What Is a Dedicated Server?

For web hosting, web caching, proxy or streaming media, the single computer on the internet, local area network or LAN dedicated to just one client acting as storage location for files or shared applications online, is best known as dedicated server. It may be purchased, leased or rented and housed in data centers with optimal conditions to ensure the uptime and integrity of both, equipment and data stored on it.

When it comes to dedicated servers, the service provider is in charge of monitoring the network connectivity, routing equipment and the computer’s hardware to guarantee their proper functionality, while the customer has total control to install and maintain the server software, and depending on the provider, the customer may have remote access rights to certain hardware functions such as reboot the computer when needed.

Dedicated servers are higher than average performance computers and more often used as massive hosting facility for web hosting services needing large amounts of data space and bandwidth, but also as a solution for other kind of companies or individuals with special needs requiring full control over every aspect of their own hosted files without the limitations or the overload slow down performance of a shared virtual hosting provider where a website is hosted on a server with hundreds or even thousands of other websites on it.

Whether for corporate or multi-hosting use, a dedicated server offers both the reliability and flexibility having your computer (server) online all time when it supposed to be, upgrading the software and other services or hardware if necessary when the demand increases or when there is a need to upgrade them.

Depending on what you need servers for, you may find a wide variety of models, pricing and configurations, including custom-built using the components the customer specifically wants for it, such as fast processors, amount of memory, additional storage space and even custom software installations, besides of the facility to hire additional services such as managing and co-location.

Although a dedicated server provides service for only one account or domain name, this account is the customer’s superuser or root access, which grants him all the administrative rights to create as many other accounts or virtual hosts inside his server as he wants and only limited by the hardware or the software license in some control panels. However both hardware and software can be upgraded at any time to meet the customer requirements.

Dedicated servers are recommended for corporations, business companies, multimedia-related organizations, gaming clans or individuals who need to maintain a large web site or a number of smaller web sites requiring special software support, close monitoring and flexibility to grow, but making sure whether you have the expertise and resources to operate and maintain the server or get the right people administrating the server, otherwise you can put in risk your data and your investment.