Dedicated web hosting is one of three primary web hosting
methods. Other types of hosting include virtual hosting,
sometimes called shared hosting, which is the most common web
hosting method; and clustered web hosting which uses a group of
servers that are integrated in order to increase performance and
redundancy for a web hosting customer who has unique needs. There
are definite advantages and disadvantages to the various web
hosting methods. Dedicated web hosting is a hosting method that
many internet-based businesses find to be extremely advantageous.With virtual or shared web hosting, you don't have a lot of
flexibility or control over your web server that your hosting
provider owns. The company providing shared web hosting services
partitions a server to be shared between a number of customers
for their websites and email. Because it is a shared server, the
customers with virtual web hosting on the server share the hard
drive, the processor, and the bandwidth as well as applications.
The web host that provides the virtual hosting services has
control over the server configurations.Dedicated web hosting is a step up from virtual web hosting
because, even if the server is provided by a web hosting company,
with dedicated web hosting you are the only customer that uses
the server and you generally have complete control of the server
for administrative purposes. Because you administer and control
the web server yourself with dedicated web hosting, you have
greater flexibility. The hosting company that provides dedicated
web hosting services generally owns the server and leases it to
you as a dedicated web hosting client so they are responsible for
hardware management. Depending upon the dedicated web hosting
services provided, you may be able to handle your own upgrades
and install your own software, or you can outsource such tasks to
the dedicated web hosting provider.Aside from flexibility and control, there are other advantages of
having dedicated web hosting. Because you are the only customer
using the server, you don't share resources such as hard drive
space, processing speed, bandwidth and applications, so dedicated
web hosting can be a lot more efficient and can provide a lot
more space and speed of processing for your website, database and
email applications. The disadvantage of dedicated web hosting as
compared to virtual web hosting is that the cost of dedicated web
hosting is higher than that of shared hosting.For most internet-based businesses, dedicated web hosting is
sufficient; however, for businesses with advanced needs custom
engineering and server design using clustered hosting may be
necessary. However, clustered hosting is really pretty rare. For
businesses that need custom applications and more space than what
is available in a shared environment, dedicated web hosting is
usually the answer.Upgrading from virtual web hosting to dedicated web hosting is
recommended if your business has multiple websites, uses custom
applications, needs specialized support or increased web hosting
space and speed. If your website or websites provide download
capabilities for customers, then dedicated web hosting is a good
web hosting option for you because there will be fewer bandwidth
restrictions than there are with virtual or shared web hosting.When you first start out in internet business, you may find that
virtual web hosting is sufficient and cost-effective; however, as
your business grows and you add features and capabilities to your
website, or launch multiple websites, dedicated web hosting may
be a better option. When making long-term plans for your internet
business, be sure to consider the possibility of upgrading to
dedicated web hosting in the future and the relative costs
involved. It is beneficial to choose a virtual web hosting
provider that offers the ability to quickly and easily upgrade to
dedicated web hosting when it becomes a necessity for your
business.
