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Types of servers for web hosting

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Dedicated servers
Virtual servers
Cloud servers
Observations: root servers vs. managed servers

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Types of servers for web hosting

Whether it is a leisure website, a forum for fans of a music group, or the complete database of a company, anyone who wants to have data or applications on the Internet will need to have a solid basic knowledge of servers. The projects of web managers are as diverse as the web hosting possibilities of specialized providers. In this case, it is very useful to get an overview of the types of servers available, but it is also convenient to take into account their performance. While some large projects such as online stores or database servers are held back by poor performance hardware, the more expensive resources of professional hosting may outweigh the needs of simpler projects such as blogs or forums. On the other hand, you can also reserve different levels of performance for the hosting of the servers; the product range ranges from dedicated servers with virtual machines to cloud-based hosting solutions..

Dedicated servers

Web applications depend on servers, which place data on the Internet and distribute it on demand by browsers, such as when a user accesses a web application from their browser. On a dedicated server, the web hosting client has at his disposal hardware components specifically designed for him. Therefore, in comparison with other hosting possibilities, when speaking of dedicated servers we refer to physical equipment located in the provider's data center, to whose resources only the person who has contracted the service has access. With this, you have the freedom to carry out all kinds of updates and even to choose the most convenient operating system. Dedicated servers are generally appropriate for large web projects with a foreseeable need for resources. This web hosting model is used by developers for ambitious projects, as well as for large online stores and numerous software-as-a-service offerings - Software-as-a-Service. Because only the service provider and whoever hires it can manage the server, dedicated servers are very secure. However, since they are separate physical machines, scaling up server resources can only be done in a limited way. If the web project exceeds the maximum performance level, in most cases it is necessary to use a server with higher performance.

Virtual servers

Virtual servers are based on limited hardware and their resources can be used by different clients simultaneously. Virtualization software enables one high-performance web hosting server to manage more than one virtual server. Thanks to encapsulation, each of the virtual machines is independent . Each virtual server has certain fixed hardware resources, such as hard disk storage, RAM, and CPU. The person who rents a virtual server receives an IP address and can voluntarily choose the type of operating system. If more than one server is hosted in a web hosting system, there can be some differences between the best servers, such as that virtual servers have significantly more advantages compared to dedicated servers . If desired, the tenant can be granted root access to the virtual machine. This type of server hosting is suitable for beginners, as well as for web projects that do not demand high levels of performance..

Cloud servers

Cloud servers are also virtual servers, but they do not use the hardware resources of a physical machine, but rather a cluster of servers . In addition, user data is not stored in a closed system, but is distributed over several physical hard drives, so this type of server offers high hardware redundancy that guarantees high availability and security against failure. Bad or faulty components are countered in real time, and since the cloud server's resources are fully available, users can freely scale them. Therefore, the cloud server enables a business model in which performance is calculated to the minute and continuous changes in traffic load will be balanced by user-friendly handling and cost effectiveness. A cloud hosting serves, in general terms, for web projects subject to seasonal fluctuations, and as a flexible environment for analysis and development. In addition, the need for resources can be adjusted in real time, while other servers classified among the best servers, such as virtual ones, only allow performance adjustments by choosing other types of rates. 

Observations: root servers vs. managed servers

When talking about the different types of servers, the root servers also come into play? Root? and managed servers. While offerings for rooted servers are generally aimed at professional administrators, managed servers tend to attract more attention from the inexperienced.

  • Root servers : in the field of web hosting, dedicated servers are called root servers in which their administrators receive access to a root account. With root access, clients have numerous access rights to programs, services, security settings, and updates. However, such freedom harbors the danger of making incorrect settings, hence basic knowledge is required for root account management. If not, the secure operation of the server is compromised.
  • Managed servers : if you do not have the necessary knowledge to manage the root account on your own responsibility, it is advisable to rent a managed server. In this way, the web hosting provider company will take care of the server administration, although the applications can be configured individually. However, making a managed server available compared to self-managed systems comes at a higher price.

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