An Introduction To Dedicated Servers

This article will explain many of the concepts involved in administering a dedicated server in a web hosting environment.

Server Resources:

Depending on what server you have ordered, it will come with a specific amount of the following resources.

Hard drive(s):   The hard drive(s) is where all the data for your server is stored. This includes the operating system, (Windows, Centos, Ubuntu, Free-bsd) your web software, your actual web content, and databases, etc are stored on a physical hard drive(s).  There are multiple configurations available for hard drives. From simple one hard drive configurations to having multiple hard drives in a raid array for speed or redundancy, the amount of space for storage depends on the size of the hard drive you purchased, but has a specific finite limit. 

Processor:  The Processor of your server is the physical CPU that makes the server run. It could be called the brain of your computer. The faster, more advanced processor you purchase, the more things your server will be able to handle simultaneously and more efficiently.

Memory:  Memory is used by your server to store information being using by programs on your server on a short-term basis. The more memory your server has, the better it will be able to multi-task and run programs and processes efficiently. Depending on your operating system and it's architecture there may be limits as to what amount of memory you can run successfully on your server. 32 Bit operating systems generally won't see more than 4 gigabytes of memory.  Also different versions of Windows server can support varying amounts of memory. The list can be seen here.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778%28VS.85%29.aspx#physical_memory_limits_windows_server_2003

64 bit operating systems generally do not have a limit on the amount of memory they can support.

Bandwidth:  Bandwidth is the amount of data transferred to or from your website(s) or server during the monthly billing cycle. If you have a very popular sight with high traffic and lots of media, you most likely would need more bandwidth. Please check with our Sales department for any current specials on bandwidth prices or to see how much bandwidth you might need for your server.

Operating System: Your server will come with one of the operating systems that we offer for the server environment. We offer Windows servers, (2003 and 2008) Linux servers, (Centos and Ubuntu) and Unix servers (Free-BSD). The choice of which operating system to use depends on your needs for web hosting. Each operating system has its advantages and dis-advantages. Our sales staff can help you pick the operating system that is right for your hosting needs.

Web hosting Concepts:

Domain name: A domain name is your identity on the Internet. Some examples include google.com and codero.com.  To get a domain name you will need to purchase the name from a domain name registrar company. There are many registrar companies you can purchase a domain name from. A web search for “domain registrar” will bring up many results to choose from.

DNS: DNS stands for domain name service.  It's primary role is to point IP addresses to domain names. Codero.com is much easier to remember for a website name as opposed to 216.55.128.155. These records are commonly referred to as your “DNS settings” or “DNS records.”  To get DNS to function properly, the are two basic principles you will need to understand. Name Servers, and DNS records.

            Name Servers:  Name Servers are the location of the server that hosts your DNS records. Which name servers your domain is using is configured at your registrar company where you purchased the domain.  Name servers are generally two records.

            For example,  you bought a domain at a domain registrar company.  You then point your domain exampledomain.com to the name servers of

NS1.codero.com 

NS2.codero.com

or the name servers of your choice.

What this does, is tell people's web browsers to go to the servers ns1.codero.com and ns2.codero.com to find the DNS records for your domain. In essence, name servers are like a phone book that has the address of your server.  The Name Servers will contain the DNS records for your server.

            DNS Records: DNS records are the individual records that map your domain name to the IP address of your server. There are many types of DNS records for different purposes. Types of DNS records will be discussed in a different article.  You must have the DNS records set up correctly in the Name Servers for your domain to resolve to your server.  If you have any DNS related questions, please feel free to contact our support department at 877-899-2750.

            Here is a article on how to set up your DNS records in your account at serverportal.com if you are using Codero's name servers.  (NS1.codero.com and NS2.codero.com)

http://www.codero.com/knowledge-base/questions/183/How+to+Setup+DNS+in+Server+Portal

Common Services run a Server:

            Web server:  A web server is the most commonly used service on a Server. The web server is the program that serves your website(s) content to the public. The most common web server programs are IIS for Windows servers and Apache for Linux/Unix servers. Web servers most commonly run on port 80 and 443 on your server.

            FTP server:  FTP stands for file transfer protocol.  FTP is the most commonly used method of transferring files to and from your server. FTP uses port 21 by default.

            Email: An email server can be configured to send and receive electronic mail. Email servers generally use the ports; 25, 110, 143, 465, 587, 993, and 995 for the various protocols associated with email.

            Database(s): Databases are used to store massive amounts of information used by programs in an organized way.  Many popular software programs used on web sites use databases as a back-end for storing information. The most common databases used on servers are MYSQL, MSSQL, and PostgressSQL.

Remote Access: Accessing your server remotely is essential to managing your server. To remotely access your windows server you can use the Remote Desktop protocol which commonly uses port 3389.  

To access your linux/unix server remotely you can use secure shell (SSH) which commonly uses port 22.

Control Panel Management:  Many people use a web based control panel to manage and administer their server. Control panels can make managing and administering a server much easier for users regardless of their skill level in server administration.

We currently offer the Plesk control panel for both windows and linux/unix servers.

We also offer Cpanel for linux/unix servers as well.

Managed vs. Un-Managed servers:

Codero offers both Managed and Un-Managed servers for our customers.

Managed servers offer the customer a environment where they do not have to worry as much about server administration. The managed platform includes ongoing server and software updates and patches, online backups, and built-in data recovery. This option allows the customer to mainly focus on their content of their site and not so much the administration of the server.

Un-Managed servers offer the customer a server that has limitless possibilities. Customers are free to configure the server however they want to meet their specific needs. This option is useful for companies and individuals who know exactly what they need on their server and have the ability to configure and administer the server to such ends.

This article is meant to be an introduction and does not cover these topics in depth.

If you have questions regarding any of this information, please feel free to contact Support by logging into your account at http://serverportal.com and submitting a ticket under ticket management, via Chat at http://codero.com/chat or by calling Support at 877-999-2750 or internationally at 913-890-8250.