This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 19th, 2007 at 11:41 pm and is filed under Hosting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Web-Hosting - the first thing most people will consider is price. While this is important and your budget IS a big concern, you actually have a lot more thinking to do. People who shop for hosting on price alone, and try to find the cheapest hosting with all the “cool” stuff, AND… with the ability to talk to an actual person… you’re delusional.
Here are some options: Co-located Server - When you build or purchase a server, then place it (aka co-locate) it at a data-center. The hosting company is not responsible for any aspect of the server other than to provide it with power, and Internet connectivity.
Pros: You own the hardware and software and have 100% control over everything.
Cons: You will receive no free support from the hosting company. Dedicated Server - When you lease a server from a company and they are responsible for the hardware of the server and you are responsible for the software.
Pros: You don’t have to worry about hardware failures or doing upgrades on the hardware since the hosting company will retain responsibility for this.
Cons: Typically a higher monthly cost. You are also forced into using whatever hardware the hosting company offers. (i.e., AMD over Intel processors). You are typically charged for hardware upgrades in the form of a monthly recurring fee. Managed Server - A managed server is one that the hosting company retains full control over. You will simply provide the data for the server and dictate how the maintenance of this server will be handled. Typically the client has no root-access and cannot add or remove programs without the authorization of the hosting company.
Pros: In general, you have very little to worry about since the hosting company will be responsible for all: hardware, software, and security issues. This leaves you more time to concentrate on the site development and less on the administration of the server
Cons: Typically, the most expensive option. You really have less control over the daily operations of the server than with the other two options. However, this is needed in order for the hosting company to deliver on its promises of uptime, security, etc.