Server types differences: Managed or Dedicated? What to choose
Thinking about the best-managed hosting? Or maybe you need to expand the capacity of your private network and storage resources! Then you have to choose between a dedicated server or a managed one. But do you know what are the servers types differences? Find out and make the right choice.
- 29. 08. 2018
- 8 min read
What is a Dedicated Server?
As the name implies, a dedicated server is assigned to a single client. This means that you have control over the server administration and the use of all its resources, including hard disk space or RAM.
You are free to install any software and applications that you need. Also, you are able to make as many backup copies of your information as you wish.
When renting a dedicated server, the datacentre support team does not intervene in its management but just provides the physical maintenance and operating system installation, so it is important that you have an administrator specialized in servers.
A dedicated server gives you the possibility to have 100% of its resources in terms of memory, speed, and information management. For example, if you want to become a web hosting service provider, it may be more convenient for you to rent a dedicated server without having to share the hardware with other users.
This type of server is also very useful for companies that receive large amounts of traffic on their website or those who carry out many online operations. Also, it is good for companies that require a private network with access to a large database.
What is a Managed Server?
A managed server is a variant of a dedicated server with slight differences. In this case, the datacentre support team deals with the administration of the managed server. This includes applications and operating system updates, migrations, monitoring, solving troubleshooting of hardware; also additional services such as disaster recovery in case the client requires it.
Then, you will not have to worry about maintaining the server. A managed server is very convenient for those companies that want their IT staff to concentrate on other tasks, except for the maintenance of the servers.
There are different options for using a managed server. For example, through the managed hosting of one or more websites on the server.
Scalation matters
You must consider that you can rent a dedicated or managed server with certain parameters which you can change only on a limited scale. For instance, you can add an SSD disk to a server, but only a few of them. In order to do so, you have to restart the whole server. So, it is not so easy to change the capacity of resources.
Server types differences
Now let´s take a look at the server types differences considering their features. These are some of the most important:
Resources
There is not a specific size of resources in a dedicated or managed server. You can choose different combinations of server parameters according to your needs. You can select the appropriate size of RAM, HDD, CPU, etc.
Physical security
When choosing a managed hosting in servers allocated in a professional datacentre, the security conditions are optimal to maintain the integrity and functionality of the servers. For example, facilities have cooling systems to keep the good server performance, plus security cameras and fire extinguishing mechanisms that protect the hardware in case of emergency.
Savings
Dedicated server: when you rent a dedicated server in a datacentre, you will save on expensive hardware and maintenance expenses. Also, you will not have to worry about hiring a technician to keep it running.
Managed server: a managed server has the same advantages in terms of investment savings and hardware maintenance. Another important saving is that you will not have to hire an administrator to control the server. The datacentre support team will be responsible for software and hardware updating. You can relax and focus on your project development.
Flexibility
In both cases, the user of a server can extend the capacity in a limited way. They may add an SSD disk or change the capacity of RAM. However, the changes are bounded to the physical capacity of a server. For large and frequent changes is better to use a cloud service.
Administration
Dedicated Server: server management is in your hands. You can install the necessary software, update your applications or perform a backup. You do not need to contact support for any of these operations.
Managed Server: servers are managed by experienced administrators who can guarantee their trouble-free operation. You can thus fully concentrate on the content and development of your applications without concerns about software updates or backups. Administrators also deal with attacks, servers overloading and other problems.
Choose between a managed and dedicated server according to the size of your project
What you must consider before renting a server
Before renting a server, you should ask yourself a few questions to make the right decision. Follow the next guidance:
Choose a managed server if your company has this profile:
- You own a small company with a tendency to limited growth.
- Your websites have heavy and variable traffic.
- You need to minimize the download time and ensure fast access to your website or database.
- Your IT team is limited and has little experience.
- You’re not sure you can spend time maintaining and configuring a server.
- You prefer to focus on the development of your project without worrying about activities related to the server.
Choose a dedicated server if your company has this profile:
- You own a small company with a tendency to limited growth.
- Your websites have heavy and variable traffic.
- You need to minimize the download time and ensure fast access to your website or database.
- You have an IT team with experience in remote servers management.
- Your budget is sufficient to maintain the administration and rental costs of a dedicated server.
- You would like to maintain entire confidentiality and direct control over your information.
How important is the server’s speed
There is nothing like a happy customer. When using the cloud or any managed hosting, time is crucial and customer satisfaction depends on how quickly they get what they need.
How long are users willing to wait for a site to load before they abandon the page?
According to a survey by KissMetrics, most people would wait 6-10 seconds before they abandon the website.
People do not have patience when browsing. The performance of your server is crucial to retain the customers. Regarding a private network, the productivity of your company can be affected by a server that is unable to respond quickly to the data demand.
Fast service, happy customers
A survey conducted by Kissmetris reveals very interesting facts on how important the speed for the customers is:
- 40% of people leave a website that takes more than 3 seconds to download completely.
- A delay of 1 second means 7% reduction in conversions. If we put this into money, a business that makes $ 100,000 a day could lose 2.5 million dollars a year for a second of delay.
- 47% of users expect a website to load in 2 seconds or less.
Get to know more about server types differences and all the resources that dedicated and managed servers can provide with this quick guide to configure your own server.
