Managed servers

A managed server is a reliable computer that has been set up for web sites and/or email with the expert resources included to maintain it round the clock.

Who needs a managed server?

Any company that does not have an I.T. staff and prefer not to deal with the headaches of maintaining a server or anything involved with the technical aspects of having a server should opt for a managed server. It enables companies to outsource their technology requirements.

Managed servers are also the right solution for any website that has outgrown a shared hosting account, needs dedicated resources, runs processor intensive scripting, requires customized software installations and for those sites that require the added security of being the only ones accessing the server.

A managed server is also a dedicated server for a high resource account that is actively managed by a reputed company. Instead of just a server handed out to a customer, such a company will take care of the set up, software installation, security monitoring, backups and technical support that is needed to help focus the business growth. It eliminates the headaches and other miscellaneous costs that are associated with having to run the server.

Managed servers are housed in tier-1 data center and connected through a redundant network. The usual turnaround time for a server is around a week or 10 days of having received the firm order. In some cases, even root access is available on request. However, this is normally not done as it makes hard for the support staff to handle all aspects of the server whereas the hosting company must have root access at all times to maintain system security and monitoring. Incidentally, any application required may be installed at very little or no extra charge.

Here are some of the popular items available in the market.

• CELERON 2.4 GHz (400 MHz FSB): 384 MB DDR RAM: 40 GB EIDE drive: 100 GB monthly transfer. It is ideal for moderate traffic websites that require dedicated resources.
• PIV 2.4 GHz (800 MHz FSB): 512 MB DDR ECC RAM: 80 GB EIDE drive: 200 GB monthly transfer. For higher traffic websites that require more resources and higher transfer limits.
• PIV 3.0 GHz (800 MHz FSB): 1GB DDR ECC RAM: 36 GB SCSI drive: 40 GB backup drive: 400 GB monthly transfer. This is good for high traffic websites where performance is critical.