Tag Archives: Managed server

01.23.13
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Using Unmanaged Host Services


It is less expensive than managed hosting so if it is compatible with the server than it can be easily used. To use this hosting client must have some responsibilities regarding the server. It requires technical knowledge and time to maintain and configure the server. If UNIX knowledge of anybody is limited then this hosting cannot be used.

Technical Specification:

Unmanaged Server may be the best if technical requirement of running server has applications that are not supported by current server; user has more control over configuration. Users are only responsible for management of hardware and software both. These all conditions make unmanaged hosting more flexible.

Things to keep in concern:

  1. Security : One should be concerned about that firewall locked down and there should be a strong root password.
  2. Backups : User has to backup their file on regular basis in case of hard drive crashes.
  3. Disaster Recovery : There should be an arrangement if host is unavailable due to an extended power outage at natural disaster.
  4. Monitoring : User has to monitor if server is down in his/her absence so, there should be proper arrangement for this.
  5. Patches and maintenance : One should know about new patch available for OS and apply some maintenance tasks for this.

VPS can be managed by VirtualMin web server control panel. VirtualMin has 2 types of license one is professional which user has to buy and another is GPL license which is free. Some features of virtualmin are:

  1. It is based on open source web-based systems management GUI which is Webmin and is an interface for system administration, for UNIX, LINUX.
  2. While using Virtualmin one can manage virtual domains, mailboxes, databases, application.

Providers of unmanaged hosting:

InMotion hosting, Acenet, HostGator, SingleHop, 1&1 are few of the best unmanaged hosting providers. They are providing Fast and Easy Setup, Full WHM/cPanel, Free Data Migration. The price ranges vary from $69 to $297 on hosting plans of different companies.

Unmanaged hosting:

Unmanaged hosting could be the right option for medium sized businesses. In this hosting, the host is responsible for the availability of the server. For unmanaged hosting one should be familiar with OS and server software which is in use. It is better alternative as anybody can self manage which includes full range control. In this hosting, with the exception of initial of OS installation, the user is responsible for upgrades, installation of software and maintenance. It provides maximum flexibility as per the users’ requirement. Users have no shared resources as it provides unlimited resources based on users’ needs.

Managed vs. unmanaged:

  1. Unmanaged hosting services could be the right option for medium sized businesses while managed hosting services is the right option for large sized businesses as they save time and energy in the long run.
  2. Unmanaged hosting is less expensive than managed hosting because technical support and assistance is involved in the package which makes managed services more costly.
  3. In Unmanaged hosting users are responsible for every aspect of maintaining the server while in managed hosting user would ensure all the techniques of keeping servers up to date and running smoothly.

Pros and cons:

Pros:

  1. In Unmanaged server, users need not to pay huge monthly bill to host the website on a high performed web server.
  2. There is full control over unmanaged hosting, so one can decide OS according to the requirement.
  3. By using an unmanaged server, one has to make sure that no illegal sites will use resources from one’s host. This will secure the website.

Cons:

  1. Unmanaged hosting needs some extra time per month to manage extra work on server.
  2. There is requirement to keep backups as most of settings and configurations are DIY in this hosting, so there is a chance for some failures.
  3. There is no technical support for applications provided in this hosting.
01.23.13
by

Managed Hosting


Managed hosting services are type of web hosting where the hosting supplier takes care of fundamental software and settings. Managed hosting is an extension of dedicated hosting where the required hardware is acknowledged by the hosting provider. It is most appropriate when anyone need powerful hosting without taking any pain about the routine maintenance and management tasks.

Costing to Managed Hosting:

Moving data to managed server hosting takes time and resources as moving from one hosting provider to another. Some tasks may take longer like user may need to request a reboot of server. The upfront costs of managed server hosting is much lower than in-house server whereas ongoing costs are constant. There is a limitation of software in managed server hosting so user has to choose the software according to the requirements of the server which is right for the long-term.

Some top managed hosting provider companies are:-

  • GoDaddy
  • LiquidWeb
  • SingleHop
  • Inmotionhosting
  • 100tb

Managed hosting provider:

Managed hosting provider is very important to business. There are no official guidelines for managed hosting provider as each offers different packages at different prices, with different levels of security and support. User need to know what level of support can expect from managed hosting provider. These are as follows:-

  1. What support has to be offered?
  2. Who should take responsibility for backups?
  3. What is hardware replacement policy of this hosting?
  4. Will they provide support for the software?
  5. Who restores the data and gets the server running correctly?
  6. Whose responsibility is there to reinstall all the software?

How does it benefit your customer?

There are some points on which managed server provide benefit to the customer:-

  1. Customer support: It should provide 24/7 technical support with their core focus being hosting.
  2. Better cost profile: There should be moving costs from capital to operational budget for economies of scale.
  3. Control: There should be full control over IT solutions to be maintained.
  4. Reduced risk: Business data centers should be more secure with full redundancy. It provides managed security offerings including load balancer, intrusion detection and prevention, platform monitoring and management.

Who should take Managed Hosting?

Users need to look for industry and business related qualifications to choose managed hosting provider which are as follows:

  1. ISO27001 Information Security Management.
  2. ISO20001 IT Service Management.
  3. ISO9001 Quality Management Certification: It explains quality throughout the business.

User also wants to see some specific software and security qualifications such as:-

MCSE, RHCE, LPIC, Ethical Hacker

What Managed hosting includes ? 

Managed Hosting includes the following:

  1. Server Monitoring: This is the process of scanning the servers in search of any potential failures; these failures can be removed before they convert into major disruption.
  2. Security: This includes virus scanning, firewall configuration and OS updates in addition of data centre security measures.
  3. Full Back-up & storage: A company losing data can cause a loss of money, time and customer trust. All reliable and personal information is stored securely.
  4. Server Configuration & Maintenance: Managed hosting providers offer expert staff to ensure that hosting solution is configured to meet the customer’s requirement.

Some Risks:

There are some risks using managed server hosting:-

  1. Sensitive data:  Although hosts guarantee safety of data on user’s site, but they cannot guarantee about their employee violation of trust and access sensitive material.
  2. Fraud: There have been cases of customer’s bills with hidden charges by hosting providers. User should take time to research of hosting provider before signing a contract.

Contributors:

Rajat SudanYeshaswiDeepali Bansal