How do I Choose the Best Managed Dedicated Server?

Choosing the best managed dedicated server for your needs requires attention to detail. Understanding what functionality will meet your requirements and which additional services are available can make the task much easier. A managed dedicated server is reserved specifically for your personal needs. This means you should expect to receive a higher level of customer service from your hosting service.

When looking for a dedicated hosting service, it may be useful to first consider whether a managed dedicated server is actually needed. Managed servers include the services of a full-time system administrator. Users who prefer to manage system administration duties may prefer to opt for the more affordable dedicated server, rather than a managed service.

After determining the need for a managed dedicated server, examine what you need the server to do. For personal websites or basic Internet marketing pages, a basic server is likely to be adequate. For high traffic websites, corporate servers, and multi-player gaming or video intensive sites, bigger may be better. Opting for servers with larger amounts of disk space and more memory early on helps to put off upgrade costs in the near future.

Planning ahead for future needs or problems is also helpful. The hosting service should offer on-site staff who can upgrade systems or add hardware with minimal downtime. Customer service should be available 24 hours a day, seven days per week, to ensure constant website functionality, even on weekends or holidays.

In addition to hardware requirements, managed dedicated servers will have software requirements that are specific to your needs. Many dedicated hosting services offer software packages and support services. This software often includes website authoring, database management, and security software. Additional software packages may also be included for specific needs, such as secure shopping carts or project management scripts.

Building an amazing website may be futile if security flaws or an operating system error bring the site down. A dedicated hosting service that includes software updates, operating system upgrades, and regular security audits may be a good choice. Searching for a service that provides updates and increased security can help to avoid unscheduled website downtime.

It is often helpful to ensure that the dedicated hosting service offers regularly scheduled remote backup services. In the event of a serious problem, backups of site and database files are often the last fail safe. By storing these backups remotely, the system administrator can restore a website to full function even if the managed dedicated server is physically damaged.