Comparison of Dedicated Server and Cloud Hosting
Q. Can you please help me with making a choice between Cloud Hosting and Dedicated Hosting?
Ans. Choosing a Dedicated server or a Cloud hosting package purely depends on what you wish to host/run. Our Dedicated server would provide you with complete privacy, while with the Cloud Hosting package you would experience high scalability. So if you expect reliability, scalability, and redundancy for your website and applications, a Cloud Hosting plan can be a perfect choice.
You may choose between different dedicated servers, but with Cloud, you are not allowed to choose the hardware. Though, with our Cloud package, you would get to experience all the features of a Dedicated server.
Q. Why is the Cloud Hosting package priced higher than a Dedicated Hosting plan?
Ans. A Plain Cloud is much cheaper than our entry-level dedicated server ie. £34.79 and £91.64 respectively. But as you go on increasing the resources to the default configuration, the applicable charges get added to it. This is applicable to all the other packages as well.
Q. Can you please explain the working of eUKhost Cloud Hosting?
Ans. There are multiple benefits that eUKhost Cloud Hosting servers offer over traditional hosting. Each cluster is set up using multiple dedicated servers and SAN storage. All servers and storages are dual-powered for redundancy. In a Cloud, only 60% resources of each dedicated server are utilized and just 40% of SAN storage space is used. This is to cover up the chances of an unexpected failure of components in the architecture. If any of the dedicated servers in the cluster goes down, there are enough resources on other servers to occupy all the accounts that are present on the malfunctioned hardware in the same cluster. The in-house architecture is designed in a way where in case of such failures, all the Cloud VMs have migrated automatically without causing any downtime to any of the sites, yet providing optimum performance to all of them. We would still be left with enough spare resources to cope with spikes and resource requirements from all the websites hosted over the cluster.
Q. What type of server hardware is used to create a Cloud cluster?
Ans. The server hardware configurations used for setting up a Cloud are such that they would address every need of the users.
Eukhost has partnered with a few of the leading brands in the industry such as Dell and Cisco, for offering best-of-the-best performance to the customers.
Specifications of the servers used in a Cloud are as follows :
- Server Hardware: Dells R410 Servers ( Dual Quad Core Intel Xeon X5650, 2.66 GHz – 6 Core, 12MB cache, 32GB RAM, 2x146GB SAS 15k rpm ).
- Switches used in Eukhost’s Cloud : Cisco Gig Network Switches.
- Hardware Firewalls : Cisco ASA 5500 series Firewalls.
- SAN Storage : 2 Dell MD3000i SAN’s.
Q. What is the total number of accounts hosted in a Cloud?
Ans. There is no limit set by us on the number of accounts on Cloud Servers. This is due to the very basic fact that different accounts have different requirements and since the Cloud is a cluster of multiple dedicated servers, the availability of resources for each account is not a concern. Having said that, you would get the usable resources that you have paid for. Further, if you purchase a control panel with the Cloud Hosting package, you are granted an unlimited software license using which you can set up multiple accounts based on your requirements. However, this should not be misunderstood as you are allowed to host infinite accounts under a single Cloud account. Ample resources are offered to set up a number of accounts at each package level, but once you reach a certain level of resource usage, you need to consider upgradation of your currently available resources. The upgrade process is smooth and free of any hassles. Once you pay the difference in the amounts, your account would be set up based on your requirements hence the time taken for it might vary accordingly.
Q. I have not used a Cloud hosting server before but have a dedicated server currently. Should I switch over to a Cloud?
Ans. If you already are using a dedicated server and are happy with its performance, we would not recommend you to downgrade to a Cloud plan. Despite all the other facts, dedicated servers still hold the top position in the hierarchy. Since you are the only one using the server, you are at the privilege of using it as per your requirements. Unlike Dedicated servers, the cloud is based on a shared hosting methodology where multiple dedicated servers are connected in a network and the resources of all are combined together to serve the requirements of websites/applications hosted in it. Complete isolation of each account is maintained hence giving it an upper hand over shared and VPS hosting solutions.
Q. What are the Differences between Dedicated Hosting and Cloud Hosting?
Ans. Following is a list of differences between dedicated hosting and Cloud :
- Usually, the dedicated hosting servers are equipped with storage space that is enough for hundreds of websites. But, it involves a large financial investment, only if you are able to match investments with returns, you should opt. for it. Dedicated servers are usually preferred by large businesses having huge requirements.
- Cloud hosting, on the other hand, offers more-or-less the same features as that of a dedicated server, but is much more affordable as the architecture cost is shared between the number of accounts set-up up there. Plus you get to choose the resources according to your needs.
- In case you have a business with specific requirements of hardware or software necessary for the functionality of your website, a dedicated server can be an appropriate choice. But if you do not have any such expectations in particular and are more concerned about uptime, scalability, and reliability, choosing a Cloud hosting package can be the most viable solution to best suffice your needs.
Q. What software do you specifically use for offering Cloud functionality?
Ans. At eUKhost, we use HyperV and VMWare to set up a Cluster of clouds.
Please click the following link to know more about the VMware versus Hyper V comparison.
Q. What are the OS platforms available over a Cloud?
Ans. You may choose between Linux and Windows for Cloud Hosting.
The following Linux distros :
- CentOS 5.x
- Debian 5 (cPanel not supported)
- Ubuntu 9.x (cPanel not supported)
- Fedora Core 10
The following are the Windows versions offered with our WindowsVMware Cloud
- Window 2008 Standard (32 bit)
- Window 2008 Standard (R2 x64)
- Window 2008 Enterprise (32 bit)
The following is a list of Operating Systems offered with our Windows Hyper-V Cloud
- Windows 2008 Standard Edition (32 bit)
- Window 2008 Standard (R2 x64)
- Window 2008 Enterprise (32 bit)
Note : The default price of the packages would defer with the choice of Operating System.
Q. What are the control panels supported with Cloud Hosting Package ?
Ans. The following table describes the control panels supported with each Cloud Hosting type :
| Hyper-V Cloud – Windows | VMware Cloud – Linux | VMware Cloud – Windows | |
| Plesk | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| cPanel | No | Yes | No |
If you wish to to know anything more apart from the information mentioned above, please visit the following pages :
- Cloud Web Hosting QAs
- eUKhost Cloud Hosting Features
- Cloud Servers/Cloud Hosting FAQs