Dedicated Web Server Checklist

The decision has been made and there is no turning back. The business web site has been having problems due to hardware and bandwidth resources, and to elevate those problems, a dedicated server is planned. Everything seems to be running smoothly till you actually order dedicated server. What was the problem now? The features are overwhelming and you don't know what to do? Don't panic. This type of scenario is common to all businesses.

Hardware Issues
Server hardware is an important factor in the delivery of reliable and efficient service. This is often why business organizations choose industry-recognised brands, such as, Intel, Sun, Cobalt RaQ, Digital and Apple. Choosing the appropriate hardware will be determined by cost, support, compatibility and scalability. Digital (now acquired by Compaq) is one of the industries most recognised brands in the server market but the cost is often higher than the product lines of Intel Corporation. Intel hardware eg microprocessors, chipsets, motherboards are relatively inexpensive and is supported by a wide range of vendors and software platforms. Finding the balance of each option and analysing your own requirements will allow you to make an appropriate decision.
Cobalt RaQs and slim blade servers two alternative types of web server hardware. Both types are specially designed hardware that is both compact and use only a small amount of rack space. The cost saving in rack space is often passed back to the consumer. Both types of web server can handle between 100-300 web sites and are often bundled with administration control panels. The web based control panels are a graphical user interface that provides the tools to manage the web server.

Storage
The size of hard disks is getting cheaper and larger every month. Choosing the right size will very much depend on your purpose and applications. However, no matter the size, the speed (access and seek times) of the hard disk will need to be relatively fast to store and retrieve data. For example, hard disks that are spinning at 10000 RPM (revolutions per minute) will have considerable impact on data access, and that is good for web serving activities.
There are two common types of hard disk drives, EIDE and SCSI. Firstly, EIDE (Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics) is found in most personal computers, as they are relatively inexpensive. EIDE transfer data between the hard disk and main memory using a shared channel eg 2 hard disk drive on the same EIDE cable would use the same channel, and so as more EIDE disk drives added to the system, it will soon degrade the performance. SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) on the other hand, use dedciated channels for each hard drive or SCSI device but are higher priced than its EIDE counterparts. This is why SCSI systems are often chosen for mission-critical applications. For a web server, SCSI would be a criterion to look for.
If the dedicated server will be used for mission-critical applications then a RAID set up would serve its purpose. Basically RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) allows the storage of data to be stored on across multiple hard disk. If one hard disk fails, then the other mirror hard disk will take its place - stopping unnecessary down time or data loss. There are also multiple layers of RAID, starting from 0. The higher the RAID level, the more complex the redundant mechanism be become.

The Motherboard
The motherboard is often an overlooked feature as few web host providers worry about it. However, the motherboard forms the foundation of the server and is critical to select a high performance and reliable motherboard brand. If the motherboard (sometimes referred to as the system board) is not up to the level of quality as other system components, it will become a bottleneck and reduce the performance of the whole system. Brands, such as, Tyan, Asus and Gigabyte are will known the server motherboard market and is well recognised in the web hosting industry.

Random Access Memory (RAM)
The web server's main memory (RAM) is used to temporarily store applications and web data in the cache to serve out all requests made by users. The more RAM, the more web data it can hold in memory at any one time. The benefit of this is it minimises the fetching of data from the hard disk where all the files are permanently stored. If you intend to host databases and amongst other activities on the web server, it is ideal you select a dedicated server plan with a minimum of 256MB of memory.
If the type of RAM installed on the system can be selected, choose ECC (Error Checking and Correction) memory modules. ECC memory allows the system to check and correct bits in memory that are "incorrect" and repair the data in real time without fetching the data from the source again.

Internet Protocol (IP) Addresses
With named-based virtual hosting implemented in most web servers eg Apache, having two IP addresses is often enough to handle as many web sites your hardware can cope with. One IP for the name server (DNS) and the other IP for your domains. The name server is similar to having the authority to delegate Internet Domains. However, if you intend to introduce SSL (Secure Socket Layer), a protocol for secure communication, for a domain then it is required to have its own dedicated IP address. The recommendation is to look for dedicated plan that allows you to have at least 10 IP addresses, or more as long as you can justify the reason for it.

Operating Systems
The most common operating systems used for web servers are Apple Mac, Unix, and Microsoft Windows platforms. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. The selection of operating systems really depends on what type of tools or applications you intend to utilise in conjunction with your dedicated server. For example, if you wish to run PHP scripts then we recommend a Unix web host, or if you wish to run .NET applications we typically recommend a Microsoft Windows operating system environment. Generally, we recommend a Unix operating system because it is widely recognised in the web hosting industry as a mission critical platform, and offers rock solid stability.
It is commonly perceived that the Windows platform is less flexible and technologically less superior for tasks such as web hosting than Unix. But since the mid 90's, Microsoft has placed a lot of effort and investments in gearing their operating systems for web services. In particular, Windows 2000 and upward are fine examples of its efforts. Although, they have not managed to match the numbers who have adopted Unix and its variants for web hosting purposes, its adoption is increasing. With the unveiling of Microsoft .NET initiative, no doubt the adoption will be pushed along over the next few years.
AT&T developed Unix in the late 1960s as a multi-user and multi-tasking operating system. Ever since, it has been modified and transformed into many variants of Unix to handle different tasks. Even it has been through tremendous changes, it is still maintained as one of the most stable and secure operating systems. Its adoption has been very rapid because most variants are freely distributed and the source code of the operating system is allow to be modified by anyone under the GNU licensing agreement.
Apple Macintosh operating systems are considered to be stable as Unix platforms but simply lack the features and support of the other two operating systems. However, since the release of OS X (an Apple platform based on a Unix core), its popularity is slowing increasing.

Bandwidth
The amount of bandwidth (carrying capacity) made available to you will be determined by your use and whether such an amount or cost is justified. If the dedicated server is for production or personal use purposes, than a lowly utilized T1 (1.544Mb/sec) should be enough. However, if the dedicated is for hosting multiple web sites, then bandwidth of 10MB/sec and upwards are more likely to suit your needs. The most important feature of a dedicated server is to accommodate your growth and is scalable to meet the present and future demands.

Support
This is one of the most important factors in selecting a dedicated server plan. If you run into difficulties or require professional advice, the support has to be there to answer you. One of the most effective ways to find out the level of expertise of the web host provider's support is to contact them and ask them a few questions prior to signing up. The web host must have at minimum a support e-mail address but a voice contact number would be better. Secondly, drop a question in the forums; or browse through web hosting reviews to find the general consensus from the public or customers from the web provider in question.

Conclusion
Although the hardware and network aspects play an critical role in determining the buyer's purchase decisions, it is important to select a web hosting vendor that has a good reputation in terms of not only price but support and network connectivity. Research the web host by undertaking reviews and reading dicussion forums to get a 'feel' of the provider. This may save alot of heart ache later.