Managed Dedicated Server Vs Colocation Hosting

Web hosting can be done in a variety of ways, offering different levels of control and expense for the end user. For users who are well versed in web hosting theory and require a good deal of control, the choices finally get narrowed down to managed dedicated servers, and colocation hosting.

Managed dedicated servers allow a client to lease out an entire server for himself. The client gets full control over this server, and is responsible for every change made to it – administrative, pertaining to security, hardware, software, OS and so on. Some dedicated server hosting providers offer support for the operating system and applications, but this is rare.

Colocation services, on the other hand, provide external maintenance and upkeep for a server, but the server has to be bought by the client. The hardware and software configurations are decided by the client, and the colocation host merely provides the space to keep it, a steady Internet connection, power and cooling supplies, fire protection and such facilities. Clearly, this gives the client total control over the server. However, it is also the most expensive.

Here is a point-by-point comparison of the relative merits and disadvantages of dedicated servers and colocation hosting:

1. Control. A dedicated server is owned by the hosting company, and the entirety of the hardware is controlled by them. By contrast, the server in colocation hosting is owned by the client. This gives the client full control over hardware and software, leaving only maintenance and upkeep in the hands of the colocation host.

2. Initial investment. A colocation server needs to be bought. This is a much larger upfront cost than the down payment made to a dedicated server host.

3. Recurring cost. A colocation server can be left as it is for a few years after purchase. However, upgrading the colocation server will automatically raise its cost far above that of any dedicated server lease.

4. Availability of hosting. These days, colocation hosts are increasingly switching to dedicated servers, as these are much more profitable for them.

Colocation hosting, thanks to its high installation cost but relatively low upkeep, is most popular among companies who need huge databases.

Telecommunication companies, corporate giants and eCommerce enterprises are the most likely to avail of these services. For them, the dollars in rent saved add up to a substantial sum.

For most home users and small business owners, dedicated servers become the route of choice in web hosting. Dedicated servers come with the added advantage that the hosting company is in charge of maintaining the hardware. Yet, one gets to have the complete machine to oneself – which prevents virus or malware attacks on other users from impacting the system. This is one of the biggest advantages a dedicated server has over shared hosting or Virtual Private Servers.

From here, it is clear that managed dedicated servers and colocation hosting both have advantages and disadvantages – there is no winner or loser between the two. The choices should be made based on requirements and budgets – whichever you choose, you cannot go too far wrong.

Linux Php Vs Windows Asp Web Hosting Comparison

One of the first decisions to make while choosing web hosting is – what platform to opt for? Windows or Linux? PHP or ASP?

First of all, note that sites with static pages such as blogs can run on either Windows or Linux hosting platforms. These only use HTML and CSS, which are supported equally well by both operating systems.

When you require dynamic content on your website, such as eCommerce facilities, forums or other forms of scripting, then you need to pay attention to your hosting platform.

Traditionally, Linux servers are used for scripts based on PHP or Perl. These scripts include WordPress, Drupal, Joomla and many other blogging or content management systems. Windows servers, on the contrary, are used with scripts written in ASP, ASP(dot)Net or Access. MySQL works equally well with both Windows and Linux. Today, cross-platform scripting – that is, scripting with PHP/Perl on Windows or with ASP/ASP(dot)NET/Access on Linux – is permitted by some ISPs. However, cross-platform scripting will never give the smooth performance that a program does when run on its native platform – it is a bit like using emulators to run programs that are not native to the OS. There is one exception here, though – PHP runs equally well on Windows and Linux, so Linux-based hosting is no longer essential to run PHP-based scripts and applications.

Most computer geeks will advise you to go for Linux hosting, as Unix – on which Linux is based – is a far more secure and stable platform than Windows’ alternative. While this is demonstrably true – think of the millions of viruses for Windows systems, and the rare bug that crops up in Linux – it is also true that efficient server administration can render a Windows system as secure as a Linux one.

Speedwise, there is no clear winner between Windows and Linux. Some things work faster on Windows, while others work faster on Linux. So to choose between operating systems, cost and security would have to be the deciding factors. Linux here is substantially cheaper, as it is an open-source system, and most of its applications are also under GNU public licenses – in other words, free. Windows hosting comes with the added cost of the OS, and certain applications that the hosting company has to continually pay for.

As for the ASP-PHP comparison, ASP is almost universally the winner where speed is concerned. However, the learning curve in ASP or ASP(dot)NET is much steeper than in PHP – something that can backfire for advanced users looking for greater control and freedom. PHP, however, is still one of the most popular scripts around thanks to its versatility and the solid, useful applications being written using it.

In the end, choosing between Windows ASP and Linux PHP as hosting platforms becomes a matter of individual preference and contingent need. Depending on your budget, security concerns and familiarity with the computer language, you can pick either of them and successfully run a dynamic website for a long time to come.