Hosted vs On-Premise Server: Which Solution to Choose
Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2024 8:54 am
In a context where IT infrastructures define the framework of all business operations and activities, having a physical server on-premise remains among the most popular solutions. It guarantees high standards in terms of performance, security and control, and until not too many years ago it was the only viable option for any company with digital ambitions.
Today, on the contrary, the choice between a hosted and an on-premise solution becomes a strategic factor. Dedicated servers , rented for a predetermined period and controlled remotely, are increasingly preferred to the purchase of a machine to keep on site. In this article we try to ask ourselves why this paradigm shift occurred, and investigate the reasons that could (or should) guide decisions in this matter.
Table of Contents:
What is a dedicated server?
Dedicated Servers (Hosted)
On-premise servers
Which solution to choose?
Shellrent dedicated (hosted) servers
What is a dedicated server?
It is a physical machine reserved for a single user or organization, located in a data center and accessible remotely. Unlike a shared server, whose resources are distributed among multiple users, a dedicated one guarantees its buyer exclusive access to all computational, storage and network capabilities. It is therefore, in all cases, a hosted solution.
Read more: Dedicated (or bare metal) servers from A to Z
Dedicated Servers (Hosted)
A hosted server is a machine physically located in a provider's data center. This solution is ideal for those who require the performance of a server, but do not want or cannot handle the management of hardware components.
Access to a dedicated server is via the Internet, so its use requires a reliable connection and a sufficiently large bandwidth. This is the main factor to consider when relying on a provider, who will only be uae phone number list responsible for the data center's exposure to the network and not for the actual reception of data.
Companies can then use managed servers to deploy their applications, leaving the hardware maintenance and repair operations, as well as its physical protection, to the supplier.
A hosted server typically guarantees levels of reliability and operational continuity that are impossible to achieve for any company that does not have its own equipped data center. The combination of infrastructure, IT skills, and resource redundancy translates into uptime close to 100%, while the risk of losing data due to physical causes is almost zero.
On-premise servers
On-premise servers are machines owned by the end user, who typically places them inside his offices or in any case in a structure not used exclusively as a data center. Consequently, the management of the hardware is also the responsibility of his organization.
This allows for more granular control of all components and data, which are kept within the company perimeter. On the other hand, it exposes the equipment to the risk of being damaged or stolen.
After a large initial investment, operating costs will be lower than those of hosted solutions. However, in the event of failures and damages, the company will have to pay for all repair or replacement costs. It should also be noted that maintaining and updating the infrastructure requires specialized IT staff, which could represent an additional cost.
This solution offers greater flexibility in customizing the environment, but this rarely translates into an actual advantage: it is practically impossible to need an infrastructure that no provider provides. On the other hand, scalability can be a challenge for on-premises servers, since increasing resources would require the implementation of new hardware.
Today, on the contrary, the choice between a hosted and an on-premise solution becomes a strategic factor. Dedicated servers , rented for a predetermined period and controlled remotely, are increasingly preferred to the purchase of a machine to keep on site. In this article we try to ask ourselves why this paradigm shift occurred, and investigate the reasons that could (or should) guide decisions in this matter.
Table of Contents:
What is a dedicated server?
Dedicated Servers (Hosted)
On-premise servers
Which solution to choose?
Shellrent dedicated (hosted) servers
What is a dedicated server?
It is a physical machine reserved for a single user or organization, located in a data center and accessible remotely. Unlike a shared server, whose resources are distributed among multiple users, a dedicated one guarantees its buyer exclusive access to all computational, storage and network capabilities. It is therefore, in all cases, a hosted solution.
Read more: Dedicated (or bare metal) servers from A to Z
Dedicated Servers (Hosted)
A hosted server is a machine physically located in a provider's data center. This solution is ideal for those who require the performance of a server, but do not want or cannot handle the management of hardware components.
Access to a dedicated server is via the Internet, so its use requires a reliable connection and a sufficiently large bandwidth. This is the main factor to consider when relying on a provider, who will only be uae phone number list responsible for the data center's exposure to the network and not for the actual reception of data.
Companies can then use managed servers to deploy their applications, leaving the hardware maintenance and repair operations, as well as its physical protection, to the supplier.
A hosted server typically guarantees levels of reliability and operational continuity that are impossible to achieve for any company that does not have its own equipped data center. The combination of infrastructure, IT skills, and resource redundancy translates into uptime close to 100%, while the risk of losing data due to physical causes is almost zero.
On-premise servers
On-premise servers are machines owned by the end user, who typically places them inside his offices or in any case in a structure not used exclusively as a data center. Consequently, the management of the hardware is also the responsibility of his organization.
This allows for more granular control of all components and data, which are kept within the company perimeter. On the other hand, it exposes the equipment to the risk of being damaged or stolen.
After a large initial investment, operating costs will be lower than those of hosted solutions. However, in the event of failures and damages, the company will have to pay for all repair or replacement costs. It should also be noted that maintaining and updating the infrastructure requires specialized IT staff, which could represent an additional cost.
This solution offers greater flexibility in customizing the environment, but this rarely translates into an actual advantage: it is practically impossible to need an infrastructure that no provider provides. On the other hand, scalability can be a challenge for on-premises servers, since increasing resources would require the implementation of new hardware.