Dedicated server.

what does it take?

[robertito62]

Moving from virtual to dedicated seems like a big jump.

Could anyone share what does it take? What needs to be learned? How many hours a day managing a server requires? What are the most common obstacles when someone starts from scratch...

Scared to death.

[crashomon]

Hi, if you're scared to death, then maybe you shouldn't do this. (I mean, is death worth it? just kidding!) I see that you've got over 400 postings on here, so I presume you have a good idea of what being a webmaster is all about?

Go on google: search DIY webmaster and search in here. You'll find lots of material.

It would help to have a good grasp on your needs/goals and to tell us what those are before asking questions about what it takes, time dedication etc.

For example, running a family site is one thing, running an adult-pay-site is another. Each website has its own needs and only you can determine that.

I've managed virtual and hosted sites and today's webmaster tools make it extremely easy and very flexible (not to mention cost-effective). I've also managed an in-house dedicated site running three servers and believe me, unless you're ready for 24/7 management and continuous education/monitoring to keep the hackers out, you may want to reconsider the self-hosted idea.

Not to scare you, but these things take time to understand. Asking questions is good, but asking good, pointed questions and giving us some background is better. Some of us can help you out, but we need more information . . . .

Patrick Elward

[PhraSEOlogy]

I went from virtual to dedicated and boy was it a good move!

Okay, there is a learning curve. The way I hadled it was to set up the dedicated server and get used to it BEFORE putting sites live.

Once you get used to having complete control of the server and all of its features you will be glad you made the move.

Thats my experience - it may be different for you.

I went for a server with a LAMP config (Linux,Apache,Mysql,Perl) In my opinion nothing else is better for the DIY webmaster.

P.S. I still keep virtual servers for some of my other less demanding sites.

[celerityfm]

Good topic.

While we're on it, what would be a good rule of thumb as to *when* to move to a dedicated server? I guess the answer is "when your site seems to be running too slowly" or "when your ISP kicks you off the shared server" .. but I'm wondering if there are any guidelines to go on to move to the dedicated before any of these things happen.

Suggetions, comments?

[abertone]

I went with a "managed" dedicated server. It is a bit more per month, but if I can't figure something out, 24x7 support is a phone call or email away.

It really helped smooth the transition.

-Andrea

[robertito62]

Thank you Patrick, PhraSEOlogy, Andrea and all.

Sorry for the late response... been away.

Patrick, not scared, but you made me realized this will take time, so the suggestion for a "managed dedicated" seems the way to go.

Already checking into DIY resources. Awesome! I will be posting more here.