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Choosing between a managed dedicated server and an unmanaged dedicated server a decision that you should take seriously as it will affect you in the long term but will also affect how much you pay for your dedicated server hosting service. Managed dedicated servers aren’t offered by all web hosting providers, but those who do offer them are able to ensure that you receive a reliable web hosting service that you can count on; it is important to only consider hosting providers that will be able to offer you 24×7 support for your dedicated server as not only does this represent good value for money, but it also shows a web hosting provider’s commitment to its customers. Unmanaged dedicated servers are more common and they are cheaper than managed dedicated servers, but this isn’t something that you should fall for; if you do choose to go for an unmanaged dedicated server, it is important for you to ensure that you have the necessary skills to manage your dedicated server correctly – if you do something wrong that damages your server then you will have to foot the bill for the operating system reload.How effective is managed dedicated server hosting?Managed dedicated server can be very effective in all situations as it allows you to make the most of your web hosting provider’s support team, for example you can have them secure your dedicated server to a high level  – if you have them do it then you can be sure that it has been done to a high standard. Managed dedicated server can be highly effective as it means that you won’t have to worry about the management aspect of your dedicated server, when in most cases you have more important things to be worrying about and getting on with that aren’t related to your dedicated server; in most cases the support team employed by your web hosting provider are also on call to answer your queries 24×7, meaning that even if there is a problem it will be dealt with swiftly. Managed dedicated server may not always have a higher uptime rate than an unmanaged dedicated server of a similar specification, but managed dedicated server services can help when it comes to reliability; you can have your web hosting provider’s support team optimize your dedicated server for you to make it as reliable as possible.How can I make the most of an unmanaged dedicated server?Making the most of an unmanaged dedicated server as you need to be experienced if you wish to secure and optimize your dedicated server to a level that is similar to that of what your web hosting provider’s support team can achieve. Unmanaged dedicated servers do allow you to save some money over all because you don’t have to factor in the cost of support, and you can use this saving to pay for any additional extras for your dedicated server. If you feel that you would like to be able to manage your server in more than one way then you could always consider a control panel for your dedicated server; most hosting providers will be able to offer you either the cPanel or Plesk control panels, both of which will offer you a web interface that you can manage certain aspects of your dedicated server with – you will also be able to create and manage your own hosting accounts which may make management easier for some.In conclusion, you should consider certain factors in both managed and unmanaged dedicated servers to help you find the best deal; however, the factors that you should consider with both forms of dedicated server hosting also hold the key to how secure and reliable your dedicated server will be. In either case you will find that dedicated servers need to be properly maintained to ensure that they remain secure and reliable, as an unmaintained dedicated server could easily become insecure and compromised which would then lead to further problems, including reliability issues.

Hopefully, your website will become so popular that both traffic and money roll in at a steady rate. When you start to get too much traffic though, it is probably time to move on from that shared web hosting platform as the server will not be able to keep up with your demands. The simple solution – a dedicated server. Before heading out to look for web hosts, it is important to know that you essentially have two options for a dedicated server – unmanaged and managed.

Unmanaged Dedicated Web Hosting

Unmanaged hosting pretty much describes a dedicated server in its rawest form. For example, you get the hardware, the resources that come along with it, and an internet connection. The web host houses the equipment in their data facility and keeps it physically secure. Other than that, you’re on your own. With remote access, it is up to you to make sure the server stays functioning and fresh with the necessary updates. You are responsible for all the server administrative tasks, meaning you need to have a special set of skills to thrive in this environment. If you don’t know how to work with complex server software or have a knowledgeable IT staff that does, getting the most out of dedicated hosting will be nearly impossible. Along with all the power and flexibility you get comes a lot of complexity and responsibility some people just can’t handle.

Managed Web Hosting

Managed hosting is a solution that takes the complexity out of a dedicated server. The greatest advantage is that you generally get a full turn-key service where the host takes care of the server administrative tasks. For the most part, a managed hosting provider will allow you to build a custom package from the options best suited for your initiative. Some of the additional services may include database administration and management of your web applications. While you are basically outsourcing server administration, you do get a significant level of control through control panel software. Advanced control panel applications like cPanel’s (WHM) Web Host Manager and Plesk add ease to the process of server administration.

Now You Know

A dedicated server will provide all the resources and control you need but it is also a more complex solution. If you’ve got the level of skill it requires, good. If not, you definitely need managed hosting. With the web host handling all the complicated tasks, you can enjoy the simplicity of shared hosting and still get all the benefits of a robust dedicated server. Most importantly, you can focus on other critical projects and just running your business.

The World Wide Web has brought with it some of the most amazing technological advances ever seen by a single generation. Just ten years ago, it was considered “cutting edge” for a company to simply have it’s own website, never mind an interactive page with high-tech graphics and shopping carts. But now if a business doesn’t have its own site, they are considered to be archaic by the majority of net surfers. But with all of these advances come some issues, especially for those companies and businesses that require larger or heavily visited sites. For this and other reasons, dedicated servers and managed hosting has become quite popular in the more recent years of the Internet.

Simply put, a dedicated server refers to the manner in which Web hosting is done. A shared Web hosting company may have several different companies’ websites on one of their “on-premises” computers, all running at the same time. But larger companies (with the websites to match), maybe with a forum or need for a lot of storage, are much better off with their own computer from a Web hosting company. This is what a dedicated server is- one computer from a Web hosting company that is “dedicated” to the needs of one website. Not only does such a server save the client network administration fees and overall costs, client router, Internet connection and security system, but also can usually be fully operated by you, the client.

Once you’ve decided that the best interest of your business and website includes a dedicated server, you need to decide on a Web host. The computer that holds all of your website’s information (the html, graphics, etc.) is your (managed) web host, which may be either dedicated to you or not, as described above). You pay the web hosting company a fee to keep all of your site’s information.

Besides the extra storage space that accompanies a dedicated server, there are many other perks that come along with the package because, of course, a dedicated server is more costly than a shared one. For example, if another website on your shared server were to experience an extremely high level of traffic, your website would suffer drastically. If you want to run your own software on your site, a typical shared server won’t allow you to. And the security level on a shared server is much lower than that of a dedicated one.

When it comes to the future of your website, both a dedicated and shared server enable you to upgrade your space and service as needed, but a dedicated server doesn’t have the restrictions that a shared server will have. After all, when you share a bedroom with your siblings, you’re going to have significantly less closet space than when you have your own room.

Web server hosting in simple terms is the process of a computer with a node designed to operate as a server that hosts your web site files. The server loads up the files to all people accessing your web domain name, if set up as a web file server. Different hosting plans exist, and they range from shared hosting servers to semi-dedicated and dedicated servers. Dedicated servers come in two choices: managed and unmanaged servers.

Managed Dedicated Server Hosting

Managed servers come managed by the service provider. As with all servers, you are provided admin access, however a managed server has the added benefit of the OS (Windows or Linux) patches being installed for you. This ensures all security patches are updated on time. The assisted service plans will also handle initial web server setup, security scans for viruses, and emergency services. If you are not familiar with windows servers and the methods to apply patches and troubleshoot problems like memory useage, then this option is an optimal solution for you. When researching these servers, they can also also be called an assisted service plan.

Unmanaged Servers

Unlike the servers where it is all managed for you, these are completely under your control. If you have an issue with your server, you will have to troubleshoot. Many dedicated server service providers do still offer support with unmanaged dedicated hosting. Support is required for computer failures and other network problems within the hosting centre. After all, you can connect to the server, but you do not ever physically see the server, so you are unable to troubleshoot hardware problems.

The purchaser’s knowledge of server configuration and setup will determine if a managed or unmanaged server option is the best choice. Many dedicated hosting plans exist with different price points, but knowing if its a managed dedicated server or an unmanaged dedicated server will assist you in determining if that price warrants the service being provided to you. As with all purchases made, the higher the cost directly relates to the value of the dedicated server purchased, but not always.

With so many people launching their own websites for business and commercial purposes, there is this greater need to utilize managed web hosting services as opposed to shared hosting services. Make no mistake about it; there are many benefits to using shared hosting services. The number one benefit is of course, its affordability. Since there are multiple users sharing the cost of web server maintenance, prices can be offered at very, very low rates.

However, subscribing to managed hosting services is a worthwhile investment to online entrepreneurs and ecommerce minded business people. There are more benefits to using a single web hosting service.

What is managed web hosting in the first place?

This type of Internet hosting goes by a number of names, like: managed web hosting, managed dedicated servers, managed hosting, dedicated hosting services, and dedicated servers. In this type, web developers or website owners usually have full and exclusive control of the server(s) that they are utilizing. This means that they have a controlled pulse on the server hardware, software and operating system that is active in their website(s).

In some instances, web developers can even opt for server administration as well; and the server company can provide technical support on a regular basis.

What are the advantages of using this type of Internet hosting?

As stated earlier, there are more advantages to using this type of Internet hosting. A couple of which includes:

1. You can choose your own operating system and operating system support. You can either choose a Linux system (or other open source operating systems such as CentOS, Debian, Fedroa Core,) Microsoft Windows SPLA Server, and Red Hat Enterprise. Having the liberty to choose the application means you can avail of operating systems that you are most familiar with, which practically saves you time in regards to learning the ropes of a new system. Aside from that, you can also choose which OS would actually fit your budget best. If you are a bit tight with the buck, you can always go for OS that is open source technology based, because these are usually offered for free.

You can also have add-on services or support systems like: application patches, OS kernel upgrades, system extensive vulnerability resolutions, and even upgrading on the latest security fixes.

2. If you are particularly pressed for time, you can easily outsource the managerial duties for this Internet type of hosting. You can very easily hire a 3rd party service provider to do: backups and restoration; database administration; DDos (distributed denial-of-service attack) protection and mitigation; disaster recovery; DNS hosting service; firewall services; intrusion detection; load balancing; monitoring duties in regards to the server; performance tuning; programming consultation; software installation and configuration; technical support; user management; and updates on the application, antivirus programs, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) hardware and the operating system itself.

3. Finally, since you are having exclusive control of the web server, you can use extreme security measures on your website(s.) This is particularly helpful to online based companies who rely on the gathering, storing and the encryption of large volumes of data. The Internet hosting company can very easily provide you anti-virus applications as well as scanning systems and firewall protection against possible hackers, spammers and worms.