The technology of the internet allows for a variety of server types to be available for businesses and individuals. Knowing which type of server you need may seem difficult if you are new to website creating and launching. Even if you have been around the internet for a while, you might not have had cause for learning about servers. A dedicated server is under your complete control in regards to the information stored on it. A server is a computer program that provides a service to clients like making sure a web page can be pulled up by a web browser.
In other words, your customer goes to your homepage and the server will allow the customer to pull up the homepage and display what you have created for that page. They may see text, images, and more. With a dedicated system we are discussing how the information is stored. The definition of a shared hosting server is a server that you do not have control over; instead, other individuals like you will also be storing files on that same server. With a shared server you can expect the company to manage the server. A dedicated server can be managed or un-managed. If you choose un-managed then you are responsible for the upkeep of the server and its information.
To better explain the differences in servers, we’ll take a look at the filing system. In a business you have a file for every vendor you work with. You also have a file for every employee. This filing system is how you keep track of the necessary paperwork and keep your business organized. Servers work the same way. In a business it is easier to have one filing cabinet for employee information or at least one draw, and the same for the vendors. The server allows you to organize your website in a similar fashion.
However, if your cabinet becomes overcrowded with old employees and vendors where you cannot put a new employee or vendor in the cabinet, your system will begin to fail. Organization will slide away. This analogy can be applied to the servers. On a shared server you have a limited amount of space you can use. If another user is taking more than their share and you need to expand, you will be unable to do so. Likewise, if you all the sudden have a million hits on your site and the server cannot handle the needs of your customers your site will go down and crash everyone else’s site as well.
A dedicated server is set up with the space you need. You can organize it how you want. As long as you have a good sized server you can add to your files, building better pages and providing new content. You can also better handle the customer base you might have, especially if it suddenly increases. You do have to pay more for a private server than the shared server, but it is worth it when you consider what could happen.
