MySQL Server is a popular open source database server used by businesses to empower their internal infrastructures as well as their front facing websites, as it is a highly powerful system that can provide the security and stability that larger businesses require from a database application. MySQL’s most popular application is with the scripting language PHP as these two offer a highly powerful combination that will allow you to create highly dynamic websites that offer a good level of interaction to visitors because PHP scripts can interact with the functions that your hosting server has to offer whilst you can make use of MySQL databases as a backend in which you can store your data. When compared to alternatives such as Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL Server can offer you a very good deal because it is open source meaning that you won’t have to pay for any licenses for the right to use the application; furthermore, you won’t have to worry about any limitations affecting how you are able to deploy MySQL Server within your business. As MySQL is open source, you can also modify the source code of the application to create your own version if you have specific requirements, which mean that you’ll need to adapt the application in order for it to work in the way you want it to.
Posts Tagged ‘Dedicated Server Hosting’
MySQL Server Hosting
Wednesday, October 27th, 2010Why use server hosting?
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010Server hosting is a term that includes VPS server hosting and dedicated server hosting; collectively server hosting services form the top end of the web hosting market and are targeted at businesses that require the best in both reliability and security. The main reason for using server hosting in most circumstances is to achieve a higher level of uptime as businesses are increasingly reliant on their websites for sales and advertising revenue meaning that for most, downtime is going to mean lost revenue which is the last thing that any business will want meaning that the investment in VPS server hosting and dedicated server hosting is justifiable for most. If you are in the position that you want to upgrade from shared web hosting to server hosting then you will probably find that your existing web hosting provider will be able to assist you with this; most web hosting companies are able to offer dedicated server hosting services and will provide you with an easy way to upgrade your web hosting service – some may even assist you with the transfer of your data. Server hosting will provide you with a platform that will allow you to expand your websites without having to worry about resource usage, as you won’t be sharing your hosting environment with anyone else.
A VPS server or dedicated server can provide you with a level of reliability that will allow you to carry on with more important activities without having to worry about whether your website is available or not. Uptime is an important factor for both individuals and businesses as businesses rely on their websites for income through the sales of their goods and services whilst individuals are provided with income through advertising revenues. Uptime is something that can be affected by a number of different factors such as the server itself as well as the network that your web hosting provider is using. As most web hosting companies have now made the move over to networks that use multiple peers, failure at this point is highly unlikely; however, the configuration of your hosting server could have an affect on the level of uptime that you are provided with.
Security is another factor that businesses will expect from a server hosting service and so web hosting providers strive to offer the best levels of network security as security on a hosting server is something that can only be managed by the server administrator. As you are provided with your own dedicated hosting environment you can easily make any changes that you see fit if you feel that they are going to improve the level of security that you have on your server. As you won’t have to share your hosting environment with any other users you won’t have to worry about the design of other websites compromising the security of your own server and website; however, you should still review how your website has been develop to ensure that you aren’t using any code that could be classed as unsecure.
A dedicated web hosting environment is another valid reason for considering server hosting services as this will provide you with a way of installing any applications that you see as relevant and appropriate to the running of your website. In some situations you may find that in order for your website or any other web based applications that you are looking to install to work, you will need to install extra software and components on your hosting server in order to make the user experience smooth and seamless. Dedicated web hosting environments are isolated and when using a VPS server you are effectively using a dedicated web hosting environment that is sharing a server with several others; with a dedicated server you will have your own completely dedicated hosting environment and physical resources.
The resources that are offered by most server hosting services are unrivalled when compared to what lower end forms of web hosting can offer meaning that if you require a large amount of disk space or bandwidth then you will need to consider either a VPS server or a dedicated server for your web hosting requirements. VPS servers are made up of the physical resources of the hosting server meaning that you are only going to be supplied with virtual resources, whereas if you were to choose a dedicated server for your hosting requirements then you wouldn’t need to worry about this as all of the resources offered with a dedicated server are physical meaning that they can be upgraded more easily and are much more scalable to larger amounts.
In conclusion, server hosting is a highly scalable form of web hosting that will be capable of meeting any business’s web hosting requirements for a long time to come. Most web hosting companies are able to provide you with a wide variety of server hosting services enabling you to choose one that suits your requirements exactly, helping to ensure that you’re only paying for what you need and no more.
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Importance of Dedicated Hosting
Monday, July 19th, 2010Dedicated hosting has become hugely popular over the past few years with the introduction of VPS server hosting to accompany dedicated server hosting at the top end of the web hosting market. Dedicated web hosting services will provide you with your own web hosting environment that is isolated from other users, often with your own guaranteed resources, thus meaning that you won’t have to worry about other users affecting the performance of your own hosting environment and vice versa. Most web hosting providers are able to offer you the choice between VPS server hosting and dedicated server hosting with some web hosting providers choosing to specialize in one over the other; VPS servers are aimed at those with a lower budget and don’t offer you a completely dedicated web hosting environment whilst a dedicated server is only really suitable for those with larger budgets as is evident with the resources that are available for your standard dedicated server. Dedicated hosting services are incredibly important as the needs of larger businesses need to be met in one way or another and there needs to be a form of web hosting available to accommodate for those who have more complex hosting requirements; in most situations dedicated servers are also the most profitable forms of web hosting for web hosting providers.
A VPS server is effectively a collection of a physical server’s resources bound together to create a virtual dedicated environment within a physical hosting node; each VPS hosting node is going to be running a large number of virtual VPS servers. VPS hosting is aimed at those with lower budgets as you are still provided with your own dedicated web hosting environment, just at a cost that is a lot more affordable and for first-timers VPS servers are usually a lot easier to manage. Web hosting companies can offer VPS servers with a wide variety of resource assignments, but the fact of the matter is that a VPS server is never going to be a replacement for a dedicated server of any specification.
Dedicated servers on the other hand are aimed at the higher end of the market and this is evident with the prices that are put on most dedicated servers as well as the resources that most dedicated servers are provided with. Dedicated servers are very flexible in the way that you can use a standalone dedicated server if your requirements aren’t demanding, but on the other hand if your requirements are slightly more complex then you may wish to choose to use a cluster of dedicated servers as this will provide you with a level of reliability and is unrivalled. With a dedicated server you will also be able to choose from a wider variety of operating systems as you can choose to have any Linux distribution of your choice or any version of Windows installed; when using VPS server hosting you are limited to using the operating system templates that your web hosting provider has made available for you to use.
Dedicated web hosting services can provide you with a higher level of security than shared web hosting packages will ever be able to offer which is going to be of the utmost importance for those who are running websites that are going to be processing the personal data of their visitors in one way or another. By having your own dedicated web hosting environment you will be able to make any changes to your server that you feel will enhance the security of your web hosting environment, although you make these changes at your own peril and will need to face the consequences if something goes wrong that causes damage to your VPS server or dedicated server.
Another benefit to using dedicated hosting is that you will be able to install any applications of your choice on your VPS server or dedicated server, which is highly important if you are looking to create a hosting environment that will suit your requirements exactly. Larger businesses are going to benefit most from this advantage since such businesses are likely to be running applications and services that may not necessarily be available in a shared web hosting environment. Examples of such applications and services that they fall under this category could include Microsoft Exchange Server and Zimbra. Along with being able to install any applications of your choice, you can also make changes to the operating system that you have installed on your VPS server or dedicated server as you will be provided with direct access to the management console; Remote Desktop is a standard feature of Windows servers whilst SSH access is provided for most users of Linux VPS servers and Linux dedicated servers.
When upgrading from shared web hosting services to dedicated web hosting services you may be daunted by the massive leap at first, but once you have settled into your new dedicated web hosting environment you will start to reap the benefits of making the upgrade. Almost every VPS server and dedicated server will need configuring and setting up properly if you wish to be able to use it properly; most web hosting companies will provide you with support for doing this from the outset so that you don’t end up with a web hosting service that you won’t be able to use as a reputable web hosting provider will want to be sure that they are providing their customers with good value for money.
In conclusion, dedicated hosting is incredibly important in meeting the requirements of businesses and individuals that have complex expectations of web hosting and need something that can guarantee them reliability and security without any compromises. VPS servers and dedicated servers are the two most common forms of dedicated web hosting available and are aimed at different ends of the market, however both have been designed with the idea of offering users their own dedicated hosting environment in mind. The price of some dedicated hosting products may be off-putting to some but at the end of the day if you choose a reputable web hosting provider then you can be guaranteed good value for money.
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Advantages of a Dedicated Server
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010A dedicated server is seen as the highest form of web hosting available and can offer businesses the best level of performance when compared to the other main forms of web hosting that are available. Most web hosting providers are able to offer you the choice between Windows dedicated server hosting and Linux dedicated server hosting to help guarantee variety; customization is something else that is offered during the order process so that you are able to create a dedicated server that will suit your requirements ideally, allowing you to ensure that you only pay for what you require and not resources that you aren’t going to use at all.
The main advantage of using a dedicated server over any other form of web hosting that is available has to be the higher level of security that can be provided by having your own dedicated web hosting environment. As you won’t have to share any portion of your server’s resources with anyone else, it will be fairly easy for you to create a secure web hosting environment as you will be fully aware of the security aspects that could affect your dedicated server. Furthermore you will be able to implement your own custom security measures allowing you to make your dedicated server as secure as you wish for it to be.
Reliability is another factor that a dedicated server will be able to meet most business’s requirements for since a dedicated server is seen as being one of the most reliable forms of web hosting available. The dedicated web hosting environment provided will allow you to keep a much closer eye on your use of server resources and as you won’t have to share those resources with anyone else, you can be sure that you will be able to make full use of them. Most businesses choose to use dedicated server hosting because they are looking to attain a higher level of uptime than what their existing web hosting service, usually something alone the lines of shared web hosting, is able to offer.
The dedicated web hosting environment that is provided by a dedicated server will allow you to create a web hosting environment suitable for your website as you will be able to install any applications of your choice on your dedicated server. If you have decided to go for a Windows dedicated server then you will have full Remote Desktop access to your server, whilst if you are using a Linux dedicated server then access will be provided via SSH. Both Remote Desktop and SSH will allow you to manage your server fully since you will have full root or administrator access. It is important for any access available over Remote Desktop or SSH to be secured properly to reduce the risk of any hackers using these to gain access to your dedicated server; if either Remote Desktop or SSH are compromised then the security of the entire server could be put at risk.
The fact that you won’t have to share your dedicated server with anyone else will allow you to make sure that you are able to make the most of your server and since you are going to be spending a lot of money on a dedicated server hosting service, being able to use it to its full potential is important. This will enhance both the security and reliability of your dedicated server as it means that you won’t have to worry about the security of other websites with regards to security of your server as a whole, and you also won’t have to worry about the performance of other websites affecting the performance of your own.
In conclusion, a dedicated server will be able to provide you with a wide variety of advantages that will allow you as a business to make the most of your web presence as the security provided will allow you to expand the features available on your website whilst the level of reliability on offer will allow you to accept visitors at all times. Although a dedicated server is the most expensive form of web hosting available, it is important for you to weigh up the cost against the advantages and your requirements.
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High Uptime Web Hosting
Sunday, May 30th, 2010High uptime web hosting services will provide you with a reliable web hosting service that will ensure that your website is available all the time, giving you one less thing to worry about and allowing you to focus on more important tasks. Web hosting companies are endeavouring to offer web hosting services with the highest rate of uptime attainable as reliability is the main factor that most people will consider in web hosting services these days; this can be achieved in many different ways, but the most popular way at this moment in time of attaining a high level of uptime with web hosting is to roll out cloud web hosting packages. Dedicated server hosting is another way in which you can receive a high level of uptime from your chosen web hosting package; dedicated servers offer you an isolated web hosting environment separate from anyone else which will allow you to make the most of the resources that you have purchased.
What makes a web hosting service reliable?
There are several different factors that can affect the reliability of a web hosting service, and web hosting providers take these into consideration so that they can alter them to allow them to offer high uptime web hosting services. These factors can include:
- Network – the network that your hosting server is hosted on can have an affect on the reliability of your web hosting service as all traffic to your website has to be routed through this network – most data centres are using the latest networking equipment and have it set up in a way that will allow them to ensure that is one part of the network fails, there will always be a way to route traffic to particular servers that may be affected – if the main connection to the internet fails then most data centres also use a number of different peers in order to provide a fast connection to users all over the world – it is important to remember that data centres usually control their networks rather than the web hosting provider that you are using
- Power supply – the supply of power to your server could be affected at times and if this causes the server to crash then your website and web hosting account could be unavailable for a prolonged period of time – any reputable data centre will be using several sources of back-up power for use in the scenario where the main power supply fails – most data centres will have petrol generators to provide power for a prolonged period of time, but for the short term most data centres will automatically fall back onto UPS battery supplies – this means that the power supply provided to you hosting server is unlikely to affect the reliability of your web hosting service
- Number of users hosted per server – the number of web hosting accounts that a web hosting provider hosts on a single server can also affect the overall reliability of your web hosting service as the more users there are on a single server, the higher the load there will be placed on the server’s resources – if a web hosting provider is overselling its servers then you will face problems with reliability as the problem will be that there are so many users hosted per server, the server won’t be able to cope with the load of the websites meaning that it will eventually crash, thus rendering your website unavailable.
When choosing any web hosting service, it is important for you to consider the above factors if you wish to receive a reliable web hosting experience. Choosing a reputable web hosting company is another way in which you can be assured to an extent of the level of uptime that you can come to expect from your chosen web hosting service.
What is the best way to protect myself with high uptime web hosting?
There are a couple of different ways in which you can protect yourself when using high uptime web hosting to help ensure that you receive the high level of uptime that you are being promised, and if that fails you then that you have a way to claim compensation for the disruption caused. The two main ways are:
- Cloud web hosting – cloud web hosting services are able to offer 100% guaranteed uptime as there are many servers used in a single cluster to allow web hosting providers to offer cloud web hosting – when you are provided with an uptime guarantee of 100%, it is highly unlikely that you’ll need to worry about the availability of your website as web hosting providers rarely stray away from such guarantees
- SLA (service level agreement) – larger web hosting providers will offer SLAs on some of their higher end products such as dedicated servers so that you are provided with a contracted guarantee of the level of uptime you can expect from your web hosting service – SLAs are only usually available on the most expensive web hosting services but usually detail that you can claim compensation if your web hosting service comes unavailable for an extended period of time.
In conclusion, high uptime web hosting services can be found if you choose the right web hosting provider for your requirements. Cloud web hosting should be your focus if you want to be offered a guaranteed level of uptime if you require it, but if you can afford the premium then you may wish to consider a dedicated server that comes with an SLA.
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Choosing a Dedicated Server
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010A dedicated server is the most expensive form of web hosting that you can purchase and because of this it is important for you to make sure that you choose the right dedicated server for your requirements. There are many different factors that you should consider in a dedicated server if you wish to make the right choice, including all of the separate pieces of hardware that will form your dedicated server. As well as the factors related to the dedicated server itself, you will also need to consider the web hosting provider that you are going to use for your dedicated server hosting services; your choice of web hosting provider will affect how much you pay for your dedicated server, the product/service you receive and the level of uptime that you are provided with.
What are the physical factors that I should consider in a dedicated server?
There are several different hardware factors that will form the centre of any dedicated server hosting service that you may be looking at using. The physical factors that you should consider include:
- CPU (central processing unit) – the CPU at the centre of your dedicated server is responsible for handling all of the applications and services that you have running on your dedicated server – most web hosting providers offer dedicated servers that use a wide variety of CPUs with dual core and quad core CPUs being the most effective and popular since they allow for a large number of applications to run at once, furthermore multi-core applications and services will also make good use of multi-core CPUs in order to deliver the highest level of performance – each CPU core is equal to an entirely separate CPU with each core running at the same clock speed
- RAM (random access memory) – the amount of RAM that you have installed in your dedicated server will also affect how many applications you are able to run at once since all applications and services will require access to memory in your server at some point – the standard amount of memory found in dedicated servers these days is around 2GB and this is sufficient for the requirements of most users and when coupled with a powerful CPU this will allow the server to host a large number of websites – the busier your website is going to be, the bigger the amount of RAM you will want to have installed in your dedicated server
- Hard disk space – as a dedicated server is a physical form of web hosting, you will be able to make full use of your own physical hard drive that will be installed in your dedicated server – depending on the type of configuration that you require you may have more than one hard drive installed in your dedicated server, for example if you require a large amount of storage space then more than a single drive may be required, and similarly if you are going to be using a RAID setup to help protect the data stored on your server then you will require a minimum of two hard drives regardless of the RAID configuration that you choose to go for.
The physical factors of a dedicated server are common to all dedicated server hosting services, regardless of the web hosting provider that you choose to use or the specification of the dedicated server that you purchase.
What are the external factors that could affect my dedicated server?
There are several different factors that could affect your dedicated server and it is important for you to consider these since you think you may be purchasing a decent server only to find that it is unavailable on a regular basis. The external factors include but are not limited to:
- Network – the network that your dedicated server is hosted on can play a huge role in the availability of your dedicated server as if the network is down, your dedicated server won’t be accessible externally – most web hosting providers have reliable internal networks that peer with multiple external connection providers which will provide you with a fast connection to your dedicated server from any computer in any part of the world
- Power – the power supply that provides your dedicated server with the power that it requires to run can also have an affect on your dedicated server since if your dedicated server loses power, it won’t be accessible in any way – however, most data centres will have employed multiple back-up power supplies to help ensure that if the main power line does go out, there will always be at least one other source available to keep the servers hosted in that data centre running.
In conclusion, choosing a dedicated server is a task that can be made simpler if you know what you need to look for in a dedicated server. Dedicated server hosting is available from most web hosting providers and some of the larger web hosting companies should be able to provide you with assistance when it comes to choosing a dedicated server if you inform them of what your requirements are.
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Advantages of Dedicated Hosting
Sunday, March 21st, 2010Dedicated hosting services are very popular with larger businesses that require uptime and security due to the sensitive nature of the information that they are going to be storing on their server, and also because their websites generally act as a source of information for a large number of people. There are two main forms of dedicated web hosting available from most web hosting providers – VPS servers and dedicated servers; VPS server hosting services are designed for individuals rather than businesses and are seen to bridge the gap between shared web hosting services and dedicated servers, whereas dedicated servers are targeted at bigger businesses as is evident with the price tag that is attached to most dedicated server hosting services. VPS servers and dedicated servers can provide you with similar advantages, the main difference being that a dedicated server will allow you to make the most of these advantages.
Reliability
Dedicated hosting services will be able to provide you with a high level of reliability that you will be able to your advantage since it will allow you to get on with more important tasks without having to worry about the reliability of your website. The specifications of most VPS servers and dedicated servers allow webmasters to host a number of websites without having to give great consideration to the stability of the hosting server. It is important to choose a dedicated web hosting service that is of the correct specification for your requirements as you don’t want to end up paying for resources that you are never going to use; in most situations you will be able to benefit from the configuration options offered by most web hosting providers since these will allow you to ‘build’ your own VPS server or dedicated server so that you end up with a web hosting service that is specifically tailored to your requirements.
Security
Dedicated hosting services can also be relied upon to offer a secure web hosting environment which is what most businesses require these days if they wish to be able to make the most of their web presence. The dedicated web hosting environment offered by VPS servers and dedicated servers will allow you to customize your web hosting environment so that it suits your needs ideally, thus allowing you to secure your server to an extent that you feel will match the importance of your website when you consider the information that is going to be stored. There are many different security measures that you can take to provide yourself with a more secure web hosting environment, although these will depend on the operating system that you choose to have installed on your VPS server or dedicated server. If you are going to be processing the credit card details and storing the personal information of your visitors then it is going to be important for you to have a highly secure web hosting environment that can’t be infiltrated by hackers; for such a situation a dedicated server would be more appropriate than a VPS server as you will be provided with complete isolation in your own physical hosting environment rather than simply being hosted on a physical server with many other users.
Guaranteed Resources
A VPS server or dedicated server will provide you with your own guaranteed resources that no-one else will be able to make use of. The guaranteed resources offered by dedicated web hosting services will allow you to ensure a high level of reliability, and the isolation provided by having your own guaranteed resources will count towards the higher level of security that can be achieved. Although a dedicated server can offer you the ability to make full use of the resources that you have purchased including your dedicated server’s CPU, VPS server hosting services can be a lot more limited and in most situations you will have to share the hosting node’s CPU with the other VPS servers hosted on that node.
In conclusion, there are several advantages to using dedicated web hosting that you can take away and make the most of as you wish. How effective these advantages are will depend on how well your VPS server or dedicated server is managed as well as its specifications and what it is used for.
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Server Hosting Service
Sunday, March 7th, 2010Server hosting services are able to provide you with many benefits over traditional shared web hosting services, the main one being that you will be provided with your own dedicated web hosting environment meaning that you are offered greater flexibility. Most web hosting providers are able to supply you with a wide variety of VPS servers and dedicated servers, all of different specifications meaning that there will always be something available to fit your requirements. You will also be offered the choice between Windows servers and Linux servers in most situations meaning that you will always be able to find a VPS server or dedicated server that uses the operating system that you require; it is important for there to be that choice there since the requirements of some businesses may mean that they are only able to use one particular operating system.
What are the advantages of using server hosting services?
A VPS server or dedicated server will be able to provide you with a number of different benefits, although it is important for you to be able to justify the cost of a server hosting service if you wish for it to represent good value for money. The main advantages of using server hosting include:
- Dedicated web hosting environment – a VPS server or dedicated server will be able to provide you with your own dedicated web hosting environment that will allow you to install any applications of your own choice on your server – this helps to ensure that you are able to configure your server hosting service to function in the way that you want it to, granted that you have root or administrator access to your server – if you choose to go for a Windows server hosting service then you will be able to access your dedicated hosting environment via Remote Desktop, but if you have chosen a Linux server hosting service then you will be able to do the same using SSH instead
- Reliability – a server hosting service will be able to provide you with a higher level of reliability which will lead to greater uptime, thus meaning that the high price of server hosting services is justified – high uptime web hosting services are highly beneficial to businesses that rely on their websites for a source of income in one way or another as it means that they can then maximize their chances of making good money from their website – the fact that you are provided with your own resources means that you won’t have to worry about other users affecting the uptime of your website
- Security – the dedicated web hosting environment provided by a server hosting service will allow you to achieve a higher level of security since you will be able to secure your VPS server or dedicated server to a level that matches your requirements – you will also find that you won’t have to share any portion of your server with anyone else meaning that you won’t have to worry about the security of any other web hosting accounts or websites, just the security of your own.
The advantages of server hosting services show that businesses stand to benefit greatly from the use of a dedicated server or VPS server. It is important to note that in order to make the most of a VPS server or dedicated server you will need to be able to manage it properly, or have the provisions in place to ensure that it is managed properly.
What are the disadvantages of using server hosting services?
There can also be disadvantages to using server hosting services that you need to be aware of since you may find that after reviewing the situation, another form of web hosting may be more suitable for your requirements. The main disadvantages of using a VPS server or dedicated server can include:
- Price – using any server hosting service is going to be expensive as you are paying for resources that aren’t supplied with cheaper forms of web hosting such as shared web hosting packages – a VPS server can be seen as a cheaper alternative to a dedicated server but it is important to note that a VPS server is only a virtual form of web hosting whereas with a dedicated server you will be provided with your own physical server that you won’t have to share with anyone else
- Server management – with a VPS server or dedicated server it is important for you to be able to manage it properly so that you are able to make the most of your server hosting service – if you feel that you don’t have the skills required to be able to manage a server properly then you may wish to consider a managed server hosting service – although managed server hosting will cost you more, it does provide you with an opportunity to ensure that your server is managed properly meaning that everything will function correctly.
In conclusion, a server hosting service will be able to offer you a higher level of uptime which is what most businesses require. A secure hosting environment will also aid you if you are going to be using your website for the processing of personal data such as credit card information.
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Dedicated Hosting for Beginners
Saturday, February 13th, 2010There are a number of reasons to move your website to a dedicated server. Perhaps your business is using a large database or program which takes up more memory than is permitted on a shared hosting platform, or you may want the flexibility and control to add certain extensions, software and features to your website(s); a process which again shared hosting could not accommodate.
Or perhaps you are web hosting reseller who needs to host a large number of websites, many of whom require a sizeable amount of space and so you would prefer your own server.
Not only should you identify a sound business reason for choosing dedicated hosting, you also need to identify whether you need Linux or Windows dedicated server hosting?
The main reason for adopting Windows hosting is if your site(s) is/are coded using ASP.net, Classic ASP or SQL server databases. If you don’t need these requirements, then you should consider Linux, as it is an extremely stable web hosting platform.
You should also take into account how much RAM you would need to run your initiative successfully on a dedicated server.
Managed dedicated servers
Usually webmasters who have their own dedicated server will have some degree of technical knowledge. However, one area they don’t need to be technically savvy in is the set up their dedicated server. This is done from the company providing the dedicated server. They will do the initial set up of the dedicated server’s hardware and provide the control panel for administering your dedicated server.
They will also provide customer support for your dedicated server and this is seen by many as one of the biggest advantages of purchasing a dedicated server. As you will be paying more than a traditional shared hosting customer, it is possible that you will receive a higher degree of customer support. You may receive 24/7 Live chat and your own Dedicated Account Manager. They will be on hand to answer any technical or sales related queries you may have on your dedicated server. To add to your peace of mind, you may also receive 24/7 server monitoring thus ensuring a high uptime % for your website(s).
Along with a more personal support service, you can purchase a number of other features to enhance your dedicated server. These include loading balancing, managed firewalls and backups.
Summary
There are a number of benefits to purchasing a dedicated server.
Dedicated server hosting provides unprecedented power, control and flexibility. A dedicated server is often the choice for those who need more scope than is usually provided by a shared hosting environment.
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A Guide to SQL Server Hosting
Saturday, February 13th, 2010SQL Server is an industry standard database solution for running business and enterprise class web applications. A SQL Server hosting server also known as a ‘dedicated database server’ is a server devoted solely to running a version of Microsoft SQL Server and processing incoming database transactions. There are several equivalents to SQL Server available which include Oracle, PostgreSQL and MySQL. The latter two often being chosen as database management solutions when running on a Linux based server platform. All options make the use of SQL (Standard Query Language) their core language. But include their own distinctive extensions to make up a complete SQL Language.
SQL Server working as a ‘database server’
SQL Server as a database server is considered an industry leader within web hosting environments. Although Oracle still has an edge over SQL Server in large database environments, usage of SQL Server is growing in the client/server environment. One feature that makes SQL Server popular as a choice of database is its ability at managing a large number of simultaneous connections from users over a LAN or connected through the internet.
Ensuring high uptime for SQL Server
In order to ensure your SQL Server database enjoys a high degree of uptime you should consider employing some of the following features where possible: Failover clustering, remote mirroring, log shipping, database mirroring and peer-to-peer replication. ‘Failover Clustering‘ is considered the best method for preventing site downtime and providing a high level of uptime for your SQL Server database. However, it cannot protect against disk failure and therefore solutions such as placing your database on SAN (Storage Area Network) storage can be adopted to compensate for this drawback. In addition, database mirroring can also prove an excellent feature to implement if you want to ensure data remains accessible even in the event of one of the server disks failing.
Selecting a SQL Server hosting company
Although much of the above will apply to those that opt for a dedicated server solution, there are many good SQL Server hosting firms to be found in the web hosting market that offer low priced shared SQL Server hosting. This is often the choice for those getting started with SQL Server. Or who require a SQL Server database as the backend of a small web site. Anyone considering a SQL Server hosting provider should start by researching companies on the internet. Check for database size that can be provided, cost plus if the host allows remote connections to SQL Server as this feature is often a key one those developing with Microsoft technologies. It goes without saying that it is as always advisable to research customer reviews of any suitable hosting companies you find. Particularly with the level of choice that is now present. As with any service, this is always a good indication of how good a SQL Server hosting company is, in terms of price, features and support. It is also worth considering a SQL Server hosting company that can provide a high degree of uptime and who can also back their claims. Uptime is always an important factor. However likely to be even more so when running a SQL Server database as your site is likely to be more business focused and database dependant. Some time spent on research will pay dividends later on and will help ensure you site runs smoothly and that you retain happy and satisfied customers.