What is a Dedicated Server?
A dedicated server is essentially a single piece of equipment (computer) that is dedicated to serve the purposes of running various data related tasks over a network. There are many uses for dedicated servers and one of the most commonly associated uses are to host websites or to handle web traffic to an application or software. A dedicated hosting service can be set-up either in-house or externally, such as a data centre.
Advantages of a Dedicated Server
The advantages of using a dedicated server include the performance and flexibility benefits from being the sole user of the hardware. Dedicated servers are highly configurable and can be built to specification. This also means they can be upgraded to a certain point to accommodate varying levels of use – this is relatively easy to do as most hardware upgrades can be done fairly quickly.
As you have complete control over the server, you are also in control of its security and deployment of use, including its resources, storage, memory, CPU and bandwidth. This is quite an important requirement if you are a business which has a specific level of standard you need the servers to work to. It is important to ensure the presence of the necessary knowledge to manage and maintain a server effectively (if opting for a dedicated server which does not come with any support).
Where are Dedicated Servers located?
Dedicated servers can be held in a variety of locations. Essentially you could buy the equipment and keep it under your desk (we don’t recommend this). By keeping the machine in your local premises, you would be responsible for its power requirements, power back up plan, cooling requirements, up-time and any limitations you may have from your cabled connection.
Alternatively, you can rent the servers from a company that provides dedicated servers as a service. This may work out at a fraction of the price of owning one outright.
The data centres where the servers are housed are built specifically to consider all the requirements and back-up plans that servers would require. On top of this, a good data centre will take into consideration the security of the physical location and will have on-site staff to monitor the general health of the facility and servers.
Of course, if you already own and house your own server, you may want to look at colocation options. This is the ability to house your own equipment at a data centre local to you; benefiting from the ideal infrastructure and and security of the data centre. You can find more about what colocation offers here.
When looking for dedicated servers, it may be a good idea to look for one that is local to either you or your market. There are performance benefits from doing this, as well as the type of support you will receive.
If you would like any further assistance on dedicated server hosting options or have some concerns over server side security, don’t hesitate to pick up that phone and give us a call. We’re always happy to help – 0161 4646 101.
