When is a dedicated server the right choice for you?

What makes a dedicated server such an attractive option for developers and businesses? Well, the clue’s in the name. Obviously, a dedicated server is just that, a dedicated slab of hardware, exclusively reserved for the needs of a specific online project. With your own physical machine, you can easily guarantee a targeted level of performance, both in terms of the software you want to run and the number of users you want to serve. Dedicated servers also enjoy top levels of connectivity to effectively utilise their meaty horsepower.

If you’re thinking about getting your own server, it’s safe to assume you already have a specific use for it in mind. From standard websites, to more complex portals and advanced applications like SaaS and VoIP, the performance of dedicated hardware can be invaluable. A dedicated server offers an effective way to cope with high numbers of concurrent visitors and transactions on an eCommerce CMS like Magento. Compared to a shared platform, you can be 100% certain that a dedicated solution will always have access to your specified set of hardware resources – meaning a guaranteed level of service for your customers.

In the belly of the beast

The main hardware features of a dedicated server are much the same as a regular desktop: processors and memory. For example, Fasthosts servers come with Intel processors and up to 128GB of RAM. Multicore processors, when combined with a generous chunk of RAM, enable effective multitasking – ideal for rapidly serving multiple website users or processing simultaneous online shop transactions.

After CPU and RAM, the third leg of the hardware tripod is storage. Traditionally, this meant a hard disk drive or HDD, but solid state drives are becoming increasingly popular. The advantages of SSD storage lie in its increased read and write speeds, making data available more quickly to users. This is especially beneficial for intensive database applications, providing a smoother experience for website visitors when files are frequently requested. Our powerful Storage Server packages include extra SSD storage alongside HDD to provide the level of performance required for high-traffic websites and the most demanding projects.

We need to talk about connectivity

So physically defined hardware is the source of a dedicated server’s power, but that’s really only half the performance picture. While an SSD-stuffed powerhouse can provide faster access times for your customers, it doesn’t count for much if your connection isn’t quick enough. Whenever a customer requests some data, even if it can be accessed instantly by the server, it still has to travel down the pipes of the internet. If your pipes aren’t wide enough, the speed of your hardware is held up by the slowness of your connection – in other words, you get a bottleneck.

By investing in the fastest possible connection, you can ensure that the power of your server is being effectively brought to bear. While you’ll never be able to guarantee speeds outside of your own network, you can maximise the performance of your server by plugging it directly into the backbone of the internet. 1Gb/s connectivity from Fasthosts lets you take advantage of everything our infrastructure has to offer, allowing you to avoid bottlenecks and unleash the full potential of your dedicated server.