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A server is a commercial grade computer that is installed inside a
high-tech data center. If you are currently running a web site
somewhere on the internet, or if you plan to, your web site will no
doubt be hosted on some sort of server. There are many different types
of servers out there including shared servers, dedicated servers,
co-located servers, virtual private servers, and virtual dedicated
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Shared Server
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Shared hosting is a type of web account that most low traffic web sites
currently utilize. A shared server is usually running hundereds of web
sites at a time, all of which are "sharing" the server resources (RAM,
disk space, bandwitdth,etc.).
Shared hosting has an advantage over other types of server accounts,
mainly its low price. Typical shared hosting accounts can be found for
less than $10 per month.
The disadvantege of using shared hosting is that because the server
is shared, if one web site crashes, or becomes comprimised, it can
cause harm to all the other web sites being hosted on that shared
server.
If you are not concerned about the security or reliability of your
site and just want the least expensive hosting account then a shared
hosting account is for you.
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Dedicated Server (DS)
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A dedicated server solution is normally used if you have a high-traffic
web site, have highly sensitive data, or require a special server
configuration.
Dedicated servers come in a variety of configurations that can
usually match your exact specifications, but this comes at a cost.
Because you are the only customer on the server, the price will be much
higher than a shared hosting account.
One problem with a dedicated server solution is scalability, or the
ability to increase your server size as your business grows. Customers
on a dedicated server who need to upgrade their RAM, CPU, or hard drive
space will have to either have extensive downtime while the server is
being upgraded, or migrate their entire server to a new one.
If you need a private, reliable server but are not concerned about
scalability then a dedicated server plan is the right choice.
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Virtual Private Server (VPS)
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A virtual private server is a mix between a dedicated server and a shared hosting account. The physical server is divided into many virtual servers, each running completely independant from one another. If one of the virtual servers goes down, the others on the physical server are not affected.
The VPS concept allows the client to run a complete server installation with guaranteed resources (RAM, memory, disk space, etc.) while at the same time sharing the physical server. This reduces the cost for the client.
If you need a complete server installation with the option to "scale", a VPS account is for you.
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| Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS)
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A Virtual Dedicated Server is a mix between a dedicated server and a
virtual private server. It is designed with one physical server, and
one virtual privates server only. This means you get the advantages of
a VPS (scalability) with the advantages of a dedicated server (100%
resouce usage).
If you need a complete server installation with the option to scale and have heavy resource requirements then a VDS account is appropriate.
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