Dedicated hosting

From ArticleWorld

Dedicated hosting services are Internet hosting services that allow a client to lease an entire server. The client is guaranteed to have his own dedicated server, that stores his data and only his. Many companies prefer such a hosting service because it allows for more flexibility: the client can chose the operating system, the hardware, the server-side software that is installed and so on. This enables him to sharply tune his hosting quality. On the other hand, the hosting company provides the server itself, which is leased by the client, and the system administration, for which the client pays. The client owns the data, but the hardware itself is owned by the hosting company.

Features and reasons

Dedicated web hosting solutions are preferred by some companies for a variety of reasons, including:

• Operating system choice. Companies may choose what operating system to run on the web server. This allows them to cut costs when choosing a free solution like OpenBSD, Linux or FreeBSD.
• Management. The management and maintenance operations are often handled in a customized manner, and it is not uncommon for a company to allow system administrators of another company highly privileged access on dedicated servers.
• Connectivity. Usually, a single network connection will be featured for financial reasons. However, many companies do allow dedicated hosting clients to purchase additional fallback connections.
• Backup. Many dedicated hosting companies also provide backup for their clients, often free of charge. More advanced options like operating system restore services in case of failure are often available as well.
• Limitations. The number of limitations imposed is fairly lower than in the case of shared web hosting. Some common restrictions do apply of course (for example, clients are not allowed to use their accounts for spam), but using the web space and bandwidth for legitimate, non-malicious purposes is more hassle-free than in other cases.