What type of hosting arrangement should I use

What type of hosting arrangement should I use?

from ; developersnetwork.com

What is a hosting arrangement?

A hosting arrangement means figuring out where your Web server components (both software and hardware) will be located and how they will be connected to the Internet. It is finalized in the form of a hosting agreement - a contract between you and whoever will be providing the hosting services.

What are my options for hosting arrangements?

It all depends on how much you're willing to spend and what level of service you require. Both price and reliability vary widely from provider to provider, so do a little research into a provider before signing an agreement.

Standard servers

With a standard server the service provider offers you space on one of their server machines for your Web pages and whatever applications and application servers you need. Standard servers are a step between free servers and co-location arrangements.

Commonly used applications (such as e-commerce enabling applications) are already set up on the server, making setup quick and easy. However, the server hosting your pages is also hosting other companies' sites at the same time.

Standard server Pros:

Easy setup. Since the server is already set up at the service provider's location, you don't have to worry about selecting and configuring an operating system or figuring out how to get your net connection up and running.
Server support. The service provider is responsible for keeping their servers up and running. You don't have to worry about issues such as regular backups and required hardware replacements.

Standard Server Cons:

Lack of flexibility. You have little control over such factors as the hardware used (the company may be using hardware that's likely to fail at a key moment) or what operating system the server running. If you decide to switch operating systems at some point, you may have to change your hosting service provider as well.
Limited scalability. Because several different companies' Web pages are running on a single server, the server will have limited scalability. If several of the hosted sites, including yours, start to see increased traffic during the same time period, your Web site may become unavailable just when viewer interest is at its peak.

Co-location

With co-location you sign an agreement with a service provider to supply:

storage space for your hardware
the Internet connection required to set up your Web site

You provide all the hardware and software required to get the site up and running.

Co-location pros:

Flexibility. You have complete control over every aspect of your server. You decide how powerful you want it, what operating system you want and every other aspect of its design and setup. Provided you put some thought into the system's architecture, you have the perfect server for your needs.
Ownership. All the hardware and software associated with the system is your property. It can easily be moved to another co-location host if the need should arise, or sold off later if you choose to go with a different type hosting.

Co-location cons:

Price. It is significantly more expensive, because you must pay for the server hardware and all the software you use, as well as a monthly co-location fee. Other hosting setups only charge a monthly fee and, occasionally, a set up fee.
Steep learning curve. You must understand all the software you want to use, as well as all your hardware components. If you've had little experience planning for scalability, you may find your Web business growing beyond your hardware's capacity to deal with it.
Customer support. There is none. You are in charge.

Dedicated servers

With a dedicated server, a service provider's computer hosts your site but unlike a standard hosting setup, your site is the only one on the server. You pay the service provider for both monthly internet access and monthly rental of one of its servers.

A dedicated server provides many of the benefits of co-location and avoid its major downfalls. The service provider:

owns the hardware
rents you the license for the operating system
provides real estate
provides bandwidth

It can be purchased for a monthly fee. Alternatively, a customized cycled payment option may be provided.

Dedicated Server Pros:

Scalability. Upgrading your server or adding a new server is easier and more cost effective. Upgrades can occur less than 24 hours after submitting a work order to the service provider. Upgrades are cheaper too, because you only pay monthly rental fees on the new hardware, not the entire capital costs. You simply pay the difference between the present system package and the new system package, for both the startup and the monthly fee.
Service level. A dedicated server provides you with 24/7/365 monitoring and a generator power backup. If your server goes down in the middle of the night, you know that the problem will be addressed. You can receive this level of service in a co-location facility also, but it charges a substantial fee for services which are standard with a dedicated server.

Dedicated Server Cons:

High cost They charge hefty monthly fees as you're paying not just for the physical hosting, but also for the hardware on which the site resides. While in the short run this is cheaper than the large capital outlay required to get co-location up and running, over time this model is much more expensive.
No ownership The server is the property of the service provider, which means all you own is the data you put on the server. Unlike co-location, you can not simply pick up your server and walk away if you're unhappy with the service.

So which server is best for me?

Well, that depends on what you want from your site. If it's a small billboard site meant to establish a Web presence for a primarily off-line company, you can get away with using a free server (provided it's one that allows commercial pages). Or use an inexpensive standard server. If, however, you're looking at a full-fledged e-business operation that uses many additional applications, such as database connectivity and Flash content, you will need a co-location or dedicated server.

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