Web Hosting Glossary Terms: Dedicated Server

A dedicated server, as the name eludes to, is a form of web hosting that allows an individual or business the complete use of an entire server. While a VPS offers a lot of the same benefits it still only offers a partitioned portion of the physical server for each account but a dedicated server, sometimes referred to as a private server, offers the complete physical capabilities including the storage capacity of that server.

A dedicated server is the ultimate in web hosting allowing for the installation of any software, the storage of any files or documents, and complete control over exactly what happens on that server. Dedicated servers are usually leased on an annual basis allowing the added benefit that the physical unit is maintained by the data centre owner or the web host as well as the fact that there is no need to find the storage space with appropriate climate for the storage of your own server. You can also usually gain access to a new server on a regular basis or have your existing server upgrades as part of the dedicated server package.

A dedicated server will not usually prove necessary except for the very largest and most populous of websites or those that require the complete security that can be offered with a dedicated server. The majority of websites struggle to use their storage capacity on a shared hosting account and for those that reach these limits, a VPS is the next step up.