A Summary of Hosting Packages

A Summary of Hosting Packages

© Stuart Mitchell

This slideshow outlines the various types of web hosting available on the market. For each hosting platform the following slides highlight:

• features• benefits • drawbacks

It is important to bear in mind what you actually need from your hosting provider when you weigh these up. Broadly, the two areas to consider are

• performance & uptime• cost

Introduction

Depending on the type of hosting package in question, the other features to consider are:

• the ability to control and customise hardware and software if the site needs bespoke or non-standard configurations

• the access to bandwidth - high bandwidth connections allow large amounts of traffic to flow quickly to and from the web server and so are more important for websites which experience high traffic volumes (i.e., page requests) or need to display a lot of content

• the amount of disk space (i.e., storage) on offer which will determine how big the site can grow and how much content can be stored

• the digital security of the platform, especially for sites that are obtaining or using sensitive data such as e-commerce sites.

Hosting Considerations

Data centres are purpose built facilities which are designed to house servers which meet these aims at affordable costs for the clients. They offer:

• complex security and safety systems

o to ensure that the servers are not compromised whilst they are running

• extensive systems in place to generate the optimal conditionso e.g., heat and humidityo for the servers to run smoothly and efficiently

Background to Data Centres

The ‘shared’ in shared hosting refers to the fact that the web server that hosts the site is shared between numerous clients and their websites. It is the typical ‘entry-level’ option for small scale non-critical and non-sensitive (data) websites.

Features:• Client rents a portion of a server• The shared server also hosts other clients’ websites

Shared Hosting

Benefits:Inexpensive in comparison to other hosting platformsSimple hosting platform for clients with limited hosting

expertisePhysical security of data center locationPhysical safety of data center location

Drawbacks:oHigher risk of security issues spreading from other websitesoHigher risk of software failures caused activities by other clients

etco Limited physical resources such as bandwidth and disk spaceo Limited scope for configuration of the software platform (

operating system etc)

Shared Hosting

Usually shortened to VPS, this type of hosting still shares a single server across multiple sites/clients but each site has its own operating system partition and so it offers more control and security whilst remaining cost effective.

Features:• Client rents a virtual partition on a server• The shared server also hosts other clients’ websites on separate

partitions

Virtual Dedicated Servers

Benefits:Inexpensive in comparison to other hosting platformsAllows greater customisation of each operating systemPhysical security of data center locationPhysical safety of data center location

Drawbacks:o Some risk of security issues spreading from other websiteso Some risk of software failures caused activities by other clients

etco Limited physical resources such as bandwidth and disk space

Virtual Dedicated Servers

Dedicated hosting is popular with larger business clients where performance and security are paramount and the budget is in place to do pay for it, because it offers complete control, high security and uncompromised physical resources.

Features:• Client rents an entire single server• Web site has access to all physical resource and connectivity• Often comes with managed hosting

Dedicated Hosting

Benefits:Scope for complete control over server configurationNo competition for bandwidth resourceNo competition for processor resourceAccess to entire server’s disk spaceNo security threats from other sites/partitions on the server

Drawbacks:o Cost of renting entire servero Potential for wasted capacity if higher spec hardware is rented

than the site requires

Dedicated Hosting

Sometimes referred to as Colocation or simply Colo, this form of hosting allows clients to reap the benefits of a data center location but still retain ownership of the hardware.

Features:• Client buys and owns server(s)• Servers are housed in a data center• Client rents space for servers

Co-location

Benefits:Physical security of data center locationPhysical safety of data center locationAccess to high bandwidth connectionsRetained value of the hardware as company assets

Drawbacks:o Initial cost of purchasing serverso Less scalability due to cost of replacing hardwareo Potential for wasted capacity if high spec hardware is purchased

to future-proof the platform

Co-location

Cloud hosting essentially uses a large pool of physical hardware and resource to build virtualised hosting environments which are therefore not restricted to physical limitations. It can provide a solution for those who want a flexible platform where complete control and customisation is not a requirement.

Features:• Client rents virtual hosting resource• Hardware resource taken from multiple servers• Hosting resource (bandwidth, disk space etc) supplied on

demand

Cloud Hosting

Benefits:Not reliant on one server - less risk of failures/downtimeClients only pay for what they useSeamlessly scalable - extra virtual resource can be assigned as

and when it is required

Drawbacks:o Limitations on the ability to configure the platformoNo scope for customising hardwareo Risk of security issues spreading from other websites

Cloud Hosting

Managed hosting is a type of hosting where the features refer to the support that the client receives rather than the type of server it comes with and therefore it can incorporate any type of hosting/server set up such as shared or dedicated. A fully managed platform is effectively the deluxe package for clients with larger budgets and a shortage of expertise in-house.

Features:• Expert support and advice• Technicians available to make configuration changes• Performance monitoring• Usually a dedicated server

Managed Hosting

Benefits (depending on the type of support):Access to the expertise and knowledge of hosting providerRound the clock support in case of performance issues or

downtimeProactive and reactive support for changes in the web site or

web site usageHelp to effectively scale and configure platform

Drawbacks:oWill tend to be expensive in comparison to self-managed

packages

Managed Hosting