Complete Guide: Dedicated Servers and How to Choose an Internet Server
Posted on March 24th, 2009
The Complete Guide to Dedicated Internet Servers and How to Choose a Dedicated Web Hosting Server
Guide to Dedicated Internet Server and Dedicated Hosting
This guide will attempt to be the definitive guide on choosing a dedicated hosting plan. For easier reading, this post has also been broken into parts. To see that edition, click here.
If you feel I have missed something, please feel free to post a reply at the bottom.
Time to Choose Dedicated Hosting
The time has come to upgrade to a dedicated server, or perhaps you’re looking to switch from one provider to the next. Finding an affordable dedicated Internet server to host your websites can be rather complicated and take up more time than it needs to. This post is here to act as a complete guide to help point you into the right direction and help you determine what you need from your dedicated website hosting.
This post is written in two parts. Section A deals with determining what you need, pricing and providers. Section B provides a few business examples and what type of dedicated hosting those businesses should use.
SECTION A:
Getting Started With Determining Dedicated Server Needs, Pricing and Suppliers
For starters, there are 3 primary components that must be taken into consideration for your dedicated server hosting solution.
- Business Requirements
- Dedicated Web Server Configuration Requirements
- Dedicated Hosting Budget
Business Requirements
This can mean a multitude of things. For example, do you know how many website visitors you will be expecting over any given length of time? Will the sites hosted on the dedicated server host be mission-critical for your business? There’s literally dozens of things to consider, but you know your business best. To get you started, here’s a list of a few things you’ll want to look into and consider when finding your dedicated Internet server provider.
- Backup Solutions and Disaster Recovery
- Security, firewalls, anti-spam and anti-virus and all around server protection
- eCommerce considerations such as SSL certificates and secure access to the dedicated server through, for example, a VPN
- Uptime Requirements
- Does your business require certain official standards to be met by service partners
- Server management services
- Geographical requirements and/or local laws
That is far from being a completed list, so take some time and determine what your business requirements are. The more you know of before you start looking for your dedicated server, the more informed your final decision will be.
Dedicated Web Server Configuration Requirements
Dedicated Web Server Configuration Requirements
Similar to your business requirements, there’s a huge number of things to consider when determining a configuration for your dedicated server host. Fortunately, it is a finite number of things so we can address a large number of them in this hosting blog. To try and keep this as simple as possible for you, here are the 8 things I would look at when trying to figure out what configuration to go with on my dedicated web server.
- Server Management
- Operating System
- The Web Server
- Database Application
- Speed and Performance
- Bandwidth & Data Transfer
- Data Center
- Scalability & Future-Proofing
1. Server Management: First things first. Are you, or is someone within your organization, capable of handling the required tasks of doing server system administration?
Most dedicated server hosting providers will provide you with what’s known as ‘root’ access. This means you can SSH into the server and perform maintenance at the command line. People that are comfortable with performing these tasks would probably be best off with an unmanaged dedicated server. If you’re not sure what root access is or means then you need to go with what’s called Managed Hosting or a Managed Dedicated Internet Server. NOTE: Not all managed hosting servers are the same! Read that again because it’s important and needs to be understood. Many hosting providers that offer managed hosting simply mean that they’ll monitor the server for you. If you don’t want to do any system administration on your server you need a fully managed dedicated server. To get a better idea of what that means, visit SevenL’s managed hosting section ‘here‘. There are 3 services listed. A fully managed server would encompass all of those service offerings.
- Dedicated Server OS – Linux
2. Operating System: Assuming your organization has no restrictions on which operating systems it uses (and some companies do), here’s how to figure this out.
To begin, I will assume that you will be hosting a website on your dedicated website server. Do you know which programming languages your developers will be using to create the website? If, for example, it is ASP, you will need to stick with a Microsoft platform, such as Windows Server. That’s because asp is meant to be run on Windows Internet servers. If your site will be designed in php or most other languages, you will probably want a Unix/Linux server, such as CentOS, Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora etc.
One of the main benefits of a Linux dedicated hosting server is that you are not required to pay licensing fees on the operating system. Whereas the license for Windows alone can raise your hosting service fees by as much as $200/month, Linux is free to use and you can choose from a variety of versions.
When it comes to maintaining the server, you should confer with the person that will be administering it to be sure that they either know Windows or Linux before making a final decision on which to choose for your dedicated website host.
3. The Web Server: Here, when I say web server, I’m referring to the application that powers your websites, not the actual physical dedicated server. With that said, there’s a great number of web servers available to use. For Windows, the primary options are IIS by Microsoft or Apache, a freely available open source web server application. Microsoft offers support for IIS, but like Windows you’re paying extra in licensing fees.
For Linux, Apache is available as are many others. If you’re using the dedicated webserver for business, I would recommend sticking with Apache simply because finding documentation and help with is is quite easily found on the Internet.
4. Database Application: If your dedicated website host will be using a database, there are 3 common options. MySQL, which is primarily for Linux, is free and is pretty much the industry standard. PostgreSQL is also available for Linux. Microsoft has it’s MSSQL database server. As to be expected, licensing fees will apply.
5. Speed and Performance: Internet users can be quite impatient and will often abandon a website if it takes more than just a few seconds to load. Knowing this is important because your dedicated webserver will need to respond to visitor page requests in the fastest available way in order to maximize visitor traffic and visitor returns.
The primary performance enhancing factors for your internet servers are processor speed, server memory and network speeds. Disk drives can also play a roll for servers using large databases or extremely high traffic volumes. Server programs, such as Apache or MySQL, rely on processor speeds and server memory, whereas the network speeds are mostly dependent on the size of the webpages being sent to visitors. If they’re graphic-heavy or have audio or video, that effects your network speeds so the faster the better.
It’s all really a balancing act and it’s usually better to be safe than sorry.
6. Bandwidth & Data Transfer: Most dedicated Internet server providers give you a pre-specified amount of monthly traffic that you can use. For example, 750GB. This is the amount of traffic received by your dedicated server and sent to your server over a one-month period. Most providers will allow you to exceed that amount and bill you a price per-GB thereafter. This is good because it means that if you exceed your monthly amount your dedicated web server won’t drop off the Internet. On the other hand, bandwidth overages are charged at a premium so it can get a bit expensive.
If you find that you’re consistently exceeding the monthly allotment and you prefer to pay a consistent monthly rate for your dedicated hosting, there’s the option for unmetered bandwidth. You receive a set bandwidth speed for data transfers to and from your dedicated host as apposed to a limited number of gigabytes you can transfer. The amount of data you can transfer is ‘unlimited’. That’s in quotes because it is still limited to what the speed of the connection allows you. But with unmetered bandwidth you’ll never receive an unexpected charge on your bill for bandwidth usages. Unmetered plans are typically 5Mbps, 10Mbps or 100Mbps.
Dedicated Internet Server Data Center
7. Data Center: Depending on your business requirements, you may be limited to which data centers your dedicated webserver can be leased from. If your business requires that you stay within your country, you’ll need to look locally. If most of your business is in North America and you’re located in Europe, you should consider leasing your Internet server from a North American data center as they can transmit data more quickly to your customers.
Not all data centers are equal. Again, depending on what your business requirements are, you may be limited in which data centers you can use to host your dedicated server. If you need your server available 100% of the time because it’s a mission-critical business service, you can expect to pay a premium for it. (And there truly is no such thing as a 100% uptime data center I might add) If 99.9% is ok for your business, you can realize significant savings on your dedicated hosting. That’s because going from 99.9% to 99.99%, for example, requires a doubling of all data center infrastructure, which of course is passed down to the customer – you.
When choosing a dedicated internet hosting provider, you should always look for a company that owns their data center instead of leasing space. They’re more likely to have technicians on site and available to physically log into your server if you ever need them to.
8. Scalability and Future-Proofing: Most of us expect our business to increase over time. Your dedicated webserver host should allow for enough upgrading and be scalable enough to support your existing business. As for future business, I find that having a server that can scale and support your business up to 18 months from now is a good practice. Any longer and you’ll be overpaying. Any shorter and your visitors may get annoyed by the downtime caused by upgrading.
Dedicated Hosting Budget
Dedicated Hosting Budget
It should go without saying that you need to balance your dedicated server requirements to match what your budget can realistically provide you. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Knowing your business requirements and budget will help point you in the right direction.
Here are the 7 most common service fees associated with dedicated hosting servers.
- Monthly Dedicated Internet Server Fees
- Server Setup Fees
- Server Management Service Fees
- Bandwidth Costs
- Operating System & Software Licenses
- Upgrades
- Miscellaneous
1. Monthly Dedicated Internet Server Fees: This is the monthly service fee for the server itself. Pricing includes the physical dedicated webserver rental, the electricity, the included bandwidth plan and the space/rack the server will be located in.
Some dedicated hosting providers allow you to pay in increments other than monthly, such as quarterly, or annually. These can be good options because you can often receive cost-savings on your internet server over the longer periods.
2. Server Setup Fees: Setup fees for your dedicated server are a one-time fee for getting the webserver up and running. Setup fees may or may not apply to your account, depending on the internet hosting provider you choose.
Fees typically include the setup of the physical server, the installation of an operating system, configuration of networking on the server to make it accessible online. It can also include fees for configuring software, control panels and service add-ons for the dedicated host.
3. Server Management Service Fees: If you choose to go with a managed internet server, management service fees will apply. This may or may not be itemized on your monthly hosting service fees, meaning it may be included with the dedicated server price or may be separate. Managed hosting fees typically include the management of the operating system and applications on your web server as well as security patches and updates, adding new software as needed etc. It’s always good to speak with your hosting provider about this as there can be unexpected service fees in some situations.
4. Bandwidth Costs: Typically, bandwidth costs aren’t applicable if you have a bandwidth plan that exceeds your monthly usages. You will only see bandwidth costs under two circumstances.
If you exceed your monthly bandwidth limit, you will be billed for the overages. Overages are generally billed at a premium.
When you use unmetered bandwidth dedicated servers, this may show up as either part of your dedicated host’s monthly service fee or as a separate service. Unmetered bandwidth plan service fees should be the exact same each month.
5. Operating System & Software Licenses: Most dedicated internet servers use some variation of Linux or Unix. That’s because Linux was primary developed as a server operating system. Most of them are completely free of charge and will not affect your service fees. There are some exceptions, such as Red Hat.
Microsoft Windows costs money, so you can expect to pay extra for the license. This may or not be included in your webserver’s overall monthly fee. It just depends on how your dedicated hosting provider breaks down the monthly service fees. You can generally expect Microsoft Windows to add anywhere from $20/month to $200/month ontop of the cost of the server.
Software licenses may apply if your dedicated internet server uses software that is commercial. Prices for this vary depending on the applications you need. Service fees may be billed monthly or may be included as a one-time setup fee, reducing your monthly expenses.
Dedicated Hosting Upgrades
6. Upgrades: When upgrading your dedicated server there are two service fees that apply. The monthly cost of the added or upgraded server hardware. A one-time setup fee for the hosting provider to have a technician perform the upgrade.
7. Miscellaneous: In some situations there may be other miscellaneous fees. Some examples of what this may apply to are: remote reboots, KVM/IP access, data backup and server port speed access to name a few. You typically know of these service fees as you explore the dedicated hosting provider’s service offerings and make your purchase.
SECTION B:
Some Business Examples and What Type of Dedicated Hosting I’d Recommend Those Businesses Use
Now that you know what your business requirements are, have a pretty good idea of what type of dedicated web hosting you might need and know your budget, lets see a few examples to further help you in making the right hosting decision.
All companies in these examples are examples only and do not necessarily represent a real company
Case #1
Name: Acne Webhosting
Profile: Acne Webhosting provides web hosting and email services to a small number of customers numbering anywhere from 20 to 100. His customers are all from North America.
Technology: Acne Webhosting is a 1-man operation. He has server administration knowledge and most of his customers use a combination of html, php and mysql.
| Dedicated Server Needs |
Recommendations |
| Business Requirements | Data center in North America |
| Requirements | |
| Operating System | PHP/MySQL being used so Linux is the best choice. CentOS, Debian, Fedora etc |
| Applications | Apache with PHP support. MySQL database application. Email server software with anti-spam and anti-virus. |
| Management Services | Unmanaged dedicated hosting |
| Speed & Performance | Apache, PHP are fairly light-weight on system resources. The anti-spam and anti-virus requirements on your mail server can add up over time. Recommend 4GB memory and a Pentium Dual Core 2.5Ghz processor. |
| Bandwidth & Data Transfer | Acne Webhosting’s customers are all very small business with minimal traffic. 200GB/month should be plenty. |
| Data Center | As Acnne Webhosting’s customers reside in North America, they choose SevenL Networks in Toronto, Canada. |
| Service Fees | |
| Monthly Server Fee | About $136/month |
| Server Setup Fee | Anywhere from $0 to $50 |
| Server Management Fees | It is an unmanaged server so there is no financial impact. |
| Bandwidth Costs | 200GB/month is included with the server. No financial impact. |
| Operating System & Software Licenses | Linux and open source software is used, no financial impact. |
| Upgrades | The server would most likely not need to be upgraded for a while. |
In this first example, the dedicated hosting requirements are very minimal. A good example of similar setup would be SevenL’s Multi-Core dedicated hosting servers found here. At just $146/month, Acne Webhosting’s profit margins are quite high
Case #2
Name: Sam’s Record Emporium
Profile: Sam’s is a record shop that sells vinyl. Most of their customers come into the shop to find what they’re looking for but Sam’s is looking to expand throughout North America by utilizing the Internet. They have determined that they’ll need to have a website set up with ecommerce, some audio samples from records, monthly newsletters for customers to get news on the latest releases as well as email accounts for employees.
Technology: Sam’s web developers have decided to use a combination of PHP and MySQL for the website as well as some flash for playing the audio samples to visitors. There will also be some AJAX to give the site a more “web 2.0″ feeling. The developers are tech savvy in design and development but not terribly familiar with the management of a server. To start, they expect 100 visitors per day and are hoping to reach 5000 visitors per day within 12 months.
| Dedicated Server Needs |
Recommendations |
| Business Requirements | SSL Certificate for secure eCommerce transactions, data center in North America, security of the server as it holds confidential and financial data |
| Requirements | |
| Operating System | PHP/MySQL being used so Linux is the best choice. CentOS, Debian, Fedora etc |
| Applications | Apache with PHP support, may also have requirements to support AJAX. MySQL database application. Email server software with anti-spam and anti-virus. |
| Management Services | Fully managed dedicated hosting |
| Speed & Performance | Apache, PHP and AJAX are all fairly light-weight on system resources. The anti-spam and anti-virus requirements on your mail server can add up over time. Recommend 2GB memory and a Pentium Dual Core 2.5Ghz processor. |
| Bandwidth & Data Transfer | The website is fairly streamlined and the flash audio clips and pictures of the record cases represent the largest bandwidth consumers. 50GB/month should handle the 100 visitors per day. 300GB/month will also handle the 5000 visitors per day expected in 12 months time |
| Data Center | Sam’s expects most customers to reside in North America so they choose SevenL Networks in Toronto, Canada. |
| Service Fees | |
| Monthly Server Fee | About $120/month |
| Server Setup Fee | Anywhere from $0 to $50 |
| Server Management Fees | It is a fully managed server so anywhere from $300/month to $600/month, depending on provider |
| Bandwidth Costs | In either case of 50GB/month or 300GB/month, most providers include this with their base server plans. No financial impact |
| Operating System & Software Licenses | Linux and open source software is used, no financial impact with the exception of SSL certificate for secure eCommerce transactions. Approximately $150/year. |
| Upgrades | The server would most likely not need to be upgraded during the first 12 months |
As we see here, the dedicated hosting requirements are fairly straight forward and can easily be supported by one of SevenL’s Multi-Core AceEE servers (like the one found here) for just $127/month + management service fees. The entire bundle should run about $400/month all inclusive. Sam’s now has access to a world-wide market, completely hassle-free for just $400/month!
Case #3
Name: Acne Applications Company (AAC)
Profile: AAC is a Software as a Service company that sells subscriptions to small business for the use of their services. They provide small business with a single point for all their business records, transactions, inventory systems, email and schedules through a simple web interface. Their customers are mostly in New York State and they currently host 30 businesses and plan on expanding to over 1000 within 24 months.
Technology: AAC has already built the system and it is in early-adoption use but they add updates and new features quite often to keep their customers happy. They’re an IT company and have both programmers and system administrators on staff but don’t have the financial resources or network engineers to build their own data center. Access speeds for customers must be fast and accessible at all times. Data must also be backed up to ensure business continuity for their customers. Their websites are heavily driven by the database and are constantly being accessed by customers. The sites use a combination of php, ajax, json, ruby and mysql.
| Dedicated Server Needs |
Recommendations |
| Business Requirements | SSL Certificate for secure eCommerce transactions by customers, data center in North America, security of the server as it holds corporate confidential and financial data for multiple businesses |
| Requirements | |
| Operating System | PHP/MySQL being used so Linux is the best choice. CentOS, Debian, Fedora etc |
| Applications | Apache with PHP and Ruby support, may also have requirements to support AJAX and JSON. MySQL database application on standalone server. Standalone email server software with anti-spam and anti-virus. |
| Management Services | Unmanaged Servers |
| Speed & Performance | Apache, PHP, AJAX and JSON are all fairly light-weight on system resources but Ruby can use a fair amount. The anti-spam and anti-virus requirements on your mail server can add up over time. Recommend 8GB memory and 3 Load Balanced Pentium Dual Core 2.8Ghz processor servers. 4GB memory on MySQL server with Pentium Dual Core 2.5Ghz processor. 2GB memory on email server with Pentium 3.0Ghz processor. RAID1 is also used to keep data safe. |
| Bandwidth & Data Transfer | Because these servers are used by AAC customer’s to conduct business non-stop, 1500GB/month or a 10Mbps unmetered connection is recommened. |
| Data Center | AAC’s customers all reside in New York State so they choose SevenL Networks in Toronto, Canada. |
| Service Fees | |
| Monthly Server Fee | 3 Load Balanced Web Servers totalling about $800/month1 Database Server $144/month
1 Email Server $105/month |
| Server Setup Fee | Anywhere from $500 to $700 |
| Server Management Fees | Servers are unmanaged so fees don’t apply |
| Bandwidth Costs | Bandwidth plan will most likely be included. If 10Mbps unmetered is chosen, service fees will be about $300-$400/month |
| Operating System & Software Licenses | Linux and open source software is used, no financial impact with the exception of SSL certificate for secure eCommerce transactions. Approximately $150/year per customer. |
| Upgrades | Additional servers could be added to the load balanced configuration on-demand |
In this example, the dedicated hosting requirements are quite a bit more complex. There are 5 dedicated hosting servers required in this particular example. The load balanced servers are similar to the offerings that can be found here starting from $771/month. The dedicated database server in this example would run about $144/month and the dedicated email server would run approximately $105/month. External backup solutions should be less than $200/month. Total monthly service fees would be about $1249/month for all 5 servers and backup services and each additional server added to the pool when needed would then be under $200/month.
Finishing Up
If you feel that you still don’t have a full grasp on what you need, feel free to contact one of SevenL’s Sales Representatives at sales@sevenl.net or by click the Chat Live button on www.7l.com.
So there you have it, the The Complete Guide to Dedicated Internet Servers and How to Choose a Dedicated Web Hosting Server. I hope that you have found this useful. If you think I’ve managed to leave something out of the guide, please feel free to post a reply to the blog below!
Happy Hosting!