the right choice for your needs?
The Two Types Of Dedicated Server Hosting Plans
Both are a type of dedicated server hosting plan. They
offer Webmasters and businesses the opportunity to be
the only website hosted on an individual server. This
means that they are at less risk of being hosted on a
server that is overloaded with websites and it also
offers increased security. Other Webmasters can not
implement high risk scripts endangering all sites on
that server and because of the usually lightened load on
a dedicated server your visitors will reap the benefits
of a lightning fast website, reduced download times, and
reduced website downtime. As long as your visitors
benefit so do you.
Unmanaged Dedicated Hosting
Unmanaged hosting is the cheaper of the two alternatives
and is essentially the entry point to using your own
server. While you will not own the server that your
website is hosted on you do lease it from the host
company. The benefits of leasing are well known to most
businesses. Server leasing is usually done on an annual
basis meaning you can change server after twelve months
to an improved, better performing one if needs be.
Alternatively you may be able to negotiate improved
terms to remain on the same server.
The Limits Of Service From Your Host
Unmanaged dedicated hosting is just that. While the host
will be responsible for the initial tailoring of the
server to meet your requirements their interjection is
minimal after the installation and setup process is
complete. Following discussions between you and the
host, they will virtually speaking provide you with the
required machine that has the appropriate operating
system and some other administration software also
included. They will then provide you with remote access
details. Some unmanaged dedicated plans may offer
managed service plans, as well, to help get you on your
feet but anything further than this and you really are
looking into the realms of managed hosting.
Once your unmanaged dedicated server has been setup and
you have been provided remote access you are virtually
on your own. The host is responsible for ensuring that
the server is kept in clean and climatically controlled
surroundings as well as providing routine, general
maintenance to ensure that the server remains in perfect
mechanical order. However you are the one responsible
for the administering of software and maintenance of the
server. Obviously if you don’t have the technical
knowledge to do this then you need to use someone that
does.
The Cost Of Unmanaged Plans
Employing a technician to deal with the administration
of your server and the regular updating and maintenance
of the software can prove extremely costly, much more
than the leasing of the server itself in most cases. For
individuals and small businesses alike it is likely to
be a cost that is simply not affordable and the
requirements for such an employee would also be low.
While they may be required to perform complex tasks
occasionally it is unlikely that they will be required
full time. This is where managed dedicated hosting
really comes into the fore and offers extensive benefits
to the business owner or individual.
What Is Managed Hosting?
Managed hosting is similar in most respects to dedicated
hosting. You still lease the server and the host
themselves provide you with the data center room, the
server itself, and the operating system software. They
also provide regular maintenance of the server. They do
this because the server is still their machine. They
want to ensure that it doesn’t break down through any
fault of their own. If it does then they should be
liable to provide you with repairs or a replacement.
Clearly it is in their interest to look after the
mechanical well being of the server.
Server Management
However, where managed hosting differs is in the
provision of server management services. A managed
hosting team will assist you in all aspects of
maintaining your server. They will discuss your options
in terms of the software that you can use (although the
final decision is yours they can provide invaluable
help). The server is yours for a year and during that
year you can basically do as you want with it. This
includes installing your own software and your own
applications.
What Is Offered With Server Management
Once you have decided on the software you want
installed, the server manager or an administrator will
install the software onto your service so that you have
complete access and any required control over it. By
using a server manager in this way you can ensure that
the software is properly installed but it also offers
another advantage. The person installing the software
should be fully versed with your server and should also
be able to determine the best configuration for the
software on that server. This can ensure that the server
is not subjected to unreasonable loads or decreased
levels of security.
Managed Or Unmanaged
Using a dedicated server can become essential for the
running of your website. If you run a mission critical
business website then it is even more likely to be
important. A dedicated server gives you control and
flexibility not associated with shared hosting plans.
However, unmanaged dedicated servers require a level of
technical expertise that very of us actually possess. A
managed plan offers this expertise on top of the
benefits of using a dedicated server with no management
facilities.
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