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It’s safe to say most people wonder what a dedicated server actually is. In all honesty, a dedicated server isn’t that complicated a product. In simple terms, a dedicated server is a normal computer that’s hosted in a secure datacentre with a fast internet connection. The large majority of server hosting providers are experts in this. Having the right setup and environment is essential for dedicated server web. Now lets look at what a dedicated server really is. And now, the various descriptions that make a dedicated server.

A dedicated server is a computer

The main difference is the computer sits in a normal case, which sits snugly on a desk. Dedicated servers utilised special cases. Approximately 3″, 1U is a special measurement used in datacentre environments. These specialised cases are made to fit in datacentre racks. Racks, specially made for datacentre ennvironments ensure the best air flow and network cable arrangement. Probably the best known server manufacturer would be Dell. Who as you will know also provide laptops and home PC’s. So the main difference between a dedicated server and a home computer, is the case the components are housed in. While dedicated servers are generally more high powered and high end (some can have an array of multiple hard disks for redundancy), they aren’t that far unrelated from the modest home PC!

Data centres and dedicated servers

The normal hosting servers will be in a 1U case. If you imagine a pizza box, its about the same look, although longer. And of course a dedicated server contains high powered server components, and not yummy pizza! A good example is the R200 server by Dell. These consume around 0.6 amps, so in a 16 amp rack you’d fit around 26 servers- often more. These servers fit in racks via rackmount rails, so they appear to be stacked on top of each other. At the back of the dedicated server is a power port, and a network port. Each rack will have power supply units and at least one switch for the server to connect to. There will be aisels of racks in a datacentre. Some racks host specialist network equipment, switches and routers connected to the internet backbone. For this sort of setup, a provider such as Melbourne who specialise in dedicated servers would be ideal.

High powered connections for server hosting

The majority of home connections run at around 10mbs. This isn’t enough for a dedicated server. A 100mbit connection is expected for dedicated servers. Website such as video sites require this high connection. So in conclusion, the right hardware, a good datacentre and fast connection are needed for server hosting.

When you are thinking about hosting your web site in the Unix/Linux server hosting environment there are a few things that you need to be aware of. Unix is an operating system that was designed from the start to be a multi-user operating system. It can handle the needs of advanced users and servers with ease.

Initial releases of Unix were very high-priced, which was something that hindered it’s adoption. However, there are free Unix compatible operating systems, such as Linux that do the same job, but without the large price tag. Linux began life as a university project by Linus Torvalds and has grown to be a main force in web server operating systems.

When thinking about which server operating system to go for you will normally find that servers using Linux will be cheaper that those using the proprietary and expensive Microsoft Windows. Linux tends to have a smaller system footprint and less overhead than Microsoft Windows. The cost savings from all of this can be passed on to the consumer in lower prices.

If you decide to opt for Unix / Linux server hosting then you will also benefit from the large selection of free software, a lot of which is open source and can be personalized to meet your specific needs. There is also a large quantity of developers for these free and readily available software packages and tools.

So what downsides are there to choosing Unix or Linux? One of the disadvantages are that it is quite a complex operating system and requires more technical skill to correctly administer it than Microsoft Windows. There are however loads of knowledgeable and experienced Unix experts and resources that you can fall back on.

A further disadvantage is that unless you are running your own server you are likely to find that your web host will tightly control the environment and may limit how you can access your account through Telnet or SSH.

So, your decision to opt for Unix / Linux instead of Microsoft Windows will come down to price, availability of free and readily available software, and how confident you feel about getting your hands dirty in what may be to you a potentially alien OS environment. However, your budget and desire for a cheap host may ultimately be the determining factor.

One thing is definite though and that is that if you are looking for a cheap host then going down the Linux route will ensure that you should be able to pick up the cheapest deal available. You will also be in great company when selecting linux web hosting as it is the operating system of choice for many of the biggest web sites on the internet. So you can be certain that if it has the power and stability to meet their needs then it must be OK for yours!