How to Find a Hosting Service for Your Large Website?

The majority of online websites over the internet are really small —  we are talking about 1-2 GB total size at most. Such projects are very low-demanding in terms of server resources and custom modifications. Because of that, even a more basic shared package would be able to accommodate your site.

• But what if your project is much bigger?
• What if you are an enterprise looking to safely host a large website?
• Or you have a media website that hosts a lot of video content?

Serious businesses with sizable projects need a fully reliable and isolated hosting environment, even if that requires a more substantial monthly budget.

This is where dedicated servers prove to be most useful.

What Are Dedicated Servers?

This is practically the last stage you can reach in your hosting journey. You rent an entire server from your provider, available for your needs alone. It comes with full control over the server configuration — operating system, security measures, installed software. There are extensive scalability capabilities as well — at any point, you can add more disk space, CPU, or RAM. 

Dedicated servers are no child’s play, so novice users will struggle to keep up with all the management tasks, updates, maintenance, and hardware support. Some previous experience or a trained admin team will definitely come in handy when operating a rented server. 

This is a multipurpose hosting service, and clients can choose to utilize their machines as they wish. The platform can be easily set up to work as a gaming server, host an app, or take care of your business communication. This is also the perfect hosting service for large websites and high-traffic pages.

Because of the nature of the service, dedicated servers require a hefty monthly budget, often exceeding $100/mo. 

Dedicated Server Advantages

So, what makes dedicated servers a preferred choice before a VPS solution or a shared service, for example. 

A few benefits clearly stand out:

• Full Control — rented servers offer full freedom of customization. As there are no other customers on the same machine, you can tweak the hardware and software to best serve your particular needs. In most cases, the hosting provider helps with the initial setup with the operating system of your choice, and then leaves everything else in your hands. 

• Maximized Performance — a dedicated platform doesn’t just give you an isolated environment with your own set of resources — all server power is there for your taking. High-traffic and video streaming websites often opt-in for this choice as they need massive amounts of CPU and RAM to seamlessly handle all incoming requests. Scalability is an added bonus as you can always improve your configuration if you see you’re close to reaching any limits.

• Enhanced Security — renting your own machine, you are no longer reliant on the preset safety measures applied by your host. Provided you have the know-how or expert support assistance — you can turn your server into an impenetrable fortress. We are talking about security plugins, custom firewall rules, advanced spam and malware protection, GDPR and PCI compliance, software updates. 

The only other thing left to do is find a suitable partner for your online project.

How to Choose a Dedicated Server?

Finding the right hosting provider to supply your next server, there are a few essential aspects to consider. After all, your business is making a serious financial investment, and migrating a large website from host to host is quite a time-consuming process. Luckily, a great provider is not that hard to spot:

• Hardware — Everything starts with a solid server machine, so you needn’t compromise when it comes to your hardware. You can build your infrastructure from the ground up and only rely on industry-leading solutions doing so.
  Hardware failures and replacement are your responsibilities, so you need to extend your server’s lifetime for as long as possible. Unmanaged dedicated services even give you access to the hosting data center, so you can always deal with technical issues in due time.

• Features — This one is a little tricky, as dedicated providers often give you a price for a bare-boned server with nothing on it. Any additional component or resource is subject to an additional payment. Still, some hosts don’t mind throwing in some extra perks. Be it a set of dedicated IP addresses, free SSL installations, or SSD drives — every little thing helps.

• Resources — The amount of system resources is fundamental for your smooth performance, especially if you have a large website with lots of visitors. There are four key metrics to consider here — processing power (CPU), server memory (RAM), disk space, and bandwidth.
  You need to make sure you have enough of each of those resources, even allow for an overhead so the server can easily handle your future growth. Check with your provider about their scalability and upgrade options as well. 

• Support — Looking around for the best dedicated server provider, you will find hosts that offer managed and unmanaged solutions. The two types of services differ in the level of support you’ll be getting.
  If you’re less experienced or don’t have your own IT team, the managed dedicated servers are definitely the way to go. Analogically, experienced developers and large enterprises often go for unmanaged solutions because of the enhanced control and freedom for customizations. 

• Price — It’s a good idea to outline a hosting budget beforehand as costs can quickly get out of hand with dedicated servers. Look for a provider with a clearly outlined pricing policy and ask about components you can purchase additionally.
  Make a list of all your needs and see which extra features cover them. The good thing with this type of service is you can often plan your budget in the long-term unless your project grows exponentially. 

Scala Dedicated Servers

Established as a one-stop-shop for clients of all sizes and niches, Scala Hosting offers powerful E3-1230 servers for rent. You can choose between two options on the Dedicated Server page and secure at least 4x CPU cores, 8 GB RAM, 1 TB disk space, and 5 TB bandwidth. That’s more than enough to ensure the smooth running of medium-sized and large websites alike.

If you are looking to rent a server for your email needs, one of the options comes with RAID 10 configuration for better latency. 

Depending on your audience’s geolocation, you can choose between a US or European location for your data center.

Final Takes

Enterprises and big businesses often need a more robust and secure hosting solution for their large websites. Dedicated servers come as the best solution due to their root access and full control over customizations. Finding a suitable provider with a budget-friendly monthly rate requires some digging around, but outlining your needs beforehand will save you a lot of time and effort.

FAQ

Q: What should I look for in a website host?

A: Different types of hosting services carry distinct benefits that try to address the needs of various customers. Beginners and first-time users mainly look for ease of use and professional support as key selling points.

Startup businesses and SMBs often lean towards server power and scalability. And then you have the large enterprises and custom projects that need full control and loads of system resources to operate smoothly.

Q: Is a dedicated server worth it?

A: Dedicated servers are powerful machines and are often the sole solution for a large or high-traffic website. In that sense, going for this type of hosting is definitely worth it, as long as the monthly rates match the resources and power included. There are plenty of cost-effective providers out there but beware of unclear pricing and hidden fees that some hosts might apply. 

Q: Is cloud better than dedicated servers?

A: Cloud solutions are generally more affordable than dedicated servers, but costs there can quickly accumulate once your website starts to gain more traction. The configuration is different as well.

Cloud hosting utilizes the power of a network of interconnected servers, while dedicated solutions set up an entire machine just for you. The services are efficient for different types of clients, so your particular needs will determine which solution is better.