Though dedicated servers may cost you much more than what you would pay for virtual hosting, if your traffic and business warrant it, this is surely the way to go.

There are a few basic steps that you should follow while selecting a dedicated server web-hosting company. In this post we look at the specifications that you should look at while selecting a company from which you can lease a dedicated web-server. These are also the questions you should ask , when you send them a test email. Don’t depend totally on the specifications as mentioned on the host’s website, they might have changed , they might have been upgraded etc. So send them an email and get the latest specs before you make your decision.

Note down each of these points , understand what is your own requirement & then ask your prospective web-host what can they offer in terms of your requirements. If you are not sure about what exactly you require, ask your web-designer or post a question on the web-forums / discussion boards. Now lets get on with it…

Operating System (OS) for the server

There are two platforms that are popular: Unix (linux) and Windows NT (2000, 2003). The choice really depends on what you prefer and what applications you plan to use on your site.

The plus points for Unix is that it is reliable, has been around for over twenty years, supports a wide range of software, development toolkits and utilities. With respect to the Internet, it is used on almost every hardware platform. There are several flavors of Unix available, the most popular and robust which web hosts use being Linux.

Windows NT (2000, 2003), are from a single vendor company , Microsoft. They support all Microsoft technologoies and are useful if you are running ASP or dotNet based web-apps.

Web Server Software

The most popular web server on Unix is Apache and the most popular web server for NT is Microsoft’s Internet Information Server (IIS).

Programming and Database

There are two popular programming languages for Unix: Perl and PHP. PHP is a new wave wonder and has become extremely popular because it offers a way of connecting to your database very easily. The most popular combination nowadays is PHP + MySQL database. MySQL is a free database.

Windows NT [2000, 2003] on the other hand comes with ASP (by Microsoft). ASP can be used with MS Access and MS SQL server.

Hardware

What is the equipment available ? Get the specifications about the speed of the machine, single or multiple CPUs, how much RAM, how big your hard-drive is, and whether the hard-drive is SCSI, or IDE. Clarify who pays for hardware maintenance ?

Backup and redundancy

Find out about their Data Backup and Redundancy facilities. How often is the data backed-up ? What method do they use ? How fast can they restore the system in case of any failure which requires the restoration from the backed-up copy.

Bandwidth

What is the bandwidth available with each plan ? How much extra needs to be paid for additional usage other than the specified limits.

Port

Ask whether your server is on a dedicated port, or on a shared port. A related question is whether the network you are connected into is based on a switch or a hub. Switched networks are higher performance, and offer more security.

Connection

Ask what kind of connection(s) the hosting company has. Make sure you ask if those figures relate to their network, or the network of their provider.

Network Utilization

Be sure to ask how much of your network is utilized. Even though the company might have multiple lines with good bandwidth, if they host adult sites or high utilization sites, the available bandwidth might already be nearing 90 - 95% mean utilization, which means the site is already congested.

Ask the host to send across the Network utilization figures , calculate in %ages and the rule of the thumb would be to avoid any hosts where the utilization is 80% or above.

Other questions
* Can you get custom system/server configurations ?
* What is the support offered to set up my site(s) on your dedicated server? What kind of support is offered ?
* How can you administer your site(s) on your dedicated server ?
* How long is the contract term? How long is your obligation ? What is the refund policy ?
* Do they offer additional support at hourly billable rates ? What kind of support & at what rates ?
* If you want to resell shared hosting sites on your dedicated server ? What are the policies regarding the same ?

With the information you now have, you are much better prepared to take the plunge into leasing a dedicated web-server.

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The expansion into a dynamic operation seems to be all the rage these days, and rightly so. Allowing information to be pulled from databases and provided to the end user (visitor/customer) is very important. The functionality of the dual CPU actually works like an extra set of tires on a truck. You’ve often seen a dump truck on the road hauling trash. Some have only 1 set of tires at the back, and some have 2 sets. The extra set of tires allows for added traction and distribution of weight.

A dual CPU operates in the same way. It allows you to not only have “one set of tires on the ground” but “two sets” allowing less load to be placed on any single set. Essentially this means that if one CPU is busy doing something, another CPU can assist. You’re really spreading the power over TWO CPUs and getting TWO brains to work to solve an issue quickly. The more CPUs you have, the faster processes can be preformed.

Normally you wouldn’t assign one CPU to do one task, and another CPU to do another task. Dual CPUs in a dedicated server environment are generally used to run in parallel.  Both CPUs sharing the workload.

A Dual Core CPU operates in much the same way as a Dual CPU system would.

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Choosing a dedicated servers host requires an evaluation of many factors besides cost. The reliability of the managed dedicated server hosting is another important consideration. Some down time is to be expected, but a historical explanation of how quickly they tend to get the process up and running again should be sought. Also, ask if paying customers are compensated for that down time with at least a partial refund of their premium payment for that month. Some firms that offer these services operate as resellers; they co-locate in some other data center without physical access to the machines.

A good customer support team is another important quality to find when determining which managed dedicated server hosting outfit to work with. When a company has a problem with the web site, the entire business suffers. Managers will certainly want quick and effective service in order to minimize the disruption to the business. Ideally, the host will have a live chat site where someone’s attention is immediately available. Managers can describe the problems in real time and the issues can be fixed promptly. Customer service should be prompt, professional, courteous, and effective. Another question to ask is about the control panel that is provided in the managed dedicated server web hosting. It should allow managers to add, remove, and manage several domain names, sub-domains, FTP accounts, email accounts, auto responders, email aliases, and other services.

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