Buy a dedicated server or colocation?

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Buy a dedicated server or colocation? (for a start-up business)

 

With the onset of a global pandemic anticipated in 2020, a number of businesses plan to relocate their hosted infrastructure to a data centre. Businesses are attempting to save money or allocate more resources in order to accommodate the growing demand for remote work. The first two options that come to mind are hosting at a physical location and hosting on a dedicated server.

 

Colocation Server Hosting: What Is It?

Customers may lease rack space, energy, and bandwidth from data centres and hosting providers. The data centres offering this service let you relocate your own servers, networks, and storage devices. Account contacts who adhere to certain security guidelines may do routine infrastructure administration. Depending on the service offered by the hosting company, colocation devices may be able to be managed without the help of hired staff.

 

Dedicated Server Hosting: What is it?

The hosting of a single tenant with dedicated hardware and resources is referred to as "Dedicated Server Hosting." As part of Managed Dedicated Server Hosting, the provider handles all aspects of the server, including installation, management, maintenance, and support. The objective is to guarantee that your data is available in your environment without the complications that occur with shared resources.

 

Colocation Server Hosting Has Several Advantages.

 

Decide on Your Hardware

You may choose your own hardware under a Colocation Server Hosting package. Companies have certain hardware needs for their infrastructure, regardless of whether they are implementing new or ancient software. If you have more control over the server's components, you're more likely to get what you want. By making sure that all of your requirements are met, you leave less of your intended performance up to chance.

 

Ownership of Hardware

Additionally, using a colocation server hosting service gives you control over your hardware. Dedicated server hosting solutions enable you to avoid the recurring expense of renting hardware by enabling you to either own it entirely or lease it for an extended period of time.

 

Cut Your Spending

In addition, with dedicated server colocation, you can keep tabs on your costs. It's vital to keep in mind that when you lease servers through hosting, you are responsible for their upkeep and maintenance. Colocation gets rid of the cost of hosting a dedicated server because you own and run your own servers.

 

Server Colocation Has Its Drawbacks

 

Hardware Management

The disadvantage of colocation server hosting is the need to manage your gear. In the event of a hardware breakdown, you or a member of your team will be required to go to the location to repair it. Although the cost of replacing components is not excessive, the time required to get to the shop is. In addition, if the hardware has a limited life cycle, you may need to maintain additional components on hand in case of a malfunction. To solve the issue, you or a team member must visit the location.

 

Control Your Software

In a dedicated server colocation arrangement, the software is also your responsibility. However, this can be critical if the required patches and upgrades are not completed on time in most circumstances. There may also be a need to update the code that runs on the operating system. You'll have to pay extra for this if you don't have an in-house development staff.

 

Advantages of Dedicated Server Hosting

Dedicated Server Hosting and Colocation Hosting both have their benefits, but the dedicated server hosting option has a significant advantage.

 

Hardware Support

There is a huge advantage to having a dedicated server hosted by a hosting provider since they will maintain and repair your hardware. No more excursions to the data centre for maintenance or stockpiling of hardware components, which saves you time and money.

 

Support for Dedicated Server Software

Depending on your hosting company, server software assistance can save your team time. For example, Liquid Web provides compatibility for most dedicated servers' operating systems and the web server stack's main components. You'll save a lot of money and time by working with a service provider that provides fundamental programme support rather than doing it yourself.

 

Support is available round-the-clock, year-round.

Dedicated servers are often located in data centres that are owned and managed exclusively by the data center's owner. With help available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, you need not worry about those late-night patching and upgrading sessions required to keep the servers operational throughout the day. Your time and money will be saved if your web server provides 24-hour support.

 

Dedicated Server Hosting Drawbacks

 

Pay More in the Long Term

Increased long-term expenditures are a disadvantage of dedicated server hosting. Value-added services might make it easier to pay for hosting, but you have to think about the long-term costs.

 

There are fewer options for customization.

However, not all web hosts, including Liquid Web, allow you to tailor the server to your specific needs.For instance, components like graphics processing units (GPUs), hard drives, and central processing units (CPUs) may be provided to satisfy specific business needs. In order to get what you want, you may be compelled to choose something less desirable than what you desire.

 

A Brief Comparison of Colocation and Dedicated Server Hosting

 

When deciding between colocation hosting and dedicated server hosting, there are a few things to keep in mind.

If you need to host a server in a colocation facility, see

  • In the long run, you want to save money by purchasing gear now.
  • Whether you have a staff in place or can recruit one, you can handle hardware and software failures and problems.
  • Your infrastructure maintenance requires you to go to and from your data center.

If any of the following situations apply, then a dedicated server is the way to go:

  • The benefits of leasing or hosting your infrastructure outweigh the costs.
  • For a reasonable fee, you can have the server configuration you require.

It doesn't have to be hard to decide how to hold your event. Knowing what you can and can't do without in your setup can help you get the most out of it. To understand why colocation is beneficial for small enterprises, let's take a look at the following:

 

Colocation for small businesses

Which is better for small companies, dedicated servers or colocation, given that you know the advantages and disadvantages of each? According to our findings, small enterprises may reap the following advantages from colocation:

 

Numerous books and articles have explored the advantages of shifting infrastructure spending from CapEx to OpEx. These advantages also apply to dedicated servers. Spreading the cost of your servers over a longer length of time may allow you to avoid the three-year hardware replacement cycle. If a server dies, your service provider will provide a free replacement as soon as possible. As your processing and storage requirements evolve, you need not worry about sunk expenses. Electricity and cooling expenses are included in your monthly server charge. It may be difficult to keep track of the IT employees of a small business since they wear so many hats. Managing and maintaining your servers may be time-consuming and resource-intensive. If anything goes wrong at your colocation site, you may not be able to receive support. This permits you to concentrate on the systems and applications that will aid in the expansion of your organization. Dedicated hosting is a good option for businesses that plan to grow quickly or whose customer base changes with the seasons.

By introducing more servers, businesses may rapidly modify their infrastructure without incurring any long-term costs. By renting dedicated servers, you may achieve the performance of on-premises bare metal servers while taking advantage of several cloud computing advantages. You might concentrate your efforts on the development of technology that will help you flourish in your market segment or sector. On the other hand, your infrastructure supplier handles everything else.

 

Cheap Dedicated Server

If you want to utilise a dedicated server and do not need a colocation server, you may use a dedicated server for a low cost. These servers are not very powerful, but they might be a cost-effective option for new organisations.

 

Finally, which choice is the best fit for you?

It is impossible to say with certainty whether a colocated or dedicated server is preferable in any given situation.But most of the time, hosting on a dedicated server is the best choice because it costs less, takes less work, and requires less knowledge of server hardware and administration.

 

The Bottom Line

The firm's needs and conditions significantly impact the type of hosting that should be used. Colocation may be the best option for a company with specific needs and personnel who possess the necessary expertise. Companies with more conventional needs may discover that outsourced dedicated server hosting offers more advantages than in-house server hosting. So, the entire decision is totally based on your needs, personal preferences, and the IT team you have in your company. Keep in mind that both options have their own set of benefits and drawbacks, and they can be beneficial on their own terms.

 

 

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