When looking at high end web hosting, you’re likely to be looking closely at dedicated hosting which means web hosting services such as VPS server hosting and dedicated server hosting services. Server hosting is generally the highest form of web hosting available from most web hosting providers and is indeed the highest form of leasable web hosting service available. VPS server hosting and dedicated server hosting services are both able to offer you a dedicated hosting environment that will allow you some sort of isolation from other users, although the form factor of both is different with VPS servers being virtual machines whilst dedicated servers are physical servers. Server hosting can be expensive but the one thing to remember is that if you aren’t able to justify the cost of a server hosting service, it is possible that a cheaper form of web hosting may be more appropriate for your requirements. Server hosting services are a lot more customizable than lower end forms of web hosting, thus allowing you to get good value for money as you can select the exact resource assignments that you require meaning that you will only be paying for what you actually need and not resources that you aren’t going to be using.
Benefits of Server Hosting
There are many benefits to using server hosting, primarily because you have your own resources that you won’t have to share with anyone else. The main benefits that you will find when using server hosting services generally include but aren’t limited to:
- Greater uptime – most consumers, in particular businesses, are looking for web hosting services that can offer them uptime levels that will allow them to run their business without having to worry about whether their website can be accessed by their customers or not – the isolated nature of server hosting means that you will have full control of the reliability of your hosting environment and can take the necessary steps to increase reliability if there happens to be something that could compromise the stability of your VPS server or dedicated server
- Increased security – as a business you will also want to be sure that the data that you are hosting on your VPS server or dedicated server is secure, and a server hosting service will allow you to safeguard your data to a good extent as you won’t be sharing your hosting environment with any other users – with a server hosting environment, you can install any applications that you see as appropriate to the security of your server meaning that you can make your server as secure as you like, but without the most basic security software such as a firewall you may face security issues
- Dedicated hosting environment – a VPS server or dedicated server can offer you a dedicated web hosting environment that will allow you complete isolation from any other users and will allow you to install any applications of your choice that you feel will improve your web hosting experience – a dedicated hosting environment also means dedicated resources so that you won’t have to worry about other users affecting the performance of your own hosting environment, although the performance of a VPS server and a dedicated server is always going to be different because of the fact that they are different form factors.
Disadvantages of Server Hosting
As with any form of web hosting, there are also disadvantages to using server hosting. It is important for you to consider these disadvantages prior to purchasing server hosting as you may ultimately decide that it isn’t the right form of web hosting for you. Disadvantages that you may experience could include:
- Pricing – the cost of server hosting is probably the biggest disadvantage for most as servers can be fairly to expensive to purchase and run – VPS server hosting services are usually relatively low cost meaning that if you require dedicated hosting on a budget, a VPS server is probably the way forward for you – dedicated servers on the other hand are more ideal for businesses as you can expend a dedicated server in many ways, but this does come at a cost as dedicated servers are the most expensive type of web hosting available and the extra resources that you can add all come in the form of physical hardware which again can be expensive
- Management – for some, especially smaller businesses, the management of a VPS server or dedicated server can seem daunting at first as you are responsible for fully setting up your server meaning that you will need to install a control panel yourself if you wish to have access to a more intuitive GUI – if you lack the skills to manage your own server then most web hosting companies can offer fully managed server hosting services which takes the management out of your hands and passes it on to your web hosting company’s support team, who you can then contact whenever you want to with regards to any issues you may be having with your VPS server or dedicated server.
The disadvantages of server hosting are only minor when compared to the advantages that you could benefit from. At the end of the day it’s not about the form of web hosting that you choose to purchase, but more about how you use it in order to make the most of the resources that you have available to use.
In conclusion, a VPS server or dedicated server will allow you to grow your website dramatically as you will then have a stable base that will be able to cope with high traffic loads, including spikes, at any time. Dedicated hosting services need to be managed properly if you are to receive good value for money and make the most of your investment, but you need to be skilled in order to do this and so you may find it more appropriate to consider paying extra for managed server hosting since this will mean that you will have access to a professional team who will manage your server for you.