Single Server Colocation Hosting | Who Is It For?
Single Server Colocation Hosting | Who Is It For?
Recently we’ve discussed what Colocation Hosting is and what benefits they can bring. So we figure now is a good time to go over who would benefit from Colocation Hosting the most. In this blog we’ll be tackling Single Server Colocation – Stay tuned for Racked Colo.
Single Server Colocation Hosting Recap
Before we start, here’s a quick recap of Single Server Colo in case you’ve not read our previous blogs.
Single Server Colocation is a service where you can utilise a Data Centre’s infrastructure and hosting capabilities to host your servers. The name ‘Single Server’ comes from the option to literally host a singular server. The major benefit of doing this as opposed to self-hosting is a massive reduction in costs – setting up hosting is expensive! It’s then the Data Centre’s job to make sure your server(s) have Power, Internet, Cooling and are secure. You can also physically access your server whenever you need to – although the specifics of this depend on the Colocation provider.
Who is Single Server Colocation Hosting for?
Enough beating around the bush, here’s what you need to know.
Typically Colocation services are aimed at and used by IT Service Providers. However, that’s not to say you can’t use Colo if you aren’t an ISP. This is where Single Server Colo becomes more accessible.
As mentioned earlier, Single Server Colocation lets you host one or a small number of servers, as opposed to a rack full. From our own experience and working with other businesses who use our Colocation we’ve found that:
- Single Server Colo is great for small IT-based businesses
- It’s useful as it can be expanded upon as the business grows (e.g. from 1 to 2 servers)
- Makes having your own server much more cost-effective
- Having 3 or 4 servers under ‘Single Server Colocation’ is still cheaper than paying for a Quarter Rack
How Much Expansion Room Would This Allow?
The good news is that Single Server Colocation Hosting is easy to expand upon. Meaning you can pay to add servers to your hosting as your business needs them.
On a technical level, the amount of servers you can keep adding is the physical capacity the Data Centre has allocated to Single Server Colo. However, in terms of money and getting good value, this is not the case. Once you reach the 3/4 server mark we would recommend thinking about your future expansion. If you expect to keep growing, swapping to your own Quarter Rack would be worth considering. This would make it cheaper and give you more flexibility overall.
If you have any questions about whether you should consider multiple Single Servers or a Quarter Rack, get in touch with us here. We’re happy to answer any questions!
To find out more about our Single Server Colocation, click here.
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Windows Cloud Hosting | What Is It?
Windows Cloud Hosting | What Is It?
Windows Cloud Hosting over the past few years has been getting more and more popular as a Hosting option. But what actually is it?
Virtual Servers
Essentially, Windows Cloud Hosting is a form of a Virtual Server (you might also know this as a Virtual Machine). Virtual Servers, as the name suggests, acts as a form of a standard server – but replaces the need to have a physical machine with virtual resources.
This is a service typically provided by Data Centres. A Data Centre will allocate you a portion of their huge amounts of physical resources that they have, which is configured to act as a server would. You’re basically getting a slice of a physical server. These act and can be used for the same purposes as a real server, except you don’t have to manage or maintain the hardware behind it.
This means you can deploy a virtual server incredibly fast and upgrade the resources it has easily too. This is one of the reasons it’s becoming increasingly popular in the IT Service Provider world.
Why Windows Cloud Hosting?
Just like a real server, a virtual server needs an OS installed on it. Due to making it easier to install a Server OS, we found splitting the service into two separate products the best solution. This left us with Linux Cloud Hosting and Windows Cloud Hosting.
Because the Virtual Server is configured for windows, it means it is easy to upload and install your Server OS. We offer a choice from a local library (including windows, centos, ubuntu etc). Alternatively, you can upload your own ISO.
What are the Benefits of Windows Cloud Hosting?
Due to its virtual nature, Windows Cloud Hosting has an array of benefits over a physical server:
- Quick and easy to deploy a server (no need to bring a server to a Data Centre)
- Easy to upgrade the resources you need (no need to buy parts for a physical server)
- No need to buy expensive server hardware
- Remove/delete servers quickly (no need to fetch a server from a Data Centre)
- Allocate your resources however you want through easy to use client-portal
- Extremely flexible contracts
- Much cheaper than physical Colocation space
- No need to maintain physical hardware (Data Centre does it for you)
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Colocation Survey Results
Colocation Survey Results
A few weeks ago we sent out a very short and quick survey to our Single Server Colocation customers asking about how they’re finding our service overall.
Here is a summary of the results:
Overall we’ve been rated a 9/10 – not so bad if we say so ourselves.
We asked what our customers thought was the most important aspect of Colocation when looking at Data Centres or Colocation providers.
It was almost a unanimous answer in the feedback you gave us, with 80% of answers saying that “Reliability” was the most important thing to consider.
We asked if there was anything we could to do to improve our Colocation services. Almost all the results said that there was nothing and people were very happy with our service. Of course, we’re delighted to hear we’re doing well – we try to make out services as good as we possibly can! There are always things to improve on in the future, so if you think of anything in the future be sure to let us know!
To find out more about our Colocation, click here.
Colocation Server Hosting | The 5 Core Parts
Colocation Server Hosting | The 5 Core Parts
Colocation Server Hosting
We have talked a lot about various forms of Colocation Server Hosting in previous blogs. So for this one, we decide to make something a little different.
These are 5 key aspects of Colocation you should be looking at/asking about when looking for a Colocation Provider.
1 – Reliability
We have asked our own customers what the biggest thing they looked for was when looking at Colocation providers. More than 80% of them said that Reliability was the most important factor. If you think about it, that makes perfect sense. The point of a Colocation Hosting service is to have a Data Centre host your servers and keep them online. Naturally, you will want a service that boasts great uptime and reliability.
2 – Physical Access
Always having access to your server when you need to is very important! You will not believe some of the horror stories we have heard about other Data Centres who won’t let customers visit their servers until it’s convenient for the Data Centre…
That just doesn’t sit right with us. We all know that emergencies and urgent maintenance don’t get conveniently scheduled for opening hours. Most good Data Centre’s will have some form of 24/7 access available. For example, we have 24/7 access for all Rack Colocation Hosting customers, so they can come and go whenever they would like. And then for Single Server Customers, they can visit anytime during opening hours or can pay for out of hours access.
3 – Internet Connection
Nowadays more than ever it’s important to have a reliable and fast internet connection. The speed needed can vary from customer to customer. Typically, even for base speeds at the lower price points, you can expect to have good transfer speeds. Any good Data Centre should be able to offer you the speeds and connection you need. It’s also worth looking at what infrastructure the Data Centre has in place, as this can vastly impact the quality of the connection and service you get.
4 – Cooling
Servers get hot easily – especially during the summer months. That’s why it’s important when looking for a Data Centre for Colocation Hosting, you should check what cooling systems they have in place. There is a variety of options that Data Centre’s can install and use to keep server rooms nice and cool. This can vary from fans, water cooling systems and full temperature-controlled rooms. This is especially important to check if you’re looking at investing in a full rack of servers.
5 – Power
Power is obviously a necessity for servers. That’s why it’s important to make sure the Data Centre you’re looking at using has the right options available.
Between out our knowledge and asking our customers what they like to have, this is what you should be keeping an eye out for:
- Options for A/B power
- UPS (uninterruptible power supplies)
- Generators
- Power usage caps
- Flexible use of power (pay for what you use as opposed to a set amount per month)
- Data Centre Outages (this could be power, or network related – make sure to ask)
The options above when combined give you the best chance of 100% uptime and making sure you have good redundancy in place for your servers.
To find out more about our Colocation, click here.
Any Questions?
If you have any questions about Colocation Hosting, then you give us a shout here.
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Reseller Cloud Hosting – What is it?
Reseller Cloud Hosting
What is Reseller Cloud Hosting?
Reseller Cloud Hosting, as the name suggests, is a form of Cloud Hosting. How this differs from regular Cloud Hosting is that you get a discounted price on virtual resources in turn for buying in larger quantities. This then means you can use your virtual servers and resources how you please. Commonly people will divide these resources and sell smaller Cloud Hosting packages to their customers. This is what gives it the name ‘Reseller Cloud Hosting’.
Why Should I Choose This Over Standard Cloud Hosting?
If you are an individual or a company who only wishes to use the Cloud Hosting for yourselves, then this is not for you.
This is because typically Reseller Cloud Hosting packages contain a large number of resources, usually too much for an individual to use by themselves. And while discounted in price (for the number of resources) this is still more expensive than purchasing a standard Cloud Hosting Package.
However, if you are a small to medium IT Service Provider then this could be perfect for you.
Reseller Cloud Hosting would allow you to buy a bunch of resources for cheaper than normal and then allow you to use them as you wish. As mentioned earlier, typically you would sell these with a premium to your clients and customers.
What Are the Benefits of Reseller Cloud Hosting?
Lower Price – Same Great Quality
Because you would be buying virtual resources in bulk, you receive a nice discount on the price. This allows you to still price your re-sold services competitively and have a nice profit margin. Think about how Supermarkets buy produce in bulk and sell to customers with a premium. The cost of buying instead becomes an investment into your business, that in turn makes more money.
Offer a Service Without Infrastructure & Maintenance.
This one is a BIG one. It is no secret that the cost of building the space and implementing all the infrastructure needed is not cheap. And unless you need a huge amount of servers/resources it often hard for it to the money to cover the costs.
Rather than building it yourself, why not take advantage of a Data Centre that has done all the hard work for you?
Not only would you have to not worry about creating the service/infrastructure, but you also would not have to worry about maintaining the service either. That would be the Data Centre’s job!
Why Don’t We Sell It Ourselves?
We have pointed out that the are a lot of benefits to selling Reseller Cloud Hosting, particularly when it comes to seeing a profit. So why would we not just cut out the middleman and sell it ourselves?
The answer is simple. We like working with other IT Service Providers.
We much prefer to work with other IT-based businesses rather than with end-users. That’s it!
This way we can work as partners and provide the service and support you need, while you can sell an additional service to your existing or new customers. It is a win-win situation!
A Reseller Cloud Hosting Recap
- Buy virtual resources in bulk for a discounted price
- Divide and allocate those resources however you like
- Re-sell Cloud Hosting to your customers for a profit
- No investing in infrastructure or maintenance
- Add a service to what you provide
- Cost of buying becomes an investment that allows you to cover the costs and make a profit on top
- Work in a partnership with another IT Service Provider
If you would like to learn more about our Reseller Cloud Hosting, click here!
Keep Updated
The best way to stay up to date with what we do here at HA Hosting is through our blog or social media: