What is a Co-Located Server?
A co-located server is a server that is owned by an individual (or more commonly, a business) and housed in a web hosting company’s data center. The web hosting company provides the power, IP addresses and Internet connection, but the owner is responsible for everything else – such as the software used on the server, and the hardware itself.
Operating a co-located server is not something you should get involved with unless you have years of experience of site hosting. It is considered a big step up from a dedicated server package, and the many potential pitfalls mean co-located servers are only really for big businesses that have the necessary knowledge and money available.
The server owner is responsible for ordering the required hardware configuration when they purchase the server, so should allow for future expansion, as upgrading will not be easy once the server is up and running. An on-site maintenance plan should also be put into operation, otherwise hardware problems could bring the server (and the web site(s) running on it) down, making them unusable until they have been fixed.
The company that owns the co-located server is also responsible for both the application software and operating software used on the server. The advantage of this is that the owners only need to install the software which they require. The downside is that they are responsible for maintenance and support, patching and updating the software as necessary – all of which takes time and money to do. The server will also need to be configured to the host’s network connections.
When looking to purchase a co-located server, there are several points to look at. You should make certain that there are multiple data connections available – as some will be required as back up in the event of system failure. You should have experienced staff available 24/7 to monitor performance, and back-up power sources in case of a power failure. Your server should be housed in a room with a good cooling system - as overheating is a prominent risk, and as well as good site security you should be covered with a thorough insurance policy.
As you are running your own server, under its own configurations, the web hosting company will not be able to be a great deal of help to you, and will expect that you have your own experienced support team to iron out any problems. Essentially, they are merely renting you the server and storing it for you. As the server will be vital to the performance of your business, you should make sure that you have 24/7 access to the data center, as problems can occur at any time. It is also important to make sure that the data center staff is able to re-boot your server in the event of a crash. Sometimes you can pay an extra payment to the hosting company, in return for greater levels of support.
If you are running a medium-large business, which has a busy website with a lot of traffic and content, then you may want to consider a co-located server. A co-located server can take you’re your business to a new level and benefit you in many ways, but remember that you will be responsible for almost all aspects of maintenance and running the server.