Have you ever thought about hosting your own web
server? Before you take that step this
is a good article to look at the pros and cons of such a move. The article is in three parts. Welcome back to part 3 today. Yesterday we looked at what to buy. Today we look at where to put it. Let me know how useful you find this article
with a comment below.
Hosting Your Own Web Server: Things to Consider –
Part 3
By: Ant Onaf
Where to put it?
·
Locate a location within your home that is static-free, we do not want
to put the server on the carpet, near curtains, or anything else that can
produce a static reaction. The reason for this is that you do not want the
server internal components to receive a static charge and short circuit.
·
The location should be a cool environment, preferably below room
temperature. The reason for a cool area is because servers (as well as desktop
computers) produce large amounts of heat, the more heat it produces the more it
needs to cool off. If the server is not kept cool, then this can lead to the server
hanging and then eventually crashing. It's the same result of when a car
overheats, it stops running. You can keep a server internal components cool by
keeping the room cool, additionally you can add more fans to the server which
cools the server internal components, you can also position a standalone fan
directly at the server back panel and constantly have the fan cool the server
internal components. Depending on how cool your room is and how much heat your
server produces, getting more fans for your server may be a must and not an
option.
·
It is suggested that the server is at a higher level within your house
(mid-floor), because if it is in the basement and a flood occurs it could ruin
it. If it is in the attic and the sun beams on the attic for hours the server
could overheat. Mid-floor level is usually the cooler place within the home,
but these recommendations is optional and you should put the server in the most
comfortable and convenient space following the rest of the guidelines.
·
Be sure the area you choose is not damp or wet (no leaks, moisture, near
any liquids, or near a window ??especially open??). We all know what can happen
when electrical components get wet.
·
The server should sit at least 4 inches from the ground
·
Be sure a working electrical outlet is near. It is an important to have
a power supply, a good brand is APC. Having a power supply can save you from
electrical outages, blackouts, and brownouts. Having a power supply helps the
server keep its power, remain stable, and unaffected when there is an outage,
as well it protects your server against electrical shock. If your outage
remains more than 5 minutes it is recommended to begin backing up anything
deemed important and shut the computer down voluntarily as well as any other
electrical attached devices.
·
Have a LAN line near and also a phone jack (if you plan on using the
server for any dial-up services). It is not recommended to use your web service
with a dial-up connection. A broadband connection or greater is recommend for
optimal performance. The LAN line should never come from your wall and plug
directly into your server, it should plug into a hardware firewall (usually a
router with a built-in firewall).
·
Depending on the size of the server and the internal components the
server may be extremely noisy and loud, especially with the fans going. It is
suggested to have the server in a secluded location which is not near any
peaceful area of the house, such as: bedroom.
Those are all some basic things to consider before
hosting your own server. Hosting your own server is not an easy task, but once
you have had some time and experience with it, it becomes a breeze. You will
have a better web hosting experience, you will be more in tune and reliant to
your customers, and you will gain greater technical aptitude. Hosting your own
web server is rewarding, useful, and gives you the opportunity to host
unlimited websites, databases, services, etc.
If your web traffic becomes too great for your
server then it is recommended to choose an offsite web host. It is recommend to
purchase a dedicated server with a quality web host. If you choose a server
with the above recommendations then your server traffic should be fine for at
least up to 25,000,000 page views per month. It could be greater or less
depending on your operating system, your server configuration, performance,
applications, and services. The point is you should be well in a position to
purchase dedicated server space by the time your traffic gets too high, because
if you are getting anything close to 1,000,000 page views a month you should
have some competitive advertising or ecommerce income. And plus, with the
knowledge you will gain from the experience you will be able to support your
own server at a dedicated server (remote) location, thus cutting more
overhead.
The biggest disadvantage of hosting your own web
server is the uptime reliability. If your web server powers down for any reason
then your website is offline. Usually web hosting companies have methods and
networks to prevent this failure from affecting your website. Usually if the
system goes down they have a mirror location where your site is rejuvenated and
doesn??t experience much downtime. Some web hosts do not practice this method
or any other fault tolerance. Imagine if a blackout or power outage occurs,
then your web server could be down for hours or even days, this can affect your
business greatly. There are some hosting companies who provide mirror web
hosting for a small fee, I haven??t found one that is reliable yet. Or you
could cross your fingers and hope for the best, until you are able to host your
server outside your home on a larger network.
Hosting your own server usually is not a
money-saving experience. It sometimes cost more to host your own server, when
you total the up keep and maintenance. The benefit of hosting your own server
is usually a better platform for your customers, because it is no longer a
shared server and it gives you the ability to make global changes almost
instantaneously. When your customers request more performance or specific
applications, then you will be able to implement this immediately. Customers
like to know that you are in control. If you tell your customers that the
server will be down for maintenance from 6 a.m. ?C 7 a.m. then it would be best
if that is when your server is down, not from 5 a.m. ?C 10 a.m. You know how
your web host will tell you one thing and then you have to try explaining it to
your customer. In the end it will benefit you to host your own web server as a
web business, this helps you and your customers.
Author Bio
Ant Onaf is is in association with Data Center Life which is an employment portal for Data Center Jobs. Ant Onaf is an online internet marketer, web advertiser, content writer, and IT consultant. He has years of IT related experience and internet related experience. His ingenuity, dedication, and passion for technology, internet marketing, & writing has made him a monumental icon in the World Wide Web. His blog can be visited at www.journalhome.com/AntOnaf
Ant Onaf is is in association with Data Center Life which is an employment portal for Data Center Jobs. Ant Onaf is an online internet marketer, web advertiser, content writer, and IT consultant. He has years of IT related experience and internet related experience. His ingenuity, dedication, and passion for technology, internet marketing, & writing has made him a monumental icon in the World Wide Web. His blog can be visited at www.journalhome.com/AntOnaf
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Source: By Ant Onaf
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