It is important for businesses to register an online presence due to the wide platform that the Internet provides for organizations to market products and services. One fundamental element that business has to consider in such a drive is a server, of which many can do with a shared server, which allows multiple users access to important tools and storage space. The approach, however, may not work for websites that experience heavy user traffic. For such businesses, opting for a dedicated server hosting is the best way forward and for good reason.
All you need to know about dedicated hosting
For the uninitiated, dedicated server hosting refers to a type of web hosting service in which the client rents an entire physical server that is not shared with any other users. This provides the client complete control over the server’s resources, which they can configure to meet their specific needs. Dedicated server web hosting offers a high level of control, customization, and security, but comes with a higher cost and requires technical expertise to manage. To make things simple, you can opt for managed dedicated server hosting, which we will discuss shortly. However, now the question arises, is it a good idea for you to buy dedicated server? Well, opting for a dedicated hosting service might be a good idea if your business owns resource-intensive websites that require maximum performance and reliability and witness high traffic. To make your decision-making process a breeze of an experience, here we have listed some of the key things you must know about dedicated server hosting in India:
- Server Management: With dedicated hosting, the client is responsible for managing the server, including installing updates, and security patches, and managing backups.
- Performance: Since the server is not shared with other users, dedicated hosting offers high performance, fast load times, and better reliability.
- Customization: Dedicated server hosting in India provides complete control over the server’s configuration, including operating system (OS), hardware, and software. This enables clients to tailor the server to their specific needs.
- Security: It offers a high level of security since the server is not shared with other users, and the client has complete control over the security settings.
- Cost: Dedicated hosting is typically more expensive than shared hosting, as the client is renting an entire physical server. However, the cost can be worth it for businesses with high-traffic and resource-intensive websites.
- Support: A dedicated hosting provider like i2K2 Networks offers fully managed dedicated server services, which means they will handle the server on behalf of the client, including updates, security, and backups. This can be a good option for clients who do not want to invest in hiring in-house technical expertise to manage their own servers.
What is a dedicated server hosting?
By opting for a dedicated server, your businesses secures the rights of exclusive use of a network. The server hosts all websites your business owns and runs. Further, behaviour of other sites does not impact the performance of your websites, as the server is ‘dedicated’ to you. Your websites get full access to the memory and resources of the server, which results in optimized performance. Use of a dedicated server creates a secure environment for you and your target market to interact.
When Do You Need a Dedicated Server?
By now, it is clear that a dedicated server might be a necessary option for your website or application in case it is built upon and operates in a resource-intensive environment. But that’s not the only use case for renting a dedicated server in India. You may need a dedicated web server under the following circumstances as well:
- Customization: If you require complete control over the server’s configuration, including the operating system, hardware, and software, a dedicated server can provide the necessary flexibility to customize the server to your specific needs.
- Security: If your website or application deals with sensitive information or requires a high level of security, a dedicated server can provide the necessary security features, such as firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and secure data encryption.
- Compliance: In case your website is obliged to comply with specific regulations, such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, or GDPR, a dedicated server can help your business go a long way by ensuring compliance by providing the necessary security and compliance features.
- E-commerce: If you run an e-commerce website, a dedicated server is the need of the hour. It can provide the necessary security, performance, and scalability to handle the high volume of transactions and ensure a smooth customer experience.
Dedicated Hosting And Managed Dedicated Server Hosting: What’s the Difference?
Now that we are on the same page regarding what to expect from dedicated hosting, it’s time to dissect the differences between dedicated hosting and managed dedicated server hosting. These are two types of hosting services through which you can access a dedicated server for a client. But what are they exactly? Here are brief introductions of these two types of dedicated cloud-based services:
- Dedicated hosting: Dedicated hosting refers to where the client rents an entire physical server and manages the server, including software updates, security patches, and backups on their own. With dedicated hosting, the client has complete control over the server’s configuration and software, but is also responsible for the server’s management and maintenance.
- Managed dedicated server hosting: Managed dedicated server hosting, on the other hand, is where the hosting provider takes on the responsibility of managing the server on behalf of the client. With managed dedicated server hosting, the hosting provider may also offer additional services such as monitoring, optimization, and troubleshooting.
Here are some of the main differences between dedicated hosting and managed dedicated server hosting:
- Management: With dedicated hosting, the client is responsible for managing the server, while with managed dedicated server hosting, the hosting provider takes on the responsibility of managing the server.
- Expertise: In the case of dedicated hosting, the client must have the technical expertise to manage the server, while with managed dedicated server hosting, the hosting provider has a team of experts who can manage the server on behalf of the client.
- Cost: Managed dedicated server hosting is typically a bit more expensive than dedicated hosting, as the hosting provider is taking on the responsibility of managing the server.
4 Factors to Consider When Choosing Managed Dedicated Server Hosting
Opting for a dedicated server in India or elsewhere is a prudent decision owing to the many benefits to business. Businesses should, however, consider the following factors before beginning the hunt:
1. Does your business depend on your website to generate revenue?
Organizations that depend on its website to generate revenue should go for a dedicated server. The bottom line for such organizations is likely to take a blow if downtimes are high or the website is slow. For example, e-commerce portals depend primarily on website performance to garner revenue. If your website crashes or users find it painfully slow, they usually leave and do their business elsewhere, resulting in lost business opportunities.
2. Does your site experience peak hours?
Opting for a dedicated server is a pressing need if your website experiences heavy user traffic during peak hours. Using a shared server would be inadequate if you, for example, own an e-commerce website which experiences high user traffic during seasonal/festive discounts. The number of visits to a website during such periods can be a substantial percentage of the total user traffic during any given year. The increased traffic slows down your system and can even result in it crashing. You cannot afford downtimes during peak hours and should, therefore, take steps to immunize your business against such catastrophic episodes.
2. Does your site experience peak hours?
Organizations that store vast amounts of data need more storage space and should opt for dedicated servers. Also, organizations that need additional backup or high-performance servers should also think about installing dedicated servers. An ordinary server host does not provide such features; besides, you can ask the provider to customize the solution to incorporate specific features to suit your organization’s’ needs.
4. Do you need support services on priority?
Businesses such as those operating in the BPO industry need priority support services on demand. Such organizations, after evaluating their requirements, should opt for dedicated servers if they think that downtimes may hurt their interests. A dedicated server includes advanced features, and users can expect to get support services on a real-time basis.
Final Words
To optimize your website performance, host multiple sites, and enjoy better security, among other features and benefits, dedicated servers make perfect business sense. Those opting for exchange server hosting and dedicated server hosting services should analyse their specific needs and factors before arriving at a final decision. If you have any questions on your website hosting or need a dedicated server in India, i2K2 Networks is happy to give you expert help.