The Internet, as you know it, with all that web of web pages and services, is not something ethereal. It is something tangible and it is found hosted on servers. And, just as you wouldn't leave a precious object anywhere, you shouldn't neglect where you host your web platform. Therefore, you should know the best dedicated servers out there.
There are many dedicated server providers, with a multitude of services and different rates. That makes the choice difficult, so you should know all the details to be able to choose the best one for your particular case and thus get the most out of it ...
What are dedicated servers?
When choosing a hosting, or hosting, when you need space in the cloud to upload a web page / service, one of the most frequent questions is to know what a dedicated server (dedicated server). Having this clear is vital to choose the best company and web host service, allowing exclusivity and better control of your web space.
Dedicated servers are a very complete and exclusive option for individuals, freelancers and companies looking for web hosting. For this reason, they have become one of the most demanded modalities today.
Apparently it may look similar to a shared server, but is not. In the shared server, the same server is shared for several clients. In other words, all those customer sites are using the same hardware resources on the same computer.
Shared web servers may be fine for certain sites that consume few resources and that they are small. But if they grow or are too big, the best option is to have a dedicated web server. That is, the one in which the server or machine is dedicated only to one account, being able to enjoy all the resources.
Currently, the difference between a shared and dedicated server have been diluted, since, with the appearance of the VPS (Virtual Private Server), what is done is to use the same server for all clients, such as shared ones, but with the advantages of a dedicated one by hosting each independent project in a virtual machine.
These types of services are the most common today. They enable large data centers to share huge machine resources with customers. So that everyone has their virtual space particular, with its resources of vRAM, vCPU, virtual storage, virtual network interfaces, etc. This also makes it possible to expand the service and obtain more resources if required, without having to change the physical server.
In addition, they present another additional advantage, and it is that if something happens to one of those VPS, it will not affect the rest. This is thanks to the fact that, although all clients are using the same physical machine (server), with VPS the resources are partitioned to obtain several virtual servers that work as an independent machine, with their allocation of resources, operating system, software, etc. .
Dedicated hosting vs dedicated server
Sometimes, some customers have the doubt whether it is the same dedicated hosting and a dedicated server. Actually, when one or another service is offered to you, they are usually referring to the same thing, they are used synonymously.
Even if, yes we are strictThe dedicated server is a machine connected to the Internet that can provide some type of service to its clients. Instead, hosting refers specifically to web hosting within a server. As I have commented before, within that server several hostings can be hosted if it is shared, or if it is dedicated through VPS.
Currently, some services Cloud computing they are quite extensive, and can offer both hosting and other services: computing, stays to use operating systems and apps, etc. (see IaaS, SaaS, PaaS, ...).
The importance of a digital transition
Before the arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the digital transformation of companies was very important. But after Covid-19, it is almost no longer an option, but an obligation. Putting new technologies at the service of your business can reduce costs and improve profits.
And one of the first steps to start that transformation in your freelance business, or in your SME, is to create a website and find accommodation for it. Just so you will begin to reach all those people that now does not reach your service or product. Either because they are geographically remote, or because they cannot physically go to your establishment due to restrictions.
Other benefits of this transition go through:
- You can get more data and statistics about your potential customers. That will allow you to better know what they need, make better decisions, or how to improve your marketing plan.
- Digitization too greatly simplifies organization of a business. You will be able to manage your online business with a multitude of software tools that automate many processes, such as e-commerce platforms, collaborative applications, etc.
- Better adapt to changes, thanks to the real-time collection of data. This ability to react in advance is vital in times of uncertainty or situations such as this crisis.
- Allows decentralization of work, and facilitates teleworking.
- A veces avoids having to operate from a local, so a website can save you the rent of the establishment, electricity bills, water, furniture, etc. This also has an impact on prices, which will become more competitive by not having to include those expenses in the profit margins.
- greater range of your business. Whereas before you only reached the citizens close to your business, now you can reach the whole world.
- It will improve the image of your company and you will have most satisfied customers with services.
- More agility, reducing bureaucratic processes.
- Etc
Advantages and disadvantages
Having a dedicated server has its advantages and disadvantages, like almost any service.
If we refer to the advantages, they stand out:
- Exclusivity: you don't have to share resources, the machine will be totally dedicated to you. That grants independence, scalability, and higher performance.
- Control: you can manage the server as you wish.
- Security: By not sharing resources with other projects, you will be less exposed to certain threats.
- Maintenance: Dedicated servers have a simpler maintenance, since shared servers, or VPS, are somewhat more complicated.
- Flexibility: it is more versatile, being able to dedicate the space and resources to what you really need, with a huge number of platforms and content managers. You can even choose the server operating system with greater freedom ...
Also has its disadvantages:
- Price: being dedicated they are more expensive than shared hostings or VPS servers. Although, it is worth it due to the benefits they offer.
- Difficulty: if you are managing a full server, you should have adequate training. Although many cloud services usually do the basic maintenance and administration tasks for you.
So should I hire a shared server?
In general, if you just want a small website, blog, or similar with little traffic, you don't have the need to hire a dedicated server. On the other hand, dedicated servers are the best option for service websites, online stores, and other platforms with large capacities (large volume, high number of visits or high data traffic, ...).
It is also appropriate for projects that may start out small, but have forecast to grow a lot. This will not create long-term resource constraints.
How to choose a dedicated server
A server is nothing more than a high capacity computer. Therefore, when you go to choose dedicated servers, you should basically look at the same technical aspects as when you buy a PC:
- CPU- Servers usually have multiple microprocessors, that is, multiple main brains. Performance will depend on them when running the operating system and software that is hosted on the server. Therefore, it is important that they perform well. In the case of a VPS, it will be a vCPU, that is, a virtual CPU.
- RAM: main memory is also important, the agility with which everything moves will also depend on it. With slow memory, high latency, or low capacity, the CPU will not be able to work wonders. The amount needed will depend a lot on each particular case, since not all clients need the same thing.
- Storage: the hard disk is another essential part. Some dedicated servers still use magnetic hard drives (HDDs), which will be slower, but usually have higher capacities. Others have started using solid state hard drives (SSDs), with much higher speeds. In general, you do not have to worry about reliability in any case, since they use RAID systems. These redundant systems mean that if a disk fails, it can be replaced without data loss.
- Operating System: it can be Windows Server, or some GNU / Linux distribution. On rare occasions you can also run into other UNIX-like systems, such as Solaris, * BSD, etc. Due to its robustness, security, and stability, Linux has prevailed in many, in addition to having quite low maintenance and administration needs.
- Data transfer- Refers to the volume of data that can be transferred over the networking lines of these servers. It is something that providers usually limit in some services, or that they have unlimited in other more expensive ones. In any case, it should be adjusted to what you need for the visits or transfers that you are going to make.
Another questions that may interest you are the type of control panel it has, or other facilities that they can provide, such as domain registration, email services, databases, etc.
Importance of the GDPR
Surely you have heard of Gaia-X, an interesting European project for a cloud platform that meets the demands of the European data protection law. Something important to respect the right to privacy and keep the data in European territory (or failing that, that they comply with the GDPR).
If this is vital in the case of individuals, it is even more so when handling sensitive data in a company, or its customers. The problem is that finding services that comply with these laws and are competitive is difficult. Even more so considering the enormous influence and power of the so-called GAFAM (Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft).
Find dedicated servers hosted on data centers within Europe, and being competitive is not easy. An example might be Ikoula., A specialist in web hosting, dedicated servers, and cloud computing. In addition, they have extensive experience since 1998.
Your data centers they are in france, in two locations in Reims and Eppes, as well as in Holland and Germany (also the USA and Singapore, but you can choose if you have preferences). Centers that are owned, and not rented plots as occurs in some other services. In addition, it has subsidiaries in the Netherlands and Spain. In addition, they have a good multilingual 24/7 assistance service at your disposal.
Between Ikoula services include:
- VPS
- Public cloud
- Dedicated Servers
- Web hosting
- Email professional and web domains own
- SSL / TLS certificates for security
- Cloud backup
- Simple interfaces for management
Besides that, you will like it for other qualities on the table:
- Use open source and free projects like Kubernetes.
- Be eco-responsive, being more respectful with the environment by using 100% renewable energy in their data centers (remember that data centers consume huge amounts of energy, and this is vital).
- They support start-ups, which can be a good boost if you're just starting out.