Apr 25

Types of Dedicated Servers – Which One Should You Buy?

managed or unmanaged serverIf you are planning to buy your dedicated servers, you might have heard about managed and unmanaged servers and you would have got a question in your mind, what the difference between the two is. Experts at ColombiaTech.com are of opinion that although you can afford one of the powerful unmanaged servers, if you don’t know about them, managed servers are your best bet. Here they tell the difference between the two.

Managed and Unmanaged Servers

In general, an unmanaged server is used to set up the hardware, install a control panel and the OS if it has been ordered and keep up hardware and network. Other things like troubleshooting configuration problems, installation of software and scripts, setting up firewall rules all depend upon the user. Many people are well experienced for working with servers and don’t find any problem with this. Maybe they have to submit a ticket for a reboot once or twice in a year, and that’s it.

However, the condition of those who buy their first dedicated server is different. Some of them are developers who might have designed a web app and are looking forward to launching it, while some are developing an e-commerce site which has exceeded the resources of their shared hosting accounts and some others are businesses in search of just a stable platform for hosting their business website. This type of users want just a working platform so that they can perform their duties and these are the perfect candidates for managed servers.

Managed Servers

A hosting account comprises of various components, the most basic of which is the server hardware. Usually the server has an operating system set up and many types of software used to operate websites.

Along with this, hosting companies may offer many other services too like:

  • Malware scanning: Malware scanning can resolve many issues on your server and cleanup/removal services to eliminate them if they appear. Though these types of services cannot prevent every malware, they can serve as a best first line defense.
  • Automated backups: Because of automated backups your fear of losing data is eliminated forever and you get a great peace of mind.
  • Security sweeps: Server security is an absolutely important factor for any website owner. When it’s about security, the downtime of website may look almost negligible as compared to the risk of malicious efforts to expose your data.
  • Support services: You get all basic support services for free. You can even get live chat support and the tech support can offer you a helping hand in real time.

And more!

These extra features are management services and this is where the “managed” part of the phrase “managed server” steps in. In short, managed hosting refers simply to a hosting plan that offers plenty of other benefits or features.

Unmanaged Servers

Unmanaged servers offer no (or only a few) other services. For example, with unmanaged hosting you may have a server only with an operating system. So, you will then have to install other required software separately on your own. This hosting is known as unmanaged because the hosting company doesn’t perform any management job on your server. So, you may think why anyone would want to have an unmanaged server. There are some prominent reasons for this:

  • The user can learn about server management
  • S/he can save money
  • The app needs special tuning and tweaking of the server

So, an unmanaged server gives you plenty of opportunity to learn or practice your skills in managing your server.

Find numerous managed and unmanaged servers on ColombiaTech.com at affordable prices. They are in the business for more than 20 years. Don’t forget to visit their website if you are planning to expand your online presence by purchasing a dedicated server.