Managed Dedicated Servers

If you've got a busy site, or perhaps one with lots of content, then your hosting needs might be best addressed by a dedicated server. If you've never administered a server before, you may find that you're in over your head. You will have to ensure that it is configured in a secure manner, with the latest (hopefully most secure) versions of the significant operating system and network utilities, keep the software updated, check the log files for any weirdness and generally keep a watchful eye on the server. If you've never done it before, then there's a good chance that you will miss something significant. It would be best for you to get a managed dedicated server. A managed server is generally "kept up to date" by the server company, with significant software updates applied by the vendor. If someone finds a new way to crack into your operating system or web server software, chances are that they won't be doing it on your server. But... word spreads quickly, and the bad guys often automate their cracks to go searching the internet, looking for vulnerable machines. A managed server will most likely be patched up, and made invulnerable to attack before the public learns about the vulnerability.

Managed servers are also good because the vendor's technicians can be used to help troubleshoot a server if you've got problems with it, or to help undo any errors which you might make in running your server.