Managed Server Hosting
Managed Server Hosting
VPS and dedicated servers are normally available with two different levels of support from many web hosting providers these days, the two different levels being unmanaged and managed VPS or dedicated server web hosting. Unmanaged VPS and dedicated servers don’t come with any high level of support, although your web hosting provider is likely to provide you with basic support for network and node problems, and in the case of VPS hosting reboot requests and server reloads. Managed server hosting on the other hand allows you to take full advantage of your web hosting provider’s support team, who will be able to aid you with the installation of programs and other tasks you may need to carry out to make your dedicated server functional.
With managed server hosting, you needn’t install an application yourself. In most cases the support team at your web hosting provider will be able to install and configure certain applications. However, some third party applications may not be supported. Examples of components and software that your web hosting support team may be able to install and configure for yourself include:
- Apache Web Server
- MySQL Database Server
- PHP Scripting Engine
- Ruby on Rails Scripting Engine
- Ubuntu Linux Distribution
- Windows Server 2003
Third party applications that your web host may not be able to install for you might include:
- cPanel Control Panel
- Plesk Control Panel
- Joomla CMS
- WHMCS billing application
If you are an advanced server administrator, then you will probably find that you don’t really need a VPS or dedicated server with full support. If you are a novice on the other hand, then you may find a managed VPS or dedicated server could give you an advantage. Managed server hosting also guarantees a quick response to any downtime that might occur with your VPS or dedicated hosting server; this means that if a network problem or other issue could cause your server to go down, your web hosting provider will rapidly respond to it in order to ensure that your dedicated server doesn’t suffer downtime.
Management available for Windows and Linux VPS and dedicated servers can vary, since both operating systems are very different in the way that they work. Some web hosts offer basic server tweaking once you have purchased a VPS or dedicated server. In terms of Linux hosting, this would include:
- tweaking of Apache to ensure that it uses less memory
- installation of mod_security to ensure that web pages with lax security can’t be injected with code
- installation of CSF and LFD firewall to keep hackers and other malicious attackers out of the server
- installation of programs such as Apache, PHP and MySQL
- monitoring of the VPS or dedicated server.
Windows server management will be completely different in all cases, and might include:
- installation of latest Microsoft security updates including the latest hotfixes for installed applications and the relevant service pack
- securing of the Remote Desktop protocol to allow login from only the provided IP addresses
- installation and configuration of the Plesk control panel
- configuration of the Microsoft Firewall and any services that need to be allowed public access
- installation of the relevant programming language including PHP, classic ASP and ASP.NET versions 1.0, 2.0 and 3.5.
This means that with a managed VPS or dedicated server, you won’t need to monitor it yourself or install any of the applications you need yourself since you will be able to utilize your web hosting provider’s support team.
Support teams for managed server hosting are normally available 24×7, meaning that if you have a query regarding your VPS or dedicated server you are more likely to have it answered at any time of the day than you would if you were using another web hosting provider. More or less every webhosting provider is able to provide support 24 hours, 7 days a week through one form of communication in this modern day and age; the most popular form of communication for 24×7 support is email tickets, since this allows web hosts to outsource support to other companies and individuals based in different parts of the world. However, 24×7 phone support is available in some cases which can be of an advantage to you if you travel around.
Managed VPS and Managed dedicated servers are aimed towards business users, meaning that if you are an individual then managed server hosting isn’t for you. Most small businesses don’t have their own IT staff, meaning that finding a web hosting provider that is able to provide fully managed server hosting is a must. On top of 24×7 support, managed server hosting also gives you:
- a reliable web hosting service, since you don’t have to monitor your dedicated server yourself
- complete peace of mind in relation to the safety of your data, since you can have your web hosting provider’s support team install a firewall for you
- the ability to ensure that your VPS or dedicated hosting server is configured with the applications that only you need.
In conclusion, managed server hosting allows you to have your server operating without the need for you to have any technical knowledge. Although managed server hosting is solely aimed at businesses in most cases, it can also benefit the individual who is running a bust website and needs reliable support on top of reliable web hosting. You can ensure that you can have most popular applications installed by your web hosting provider’s support team, meaning that you can have your VPS or dedicated server functioning in the way that it needs to be.
Instead of having to learn how to manage a dedicated server yourself, you are able to fall back on a web hosting support team that should be able to respond to any query that you may have in relation to your VPS or dedicated hosting server. Managed server hosting provides you with a support team that are available for you at any time of day during any day of the week, meaning that any server issues there may be can be ironed out at any time of the week.
