Setup and operation of dedicated servers - this is how it works

As explained in our last blog, a dedicated server is a standalone physical computer server. Dedicated servers or root servers are often referred to as bare metal servers to distinguish physical servers from virtual servers. A dedicated server has only one tenant, so it is used exclusively by one company or only for a specific purpose. For example, a company may run its online shop on a dedicated server, with all other applications running on other servers.

The exclusive use allows the company to use the entire technical performance of the server such as RAM, hard disk capacity, CPU power and the entire network bandwidth solely for its projects. When managing a dedicated server, the operator is completely free to decide which software to use. Dedicated servers are mainly used for larger online projects with above-average traffic or as backup servers.

In this blog post you will learn more about the characteristics of dedicated servers, their setup, setup and maintenance and why it pays to work with a reliable IT infrastructure provider for hosting and operating dedicated servers.

Advantages of dedicated servers

A dedicated server is only assigned to one customer or project and therefore does not need to be shared. Thus, no other users can cause downtime or outages. It is also assumed that dedicated servers are beneficial in the area of search engine optimization. Since the server has its own IP address and no other companies or projects are hosted on the same server, a higher quality signal is sent to the Google search engine.

A dedicated server is always worthwhile if a comprehensive online project is to be implemented or a service central to the continued existence of the company is to be operated. Dedicated servers make sense for online shops with a high volume of visitors or a large selection of products as well as community platforms and highly frequented forums, for example. You should rely on dedicated servers if your online project involves an excessive number of computationally intensive tasks in a small time window. These can be websites or platforms that, like ticket sellers in pre-pandemic times, expect an extremely high number of hits within a few minutes to start selling concert tickets of popular bands, have a complex administrative structure or where there are regularly many database queries that are performed simultaneously. Dedicated servers can also be used as a backup.

Depending on the size of the web project, dedicated servers with Quad Core, Eight Core or Twelve Core are recommended. The designations are based on the number of CPU cores and as an entry server for Windows and Linux environments four cores ("Quad Cores") are sufficient, while for small virtualization environments and database servers of small or medium size 8 cores are recommended and for demanding virtualization environments and extensive databases 12 cores are recommended.

What it takes to set up a dedicated server

The following elements are required:

For the setup of the dedicated server on Linux you will receive an email from the server provider with the corresponding password and root access. With root access you connect to the server via the secure communication protocol SSH.

When setting up the dedicated server on Windows, the first steps are similar: When the dedicated server is set up for the first time, an email is sent with the corresponding password and administrator access. This information is required to log on to the server using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). After logging in, Windows guides you through the initial configuration.

After setting up and configuring the dedicated server, you should change the default SSH port and password and create a new system user with limited access for daily use.

With a managed dedicated server, the customer rents an entire server from an infrastructure or hosting provider that is used only for his company or only for one project. This allows more flexibility than a server shared with other users. With us, you can choose dedicated servers with a variety of operating systems, CPU power, hard disk, SSD, RAM as well as our network options and create a root server tailored to your individual requirements. We will talk to you personally to find out about your needs and design a tailor-made solution. Regardless of the size or performance of the dedicated server, our customers with Managed Services benefit from the redundant structure of our data center. Multiple storages means that data is better protected.

Choosing the right partner for a Managed Dedicated Server

Those who want to run their IT environment on a dedicated server and at the same time benefit from the proven facilities and security measures of an established IT infrastructure or hosting provider have the option of housing. This means that the hardware is housed in the data center of an IT infrastructure provider. The external partner is responsible for hosting the dedicated server and you can hand over the responsibility for ensuring the ideal conditions for the dedicated server. The IT infrastructure provider makes sure that correct conditions exist for the hardware housed in the external data center. This includes, for example, sufficient space, the right climate settings, and physical security measures. In our virtual data center, all servers are also protected by a firewall and the servers are monitored at all times. The external partner takes care of updates and patches, monitors the dedicated server, and often also carries out vulnerability and malware scans.

When choosing an external partner, the location of the data centers also plays an important role: access to data, as practiced by US companies without judicial control by means of the American Patriot Act, for example, is not permitted in Switzerland. Local providers comply with Swiss data protection laws and can therefore guarantee the highest data security standards. Our infrastructure is located in ISO-certified data centers in Zug and Zurich and is subject to Swiss data protection laws.

Conclusion

With a dedicated server, a company can use the entire technical performance of the server, such as memory, hard disk capacity, CPU power and network bandwidth, solely for its projects. Dedicated servers are mainly used for larger online projects with above-average traffic or as backup servers. The maintenance of a dedicated server involves a great deal of effort, as the correct physical conditions must be ensured, security must be provided and regular patches and updates must be carried out.

With a Managed Dedicated Server, the customer rents an entire server from an infrastructure or hosting provider, which is used only for his company or only for one project. Thus, one benefits from one's own server in a proven environment. With Housing an external partner is responsible for hosting the dedicated server and you can hand over the responsibility for ensuring the ideal conditions for the dedicated server. Working with an external IT infrastructure provider like us guarantees that patches and updates are done regularly and that the potential of the dedicated server can be fully exploited.