Hotel, Rental, Condominium: The Different Types of Web Hosting
15/12/2019
Yes, we’re talking about "web" hosting here: solutions for utilizing online processing and storage space, meaning connected to the internet.
The nod to different types of hosting in the more classic sense is both a metaphor to provide a visual indication of the particularities of the available choices and because their technical equivalents (shared, virtual, dedicated) are much less clear.
Shared Hosting (the Hotel)
Shared hosting is like a hotel room: everything is taken care of for you in exchange for limited freedom and privacy. There are also various levels of comfort (and price).
The main drawbacks of shared hosting are the imposed technical choices and limited access to underlying systems. The first limitation must be considered when choosing hosting to ensure its characteristics are compatible with the minimum requirements for your intended use. The second limitation becomes apparent in case of issues, when investigation possibilities and tools are lacking or when you want to move.
The second drawback of shared hosting is the risk of "noisy neighbors," and here the technical and classic terms align. Indeed, resources (processor, memory, disk, network) are shared among multiple users. If one user starts performing heavy processing with frequent disk access and significant network exchanges, the performance of all other users’ hosting is significantly degraded. Of course, there are limitations, but they don’t always prevent abuse.
Regarding the privacy of shared hosting, it’s simple: it’s perfectly adequate between users but nonexistent with respect to the host.
Shared hosting does, however, offer a significant advantage: all technical aspects are handled by the host: installation, configuration, backups, monitoring, and troubleshooting.
Dedicated Server (the Condominium)
In contrast to shared hosting, a dedicated server offers maximum freedom, both in technical choices and system access. You have an entire computer to yourself and can do whatever you want with it. The obvious downside is that you have to do everything yourself and take full responsibility.
There are still "common areas," hence the analogy with a condominium, including the network connection to the internet and the "data center" (building, power supply, etc.), which remain under the control and management of the provider, as well as physical interventions on the machine, such as replacing a disk, memory, or other computer components.
However, privacy is maximal. It’s not total, though, as the host has physical access to the machine: a small accidental failure, and they could take the opportunity to copy the disk. The interruption would be visible to the dedicated server’s owner, but not what happened during the general anesthesia.
Virtual Server (the Rental)
This is a hybrid of the two previous options. You get the same advantages (and constraints) as a dedicated server, but it’s actually a shared fraction of a dedicated server.
You encounter the drawbacks of shared hosting: the potential impact of "noisy neighbors" and limited privacy, as storage spaces are freely (and discreetly) accessible to the machine’s administrator. On the other hand, while hardware failures can still have negative consequences, they are managed by the host.
Which to Choose?
The choice between shared hosting, a virtual server, or a dedicated server is primarily a matter of skills rather than price. You need the skills of a professional computer scientist to manage a dedicated or virtual server. So, for those who lack these skills, the choice is quickly made.
Next, it’s a matter of requirements: if you seek maximum privacy, for example, for managing sensitive personal data, a dedicated server is by far preferable, even if it means relying on the skills of a professional IT service provider. This remains advantageous in all cases.