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Server with administration. Which one to choose?

Michalina Staszewska Michalina Staszewska
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When we think about conducting online business, one of the most crucial decisions we need to make pertains to choosing the right server. When opting for a dedicated server, especially one with administration services, these decisions become even more significant. In the following article, I will provide guidance on what to consider when choosing a dedicated server and why server administration can be crucial for the success of your online business.

What are servers and how they are used in business

Dedicated servers play a crucial role in business, especially in the e-commerce sector. These are physical machines exclusively assigned to one organization, ensuring full control and customization according to specific needs. The business benefits of using dedicated servers include excellent performance, data security, and scalability.

It’s worth mentioning that dedicated servers are not the only resources available for running an online business. Other options include hosting, VPS (Virtual Private Server) and cloud computing.

Compared to hosting, dedicated servers stand out with dedicated hardware resources, avoiding resource sharing with other users. In e-commerce, where handling significant traffic and ensuring secure online transaction processing are essential, dedicated servers provide a reliable solution.

Server Selection

Let’s begin with server selection. How to make this choice?

Classic Solutions

When selecting a dedicated server, key aspects such as processor speed, disk capacity, and bandwidth are crucial. These parameters influence how the server is perceived in terms of efficiency, performance, and reliability. However, it’s essential to remember that this is a physical machine with its limitations depending on the type.

Considerations when choosing a dedicated server

Deciding which server to choose involves technical parameters such as:

  • Processor (CPU)
    Determines the computational power of the server. It’s essential to check the number of cores, clock speed, and processor type.
  • RAM Capacity
    The larger the RAM, the more data the server can store simultaneously. This is crucial for the efficient handling of applications and tasks.
  • Disk Space and Disk Type
    Specifies the amount of available disk space, especially important for storing data, files, and the operating system. For example, NVMe SSD drives connected to dedicated servers offer significantly faster data read and write speeds compared to traditional HDDs.
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA)
    Represents the server’s availability time offered by the provider. The best result is 99.99%, ensuring that your server’s downtime will be only 52m 9.8s in a year. You can calculate server downtime on this website: uptime.is.

Remember that a dedicated server is not just a machine; it also provides resources at your disposal. Choosing a dedicated server gives you full control over configuration and the ability to install any software, essential if your company has specific technological needs.

Is it worth choosing a dedicated server?

A dedicated server can be likened to owning your own house. You manage it, and you are its owner. It gives you complete control and access to resources. This is particularly crucial for small and medium-sized businesses that need a reliable and fast solution to manage their online activities.

What sets it apart from hosting is the price and ownership. Hosting is a more affordable option, but you share space with other business owners. Comparing it to everyday things, hosting is like living in an apartment building. You share it to some extent with others. If one neighbor throws a loud party, you will feel it too. The same goes for resource overload on hosting. If one hosting owner launches a large marketing campaign, and their site crashes, yours will feel the impact too. Can you do anything about it? No. At the moment of hosting overload, there’s nothing you can do.

The only solution is to choose a better option early in your business journey rather than going through migration later. This is because migration is like moving – a difficult and tedious process.

So, think about your specific needs and which server to choose. A well-considered choice of a dedicated server will be an investment that brings benefits to your business in the long run.

Server administration

You have a server, and now it’s time for care. Server administration is not just about configuring and managing server resources; it’s primarily about:

  • Taking responsibility for server management
    We understand how crucial managing and maintaining the server at the highest level is. Without it, even the simplest configuration can pose problems.
  • Security
    Did you know that server administration service frees you from the obligation of remembering and making backups? Backup is fundamental, and as we know, failures can happen to anyone.
  • Ensuring availability and minimizing downtime
    Qlos actions include round-the-clock care. Before a failure occurs, you will be informed, and the problem will be resolved.
  • Lower costs
    You don’t need an entire team to manage servers. This is significant savings, even compared to purchasing the most expensive administrative package.
  • Greater peace of mind
    If you’ve ever experienced a server failure, you know that it doesn’t choose the day or time. We operate 24/7, 365 days a year.

Check our capabilities and stop worrying about whether your server will withstand the traffic generated by a launched advertising campaign. Lear more about server administration.

Dependency on a single provider

Have you ever heard of the term vendor lock-in? In simple terms, it’s dependence on a single provider. It’s the moment when you have both the server and administration in one company. For many, this is a significant convenience, but is it really an advantage?

In our opinion, NO. Imagine that you are not satisfied with the administration services and want to change the provider. Do you think it will be a smooth process? Most often, you will be informed that the service is provided correctly, and the problem lies in the lack of space on the server, failing disks, and other server-related elements. Additionally, being with one provider, you have no way of checking whether all these points are necessary, and costs could have been avoided.

Hiring server administration services from an external provider is like having a trusted third party that monitors how the server operates, whether all components are necessary, how developers create the application, and whether IT costs can be optimized. In such a situation, you can freely change server providers when problems with the server itself are recurring.

If you have this problem, reach out to us. We will examine the situation and see how we can help you solve the vendor lock-in issue.

Summary

When choosing a dedicated server, it is crucial to consider all aspects – from performance and price to support and server administration ease.

Remember that everything depends on the needs of your business, not only current but also future ones. Therefore, invest your time and money in elements that contribute to business development rather than hinder it. If you have additional questions and want to learn more, feel free to reach out to us.

Contact

Do you have questions? Get in touch with us