The Benefits Of Server Colocation Services
September 2, 2010 by Mark Nesbitt
Filed under Web Hosting
Server colocation can be an option for businesses or those who have their own dedicated servers but who do not need the large bandwidth expenses which come from possessing lively and popular websites. Essentially, rather than maintaining their servers on location, these organizations have their servers at a server colocation provider where they rent space and bandwidth.
These services are perfect for those companies or people who take care of large websites that get lots of traffic every day, particularly if they get a lot of downloads or uploads through their websites. Generally, they should be utilized where the expense of bandwidth would be more to the business than is the expense of the service. This functions because the bandwidth is shared with the provider who usually pays much less for bandwidth due to the bulk requirements of the provider.
It is occasionally possible to rent a server from the service provider company, which can be useful for companies who don’t have their own dedicated servers. In this case, the organization doesn’t own the server, but will own the data kept on it (this is usually a dedicated server).
There are several things an organization has to determine before selecting such a service. Most importantly, think about your bandwidth requirements. It is advisable to work out the price of bandwidth utilized compared to the cost of the service, as it may turn out cheaper if your bandwidth use isn’t really large enough. This definitely comes down to the use and popularity of the site. Companies which have hugely popular sites that receive lots of regular traffic and thus use lots of bandwidth will frequently find that these services are far less pricey compared to self hosting of servers, or other server options.
The price scales of most of these companies change depending on the physical dimensions of the server (servers are generally within the range of 1U to 7U), larger servers necessarily cost more as they take up additional space (1U works out to around 4.5cm or 1.75 inches). Additional fees include the server connection charge, and the kind of connection used. Connections tend to be known as “pipes” and their size ranges from 1mpbs to around 1000mbps. In general, the larger the connection, the greater the monthly cost.
There are many benefits in using this sort of service. First of all, the supplier of the service is generally prepared to manage troubles and problems that can affect the purpose of the server (this may include, but isn’t restricted to, electricity outages, which are generally covered by a back up service or generator). The second is that server colocation providers will also offer safer storage facilities for your server (than would be had in the home or office environment), this is usually simply because it is essential for the providers to supply the greatest level of security for themselves and their clients.
Click on the links to learn more about the benefits of server colocation services, and how to find a server colocation provider.


