Why Choose a Dedicated NT Server?
Why Choose a Dedicated NT Server By Daniel D Dwase...
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When it comes to choosing a dedicated server for your business or hosting needs, it often involves a number of complex choices which can affect your business dramatically.
For the novice administrator, there are a range of bewildering business critical choices to make, and one of the most important starts with the choice between a dedicated NT server and dedicated Linux servers.
The choice between Windows and Linux is one of the most commonly debated arguments today.
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Proponents of both argue that each is more secure and they both have countless benefits.
However, when it comes to making the call and choosing between the two, it's often a call that many are loathe to make.
Windows has a rather undeserved reputation for being a ‘buggy’ operating system, and for the most part Microsoft has revived the NT server brand thanks to years of quality development.
Today a Windows Server is just as reliable as any Linux alternative. However, it also provides some level of familiarity as while dedicated NT servers are nothing like a workstation PC, they do share some similarities which will certainly make administration easier.
With Linux, you're thrown to a command prompt which can be a bewildering and also somewhat dangerous proposition if your business does not have a Linux expert.
It's more than just a case of choosing which operating system is more user-friendly however; it's all about ensuring that the dedicated NT server will meet your needs.
This means looking at the software packages your business needs to run and ensuring that you have a server that fits the bill.
This is because often many Windows server products have additional dependencies such as SQL Server and more. As a result, make sure to work out any additional licenses that you require and work them into your budget.
One of the old arguments between Windows server operating systems and Linux is that Linux is free. In the truest sense of the word, this may be true, but every business decision has a recurring impact on your profit.
For shared webhosting, Linux is an ideal operating system as it has turned the hosting market upside down and finally made shared hosting more accessible thanks to the fact that it has allowed for expert administrators to rapidly deploy tremendously cheap dedicated servers.
When it comes to dedicated hosting however, Linux is not a set it and forget it type operating system.
Unless you're choosing a 100% managed solution and simply using webhosting on the dedicated server, then there will be additional costs in the form of administration and security, not to mention the additional time required to ensure all those needs are met.
With Windows however, administrators are given the benefit of user-friendly administration as well as automatic updates and even in the worst case scenario, manually installing security hot-fixes and other updates is considerably quicker than on Linux.
While it certainly means that your business will have to pay additional licensing fees, you may actually save a considerable amount when compared to hiring a full time Linux expert, as it's a well-known fact that hiring Linux professionals is considerably more expensive than Windows Server professionals.
Today, there are countless dedicated NT Server providers that offer all sorts of specifications based on your company's needs.
Whether that's a Windows based dedicated streaming server or a remote active directory machine that can deliver exchange to corporate network and remote workers, there are solutions available which are highly affordable and can scale to any size of a company.
When it comes to pricing a dedicated server, the best dedicated server isn't necessarily the cheapest.
With Windows, it's important to take into consideration the fact that it is slightly more demanding in terms of hardware requirements, so it's important to budget that little bit more in order to give your business scalability.
Speaking from a security perspective, NT dedicated servers are not nearly as bad as they're made out to be however, it's important to ensure that security precautions have been taken in order to prevent exploits.
When it comes to securing business grade servers, often the best choice is in the form of an external hardware firewall. While the server itself does have firewall technology, it should always be considered the last line of defense.
Windows servers may be expensive and they have additional hidden costs, but overall they can be very powerful assets in enhancing your company's productivity, because there are a number of award winning applications that a dedicated NT server would give your company the ability to use.
Solutions such as BizTalk server, Microsoft Exchange and also SharePoint all serve to empower and encourage businesses to work more effectively.
Combined with other solutions such as Microsoft Dynamics, which is an award winning ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning ) and CRM (Contact Management Solutions), a Windows server can open the door to many possibilities.
From a developer's standpoint, Windows also enables ASP.NET which is an immensely powerful way to develop a website.
In fact, in some cases it is even more powerful than its number one competitor, PHP. Considering the fact that a dedicated Windows NT server can run both PHP and ASP.NET if your business can afford it, a Windows server will give you a great deal of flexibility.
When it comes to making the choice for your company, there are countless things to decide over, but the most important advice is not to overcomplicate the situation.
If your businesses requirements are for a dedicated webhosting server that will be managed by a third party, then perhaps a fully managed Linux server may be ideal.
If however, you're looking for a way to leverage the power of the Internet, then the flexibility and freedom of a Windows NT dedicated server may be exactly what you need.
Ultimately, the only real considerations exist solely based on budget. Taking into account your businesses needs and requirements, it's simply a case of looking at what's available by looking at the usual factors for dedicated hosting; make sure that you also look at scalability as an option for the future.
The Windows NT family of servers has been around for decades and the latest version is now Windows Server 2008 R2.
Microsoft's latest server operating system includes many enhancements and security features that may very well make this the most secure server operating system ever.
Coupled with the advanced virtualization capabilities present on Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows dedicated servers have never been so powerful.
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