A reliable server is essential for different types of businesses and business goals. The choice of server should reflect your needs and technical requirements for hosting.
You can choose from many server options, some of which reflect the latest hosting tendencies. If you want to stay on top of the best hosting solutions, following hosting news might benefit you. However, this article will cover the advice for choosing a reliable server and aspects you should pay attention to in the process.
Be clear on your needs
First, you need to determine your business needs and technical requirements.
Working with a trusted IT service provider can significantly simplify the selection process, bringing in expertise and specialized knowledge to tailor server solutions to your specific needs. Luckily, finding the right IT service provider has become more accessible than ever before – just a click for professional IT services can help you access a range of options and packages, designed to cater to different business demands. Still, before you even start browsing for options, you should first clearly define your needs.
To help you figure it out, here are some questions and answers to help you align your goals.
What do you need a server for?
The type of business operations and associated workload determine what kind of server will best suit your needs.
For example, if you run an e-commerce website and experience or anticipate colossal traffic, you must provide an uninterrupted user experience. The same goes for sites with resource-demanding content like high-resolution images, animations, or videos.
A high-performance server with dedicated resources, like a dedicated server or a VPS, will be the most appropriate choice here. If you want to host multiple websites on your web server, a dedicated server will have enough resources to ensure their proper functioning. However, a shared server might cover your needs if you run something like a Blog page on the web.
Generally, there are different types of servers for various purposes, such as web servers, email servers, database servers, cloud servers, DNS servers, etc.
How much traffic do you anticipate?
The average number of users that will rely on your services influences the server specifics like CPU and storage. If it’s the considerable traffic you’re anticipating, you should choose a server with a robust CPU and enough storage to handle multiple requests seamlessly.
In this instance, consider the peak traffic and potential future demand to ensure your server can support a specific number of users.
What is your budget?
Budget is one of the most determining factors when choosing a server. While your server should cover the needs of your network, you should be able to support the choice of a server financially.
Generally, the more functionality and features a server has, the higher is its price. The higher uptime promised, that is the time of your website being online, is also associated with increased cost.
However, when specifying the budget for a server solution, consider your long-term business goals and needs. Ideally, you can choose a server to become your “companion” for at least a few years if it provides high scalability.
Next, you need to get familiar with the types of servers and server specifications you can choose from.
Know your server options
There are many server options to choose from, all of which differ based on the overall type, and form factor, and are designed to suit a client’s specific needs.
Shared servers
Shared server distributes their resources like CPU and RAM among multiple users. Shared hosting usually involves utilizing one physical machine and its resources to simultaneously provide solutions to different users. Here are some facts you need to know about shared servers:
- Shared servers are considered the most affordable.
- A shared server doesn’t require vast technical knowledge for its management.
- Since resources of shared servers are distributed across devices, you are not guaranteed a fixed share of the server’s capacity.
- Statistically, those using shared servers are more susceptible to security threats and cyberattacks.
- Users cannot configure shared servers according to their needs.
A shared server is an ideal option for those just starting out their small business or those with limited budgets.
Cloud servers
Cloud servers don’t utilize physical machines. Instead, they harness the resources from the cloud network. Cloud servers also use virtualization technology, much like VPSs.
Cloud servers usually provide secure backup options. If you’re looking into cloud servers, here are some aspects you might want to consider:
- Due to eliminating the need for physical server management, cloud servers are associated with lower prices.
- Cloud servers are easily scalable due to the virtualization technology.
- Cloud servers provide backup and easy recovery options.
- Cloud servers are associated with high performance and speed rates.
- Cloud servers give users minimal server management control, especially when troubleshooting potential technical issues.
Cloud servers are an excellent option for those who aren’t sure of the traffic amount, those who don’t have much technical expertise to manage a server, and those who need high-security parameters.
Virtual Private Servers (VPSs)
Unlike cloud servers, virtual private servers utilize physical machines to provide dedicated resources to users. The physical server is also shared among multiple users; however, with VPS, each user gets a fixed share of isolated resources and a private server environment.
VPSs, in many ways, resemble dedicated servers, with the main difference being the virtualization technology they utilize.
Virtual private servers are highly configurable, and users can control anything related to the software aspects; hardware parameters, however, are managed by a hosting provider. Here is what you should pay attention to when it comes to VPSs:
- VPS offers the user a fixed share of dedicated resources independent from other users.
- A virtual private server gives a user complete control over its software configuration.
- VPS is associated with high performance and speed.
- VPS is much cheaper than a dedicated server.
- However, VPS requires a level of technical skills to manage it.
VPS is a good enough option for most users and their needs, as it can handle significant amounts of traffic while offering the needed privacy.
Dedicated servers
A dedicated server implies a physical server a user has complete control over, including its software and hardware configuration.
Dedicated servers offer the exclusivity of resources since those running them are the only ones with access to them. This means the server CPU, RAM, storage, and other components work only for one user, providing unmatched performance.
- You can install the software you want with a dedicated server and request additional hardware modifications.
- Dedicated servers are associated with a high level of security due to how isolated in utility they are.
- Dedicated servers offer the best performance among all server options and guarantee the maximum.
- However, dedicated servers are the most expensive of all options.
- You may also need a technical team or knowledge to operate specific server packages.
Dedicated servers are the best option for resource-demanding workloads, high traffic, and the need for reliable uptime. Enterprise-level companies and e-commerce platforms commonly use dedicated servers.
