Evaluating Your Needs |
Questions Answered
1. Shared, Dedicated or Colocation?
2. UNIX or Windows Operating System?
3. Choosing the right Database?
4. MultiMedia Support
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1. Shared, Dedicated or Colocation? |
| There are three main types of server plans available from most hosting companies. The
kind of plan that you choose will depend on your current and future site needs, so it's a good idea
to know what type of plans are available, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each. |
SHARED HOSTING
Shared hosting plans give you a set limit of diskspace on a server that is "shared" with other sites.
The amount of diskspoace that you are allotted for this kind of hosting will vary from host to host.
Typically disk space range from around 50MB to 1000MB, which is often more than enough for most web sites.
In fact, none of my websites have ever gone over 100 MB. This kind of hosting is the cheapest option and the quality is usually
sufficient for most personal and small business websites.
One of the drawbacks of this type of hosting plan is that your website will not be the only one on the
server. This means that another site hosted on the same server could affect the speed of yours -- or
bring your site down altogether. The more sites shared on a single server, the greater potential to
experience problems.
I recommend that you ask the company in advance how many other sites are shared on a single server. Also
ask what the cost is for data transfer or bandwidth overages. It's very easy to exceed your data transfer
limit through a popular article or a WebBOT. The last thing you want is a surprisingly huge bill.
Hosting your site on a shared server shouldn't be too much of a problem if it's a low traffic site
with STATIC pages, but if you expect your site to get rather busy or complicated, you really should
consider a dedicated server.
DEDICATED SERVERS
Dedicated servers are not as simple as a shared server, but there are inherent benefits to them as well
the most importantly having uninhibited use of the server. Having the use of all the
processing power of a single computer can make a world of difference to a site, particularly if it
uses databases and other server side technologies.
Having a dedicated server also gives you more flexibility. For example if you require JSP support,
you can install it yourself (if you have remote administration), or have your host install it for you.
This is just the kind of flexibility required when building your own unsupported or complex components
and modules.
Another bonus about having a dedicated server is that you can host multiple sites on a single server.
wish. This can help you keep costs low, but you shouldn't forget that the more sites you have on the
server, the more things can go wrong.
Having your own dedicated server can be a lot of work, particularly if you have to set up the DNS
entries, FTP accounts and mail settings for all the domains that are hosted on it. Some hosts will do
all the hard work for you, and undoubtedly this will be reflected in the price. Be aware of the hidden
charges such as making backups, rebooting the machine and other tasks associated with dedicated hosting
that you might not think of at first.
A dedicated server isn't for everyone, and is probably overkill for a single simple static Website
that attracts only a handful of visitors. If your site will use server side technologies and databases
for most of its content, then it would certainly benefit from the extra power you'll gain from its own
server.
COLOCATION SERVICES
Colocation services is meant for more experience and technically savvy customers who rent space in the
companies data center and connections to the Internet. You are responsible for providing the equipment
and setup of the server. This option is not ideal for newbies but does offer the greatest level of
freedom but you must be physically go to the data center and fix the problems yourself,
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