Selecting a server may seem like an easy task at first but as you start exploring your options and looking up prices the choice becomes more difficult. At this point you’d start to feel much more at ease if there was any source of guidance that you could consult to choose a server that is perfect for you. It’s always better to know before buying and being stuck with something that doesn’t give you the benefits you expected it to.

Selecting the perfect dedicated server for you

The first order of business is to assess your requirements. Before contacting a service provider, decide what you’re planning to do with your server and have a good idea about what you will be expecting from the server. Here are a few guidelines on what to expect from a dedicated server.

Server specifications

The first set of criteria that you can analyse before choosing your dedicated server are the technological requirements. This includes details about the processor, OS, bandwidth etc. You may have heard of many models of processors such as Pentium and Xeon from Intel. To give you a brief idea, if virtualization or running SQL is in your list of requirements for your server, Xeon or Dual Xeon processors are great options to go with. Choosing a bandwidth shouldn’t be too hard as it depends a lot on what you will be using the server for. For instance, if you’re planning on running an e-commerce site you would be expecting a lot of traffic and that would require more bandwidth. Look into storage options as well.

Security of the datacenter

Remember that you’re buying a dedicated server. In this case paying attention to the security of the location of the datacenter is crucial. The safety of the data that your store in your servers is not exclusive of natural disasters and other physical threats. When selecting a datacenter to host your servers pay attention to the access granted to the server room, the condition of the building, fire protection systems etc.

Redundancy

Different data centers have different tiers of redundancy. If it’s Tier 4 it’s fully redundant. Tier 1 infrastructure doe not give any redundancy and the uptime 99.67%

Selecting the perfect cloud server/ Virtual Private Server provider for you

Once again it is absolutely necessary for you to analyse your requirements before making a decision. Here’s what you should look for when choosing a cloud server.

Infrastructure

Even though it’s a virtual server it’s important to be concerned about the physical infrastructure of the servers. It’s important to know if the location of the datacenter is safe, how many nodes are being used, and if they can handle the future upgrades as your business grows- they’re all important.

Pricing

Paying for what you use is the most effective method to reap the true benefits of cloud computing. Find a provider who offers this option. Flexibility is one of the most important features of cloud computing. It’s only fair to want to make sure that your initial purchase of the server was done flexibly as well.

Downtime history

This does not require any explanation. It’s great if you could get your hands on a source that provides the downtime records for the cloud servers of the service provider that you’re dealing with. Contact them directly and get this information. Cloud servers are well known for their ability to maintain uptime due to its flexibility. So if your provider has had many instances of considerable downtime then their cloud services are not for you.

Support

Find out what sort of support you can expect from your service provider. Support can most often be free but there are providers who charge. It’s important to talk with your provider and go through their support policy.

There you go. Now you have your basic guideline on which items to include in your checklist when choosing a dedicated server or cloud/VPS service provider. If you already have a dedicated server but have no idea what to do with it refer to this blog post. Refer this blog post for ideas on what you can do with Cloud servers. Good luck! Reach out to us if you have any concerns, suggestions or general feedback.