Your first and foremost choice when choosing a dedicated server is whether you will manage it yourself or have a team of engineers and technicians manage it for you. On the basis of Server Management, Dedicated Servers can be split into two categories: Unmanaged and Managed Dedicated Server.
Read this article to know how Managed Dedicated Server is different from an Unmanaged Dedicated Server and which one is right for your business.
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The Difference Between Managed and Unmanaged Dedicated Servers
The choice of a server is the most crucial aspect when looking forward to going online with your business. There are many different options available to choose from when you are looking for servers. There are shared servers, VPS hosting, dedicated servers, cloud server hosting, and so on. All these options have their own set of advantages and disadvantages and come at different price ranges. You can go for any option you feel like depending on what your business can support but only looking at the cost-effectiveness is not a great way to go. A well-informed decision is going to take you a long way and you need to take into account the various features displayed to buy the different servers for this. If you are not making a well-informed decision and only going for a cost-effective solution, then it is going to cost your company terribly in the long run.
A dedicated server is the best choice among the lot. However, there is a choice you have to make even when you are going for an Unmanaged Dedicated Server- whether to go for a managed or an unmanaged server. Before going into the details of which one to go for, it is important to first understand what is a dedicated server!
Dedicated Server: What Is It?
A dedicated server is, as the name suggests, dedicated to meeting all your needs. In this case, you own all the hardware equipment and the software applications required for the server to keep your website running. Since you own a dedicated server and are not sharing any part of it with any other organization, you automatically get a server with much higher security. Alongside higher protection, a dedicated server is one that allows you a great deal of flexibility. This means that you can upgrade or change the codes, OS, and so on that keeps your website running from time to time to suit your needs. Be it a managed or an unmanaged dedicated server hosting, such a server has all these advantages.
How Is Unmanaged Dedicated Server Different from Other Servers?
When talking about servers, different questions come to mind, the first one being what are the options available regarding servers. There are many different kinds of unmanaged dedicated server hosting options available that cater to the different needs of an enterprise or organization. Whether you are just starting your business or you are already a grand success, whether you need a website to sell products or just need it to get an audience to be redirected to another page- all these factors contribute to the kind of server you may need to use.
The most cheaply available server is the shared server hosting option. This is an option on which most beginners depend on and established businesses should not tread this path. A shared server, as the name suggests, is a single hardware setup that is being shared by 2 or more businesses. This server option, since it is shared, provides the least degree of security or flexibility in terms of upgradation. A VPS or Virtual Private Server Hosting option is similar to shared unmanaged server hosting. In this case, the hardware is segmented and the resources are distributed among the participating organizations. This distribution of resources is used to build a virtual private space and the website is run through that. It is kind of a dedicated server too since you will get a dedicated volume of resources at your disposal. Since the resources are segmented, the degree of security is also higher and you get higher chances of being able to modify your network.
For a dedicated server, there is no question of sharing the hardware. You will contact the server host and they will provide you with the required hardware to set up a server. It is up to you how you wish to manage this hardware setup and run your website. You get a full say in what is to be done and whatnot. This ensures the highest degree of flexibility allowing you to modify and upgrade the server in any way you want. The dedicated server is also the most secure option as no other website exists on your server and hence they cannot attack you or steal information from you in any way. You can take all the necessary security measures required to prevent the different kinds of cyber-attacks too.
Difference Between Managed and Unmanaged Dedicated Server
Before going into the details of a managed and unmanaged dedicated server, it is very important to understand what these terms mean.
An unmanaged dedicated server is one wherein the host company will provide you with all aspects of the required hardware and then be done with it. You will be solely responsible for setting it up and dealing with all the requirements needed to set up the server and launch a website. A managed dedicated server is one where it becomes the responsibility of the server host to take care of the hardware setup. They provide the hardware units and a workforce that is skilled in taking care of the hardware and all the necessary requirements to set up a server and run a website.
Unmanaged dedicated hosting is the cheaper alternative given by hosting companies in which the company gives full access and control to the customer’s organization. The organization has to employ a suitable workforce who has to keep the server running, upgrade it regularly, look for security issues, and so on. In simpler terms, an unmanaged server is going to take considerable time and resources from the organization from the company using it.
On, the other hand, Managed servers are the opposite of unmanaged dedicated servers. As the name indicates, a managed dedicated server is managed by the host company itself. All software or hardware upgrades needed, any kind of security issue, all kinds of security patches, etc. are looked into by the dedicated hosting company and changed appropriately. They have to take care of the managed servers and keep it running such that the access to the website by your customers is always smooth and without any difficulty.
The full support of the unmanaged dedicated hosting company is crucial if you do not know how to handle managed servers. The handling of managed servers requires a huge degree of technical know-how and understanding and hence dedicated professionals. When you go for an unmanaged dedicated server hosting, it falls upon you to look for the required professionals. Also, there is no guarantee that they’ll be up to the work at all times and will give you full proof services. Technical glitches, security issues, and so on are not a liability of the host company if you choose an unmanaged plan. They have to provide you with a dedicated server and it ends there. Every issue that you take to them after opting for an unmanaged plan will be charged separately.
Contrary to unmanaged dedicated hosting, when you go for a managed dedicated server plan, every issue will be taken care of by the hosting provider. If you need upgrades, they will do it. If you need security patches, they will fix it. If your hardware elements need to be changed or updated, the host company will ensure that they are upgraded for the proper functioning of your website. The organization does not have to install scripts from time to time, they do not have to install the OS, they do not have to design or manage the control panel, and so on when they are using a managed dedicated server. All these actions will be looked after by the unmanaged dedicated server hosting company.
A managed server hosting will indeed be costlier than unmanaged server hosting, but the latter will also take considerable time and attention off your work hours for proper management. A managed hosting plan will indeed be costlier than an unmanaged one, but the latter will demand a lot of your time and expertise. It has been observed in the long run that an unmanaged server takes a lot more in terms of money and effort to keep running from a company than a managed server. Only if you are sure about your expertise regarding computer languages and hardware setups should you sign up for an unmanaged dedicated server.
Also Read: Linux vs Windows Dedicated Server: What to Choose?
Conclusion – How to Choose Between Managed and Unmanaged Dedicated Server?
Thus, from the discussion, it is evident that a managed dedicated server is less worrisome while an unmanaged server hosting option is much more personal. The latter is the most personal option and only you or your company has access to all the software and hardware related to the unmanaged server hosting your website. This is the most secure type of server you can choose, but the hosting company will have no say in what you do with the server.
Every time you seek their help, you would be charged separately and they are not responsible for the proper functioning of an unmanaged dedicated server. If you can bear to have a separate team of experts, IT professionals, web developers, and the likes to support the dedicated server then going for unmanaged servers is the best option. However, by just paying a bit more, you can get the guarantee of the hosting company with a managed dedicated server.
