Selecting a Dedicated Server for your website can be a challenging task given the number of options available in the market and the extensive variants across them. The more options you come across, the more confusion it creates. Yet, as the decision is extremely crucial to your business, it needs to be taken with due diligence and utmost care.
Here are some tips you need to keep in mind while choosing the best Dedicated Server for your business:
- Operating system: A Dedicated Server comes in two different variants of operating systems- Windows Dedicated Server and Linux Dedicated Server. Keeping in mind the kind of applications you wish to on-board, you can make this selection. If a majority of your applications are Linux-based, then you must go for a Dedicated Linux Server and vice-versa.
- Bandwidth: Another important factor that can serve as a game-changer for your online business is the hosting bandwidth you have access to. If you are expecting high traffic, then your business is going to require a larger spectrum in terms of bandwidth. Depending upon the kind of data you are planning to upload on your website, this decision can be made. Also, as and when your business grows, you must ensure that the web hosting provider gives you full flexibility to scale-up your initial bandwidth.
- Memory: As a general rule, the heavier your tools and applications are, the more memory they will require. Since memory is a deciding factor in the efficiency of your website, you must make this selection carefully. To understand this better, the speed of your website loading is directly proportional to the size of RAM. Hence, if you are looking out for higher speed, you must go for a plan that has more RAM in the package.
- Storage: Generally, RAID or Redundant Array of Independent Disks is preferred as a storage system because of its high security. Under this type, different hard drives are brought together to act as a single unit of storage volume without any data gaps between them. This is also responsible for making your data redundant automatically, thereby making it safe and secure.
You also get the option of choosing between Secure Storage Drives (SSD) or Hard Disk Drives (HDD) for your Dedicated Server. HDD-based Dedicated Servers have been the conventional choice and are the cheaper alternative. Alternatively, SSD Dedicated Hosting offers speed, reliability and higher performance, albeit at a higher cost. - Processor: The processor is the heart of your Dedicated Hosting setup. There are several types of server processors available for you to choose from. The number of cores varies in different processors ranging from 6 cores in a single processor to 48 cores in a dual-processor. The number and size of processors on your server directly impacts the speed on your website. If you initially plan to opt for a single processor server, you can jump on to a retrofitted processor which has a greater number of cores over the same Dedicated Hosting plan.
There is another category of servers that come with GPU or Graphics Processing Unit useful for businesses engaged in high-visual graphics like gaming websites, etc. Apart from high performance, GPU servers are more eco-friendly in terms of power consumption.
Conclusion
Choosing a Dedicated Web Hosting plan requires considering a lot of factors that are vital to the smooth flow and transition of your online business. Since most of these factors have a direct impact on the speed and outlay of your website, any negligence in this can have unwanted repercussions. Before you take a final call, make sure you have factored in all of these key elements and your business needs.