Do You Need A Dedicated Server

From SuperbHosting Support Wiki

You may already know what dedicated hosting is but may be trying to decide if you need it or if shared hosting is enough. While there is a 3rd alternative; virtual private servers, they are simply an upscale, more flexible version of shared hosting.

For those who are not clear about the difference. Shared hosting or virtual hosting is when you share resources with many others, much like living in an apartment building, whereas dedicated is like owing your own house. Sometimes depending on the hosting company, your web site may be one of hundreds, even thousands of other web sites on a single dedicated server. On the other hand, if you get your own dedicated server, you have the entire server dedicated to your needs alone.

Your web site will have complete usage of the server's resources therefore your web pages and other online applications will be served faster. Unlike with shared hosting, having your own dedicated server mean you rent or lease to own (this is unique to Superb) from the web hosting company. Generally this includes the hardware, operating system, connectivity and the monitoring of the server which are then amortized over a period of time. Unique to Superb, this can be for as little as 1 year "after which you pay for collocation only" (an incredible savings when compared to other hosting companies, often tens of thousands of dollars over 3 years).

Here are a few guidelines that may be helpful in determining whether or not a dedicated server is right for you.

1. Costs & Technical Knowledge: Shared hosting is less costly however with recent advances in technology and dropping costs of hardware, the disparity is lessening everyday. Also since the shared hosting servers are managed by the hosting company (in this case, us) and require little or no knowledge of server administration, the requirement of either learning or hiring more advanced technical skills is much less.
   
   That said, companies like Superb Internet, provide comprehensive customer support and will assist (for a fee) in the management of your server. Also we now provide a wide array of tools such as control panels and other aids, which will make server administration much easier.
   
   While not obvious, there are some costs to shared hosting that are not always apparent to those new to hosting, which will be discussed below. Also, while shared may seem the less costly, they are not always the right solution especially if your internet presence is mission critical or resource intensive (traffic, memory, storage, etc.). In these cases and others, a dedicated server is a better alternative, especially if any interruption in servers will cost you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.
   
   
2. Flexibility, Applications and Software: In the case of shared hosting, there are limitations to what you can or cannot do. You will not have full access to the operating system and you will be limited to those applications that are already installed by the hosting company on their shared servers. If you need to run customized applications or scripts, or need full access to the server, then you need a dedicated server. When you have a dedicated server, you can run any application or software you want as long as it is compatible with the operating system you are running (and of course, it is legal and meets the Acceptable Usage Policies of the hosting company).
   
   
3. Scalability: This is really a big one for those who anticipate that their traffic and resource needs will grow rapidly over time. With shared hosting, you are limited to how much you can increase usage of resources - your upgrade options are limited. While you are may be able to get more web space or add additional traffic, this is may drastically affect the performance of your site or applications (especially if other users are also doing the same). In some cases, the hosting company will have no choice but to ask you to move to a dedicated server or have to shut your site down. With your own dedicated server, it is easy to add more storage or increase traffic. You can also add more RAM which always increases performance (with shared you cannot). Also as you require different applications, with shared you are limited to what is already there whereas with dedicated you can simply just add them.
   
   Finally and this is a really big one. If you anticipate that your site or applications will require a great deal of database resources, storage and processing, a dedicated server is the only way to go.
   
   With shared, you will always be extremely limited to how much resources you have access to. While different hosting companies give a wide variation in description of how much database storage/processing is included in their shared hosting packages, take it from me, it is all limited.
   
   
4. Server Response Times and Site Traffic Management: If you are hosting on a shared server, server response times will be greatly impacted by what is happening on other sites on that server. For example, if one or more of the other sites on the server are getting a large amount of traffic, this may result in much slower response times for your site. Worse, these demands may result in service interruptions and cause your site to be offline and you have no control over this. On the other hand with your own dedicated server, you alone are responsible for planning for and managing your site's traffic and making adjustments for any unusual increases such as increasing the port speed and other such tactics. If response times and being online 100% of the time is critical to the success of your online enterprise, then a dedicated server is the way to go.
   
   
5. Security Finally and this is really important. Your content and the information you are hosting online will likely to be less secure than if you are running your own dedicated server, especially if you add your own firewall to the server. You alone dictate the level of security you have with your content, plus you alone have access to your server; all of which allows for a higher level of security. So if you are storing highly sensitive information or doing ecommerce online and accepting credit card payments and such, increased security should be a high priority for you.

If you have decided that a Dedicated Server is the right choice, here are a few other considerations

1. Operating Systems: The two most popular are Unix and Windows. For more on this read "Deciding Between Unix and Windows". Usually the decision comes down to the scalability of Unix (which includes CentOS, Fedora, FreeBSD, Debian, RedHat, and others) versus the standardization of Windows.
   
   
2. Control Panels: Control panels run on top of the operating system and provide a web-based interface your server. They greatly simplify the work of running many websites on your server, handling DNS functions, email, user accounts, FTP, and general server administration. Web hosting control panels have greatly matured over the years and are now virtually indispensible for those that are serious about hosting many sites on their dedicated server. Superb is proud to offer the Cpanel, and Plesk control panels.
   
   
3. Hardware: As with buying your home computer, the primary aspects to consider are CPU speed, amount of RAM, and disk size.
   
   
4. Bandwidth/Traffic: How much is included and how much is additional traffic?
   
   
5. Network Utilization: It is very important to ask the web host about how much of their network is currently being utilized (at Superb currently about 30%). Remember, a web hosting company may have a number of DS3s but if they are 95% utilized, there isn't much room for growth on those lines. The speed of the network will suffer because of congestion.
   
   
6. Support: When choosing a dedicated server package, consider what sort of support you will need. While different companies offer this in different ways; some include it in the cost therefore you pay more while others let you purchase the level of support you will require, either on a monthly basis or as needed. If you are able to manage your own server, then paying for support or assistance as you need it is recommended. With Superb, you can either purchase this in advance for a discount or pay as you go (generally $90/hour).
   
   If you need help administering your server then purchasing a server which has this included is suggested (note: many companies say fully managed or managed, however this varies greatly from company to company). Generally as is the rule in life, you get what you pay for. Usually the best course is to purchase a support/server management plan which specifies exactly what you get whether it is services or hours of service. We offer a number of plans which provide for various levels of ongoing support/managed services.
   
   
7. Site migration: If you are moving your site from a shared server to a dedicated server, site migration should be well planned to prevent downtime for your users. If your site is simple HTML, you can simply re-upload the site to the dedicated server, and arrange for the DNS changes. If the site has customized code (with paths to programs on the shared server), SQL databases, security certificates, dynamic content, or a Miva Merchant store, then more planning should be done. Feel free to contact our Technical Support team and we will be able to offer you some guidelines for your migration. The Technical Support team can migrate your site for you as custom work.