Dedicated Servers are fast, powerful, reliable, and secure devices. However, the biggest advantage of a Dedicated Server is that it is endlessly configurable for all practical purposes. 

This article looks at why you might want to configure your Dedicated Server, some of the most important things you should do, and how to go about it. 

The Need to Configure a Dedicated Server

Once you’ve chosen the hosting company you want to partner with, you’ll have to configure the Dedicated Server you’ve bought. In simple words, this translates to choosing the right plan.

Even after you’ve decided on Dedicated Servers, there are a lot of factors that you’ll have to specify. This is because not all Dedicated Servers are the same. There are differences in the operating systems, resources, storage, location of servers, the quality of the network, and you’ll also have to choose whether you want managed or unmanaged Dedicated Servers. 

This article looks at three of the most important factors when it comes to Dedicated Servers.

3 Factors to Consider When Configuring a Dedicated Server

1. Managed or Unmanaged Dedicated Servers

If your Dedicated Servers are ‘Managed’, it means that the hosting company is taking care of all the background maintenance work for you. 

Some of the important benefits of having a Managed Dedicated Server are that your server is continuously monitored, vulnerabilities are checked for, updates for your applications and operating system are downloaded and installed, and overall security is beefed up. 

Good hosting companies usually hire experts with a ton of experience to work on your server, thus ensuring that your server’s always functioning in the optimum condition. 

If you buy an ‘Unmanaged’ Dedicated Server, you’ll essentially have to do all this on your own. Now, if you already have an in-house tech team with expertise on servers, you don’t need a Managed Dedicated Server plan. 

However, if you don’t have the expertise in-house, it’s usually a good idea to go for a Managed Dedicated Server. Experts work on keeping your server going, and the prices are quite reasonable.

What’s more, if you choose Managed Dedicated Servers, you’ll also get the best possible customer support that the company offers because you’re paying extra for the managed hosting services. 

2. Where are the servers located?

Now, the physical location of a server may not seem the least bit important when you’re considering buying a Dedicated Server, but it should. 

Data takes time to travel. It’s not a lot, but it’s significant enough for it to be noticed when you’re loading a website or playing an MMORPG. In gaming, latency is everything. On the other hand, people don’t use slow websites. 

The physical location of the server has a tangible, definite impact on the speed at which data is transferred. 

If you’re gaming in the US, a server located inside the country will be faster than a server in India if all the other factors are the same. 

So, when you’re buying a Dedicated Server, make sure that you buy the server from a reputed company that has servers close to your users. 

Several hosting companies have servers in different locations across the globe. Make sure to pick the servers that are closest to you, even if that means paying a slightly higher price because that will be money well spent. 

3. Operating system

Servers, like home computers, have an operating system on which all the software is loaded. There are two main players — Linux and Windows. 

The Linux operating system is served to customers in the form of various ‘distros’ — essentially, different variantsof the Linux OS. Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, and Arch Linux are some of the more popular server operating systems. 

On the other hand, Windows is owned by Microsoft, and its server OS is called Windows Server OS.

Windows is a paid OS, whereas Linux is free. Windows Server OS, however, is likely to be more familiar to a lot of people given that it’s built to resemble the popular Windows XP. 

That being said, Linux is almost the default choice for many people if they’re running websites on their Dedicated Servers. Linux has been in the game for longer, and thanks to applications like cPanel, you don’t really have to know Linux to operate the server. 

Most of the popular applications are GUI (Graphic User Interface). They’re designed to be easy to use, they have massive help sections, and there’s a robust and willing community online that can help you if you ever need it. 

There are several advantages with Windows, too. If you have to use Windows-specific applications on your server, they work much better with Windows Server OS. What’s more, many of them aren’t even available with Linux. 

The debate between Linux and Windows for servers is an old and unending one. The fact is that there’s no better OS here. There are just two operating systems that work better with applications designed for them. 

So, the best way to choose the right operating system is to simply create a list of the applications you’re likely to use on your server and see which OS can accommodate more. Irrespective of which OS you choose, you will see that there are easy-to-use alternatives designed for your OS of choice. 

Conclusion

Dedicated Servers offer high performance, freedom, and reliability, making them very popular with website owners and gamers alike. However, not all Dedicated Servers are the same. 

When you buy a Dedicated Server, make sure that you buy it from a reputed company with a proven history of providing secure, reliable, and fast hosting services. 

When you buy a Dedicated Server from Blazehost, you get full root access, instant provisioning, easy customization, 99.9% uptime, cPanel software, and so much more. This way, you won’t have to worry about your server and can focus on growing your site and business.