Web Servers

[The Little Guy]

Do web servers come with hard drives?

When I search newegg, the closest thing I see is:
Max Memory Supported Is this the same thing as the Hard Drive Size?

Im I just confused on what a server is used for?

Here is the one I'm looking at:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16856152019

[A1ien51]

HD don't usually come with them, you normally buy them seperate

Max Memory Supported is how much RAM it can hold.

[A1ien51]

Why in the world do you want one in the first place?

Eric

[The Little Guy]

So... What is the point of having a Dedicated Web server?

What advantages are there?

[A1ien51]

Your the only one on it.

But it costs more than meets the eye.

Eric

[A1ien51]

http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol7/hosting_no3.htm

Eric

[The Little Guy]

I have XAMPP Installed on my computer, and I can have people connect. If I were to get a server would there be any benefits to that or would It be pointless?

[NogDog]

I have XAMPP Installed on my computer, and I can have people connect. If I were to get a server would there be any benefits to that or would It be pointless?
It's all really a matter of scale. "PC" and "Server" are really more functional descriptions of how a computer is set up to be used than physical differences. That being said, a computer which is purpose-built to be optimized for use as a web server will probably have a greater capacity to be modified to higher performance capabilities, such as having the ability to have a greater number of CPUs installed, have more RAM installed, and connect to multiple external storage devices (RAID array, optical disk jukeboxes, etc.), making it easier to scale up the abilities of the server as needed.

But if you get a computer that calls itself a server which has the same CPU, OS, RAM, and network connection as another computer that calls itself a "PC", there will likely be no appreciable difference if you install the same software on each and use it the same way. It's when you "soup it up" with more powerful hardware (and probably additional software to optimize your ability to get all the benefits of that hardware) - and thus spend a lot more money - that there will be big differences between the two.

And of course, no matter how powerful the server/PC is, it won't speed up your internet connection.

[Waylander]

When hosting companies have many web servers running they often have specifically trained dedicated personnel for the task of maintaining the servers and software on them.

Securing a web server is a very important issue because if you run a web server that isn't secured and becomes something like an open mail relay for example (i know that in Australia at least) there are some hefty laws and fines from specific acts about spam.

I would never run a production web server myself. Its a waste of time when you can consider what the cheapest decent hosting plans can cost and even if I needed full control over the server itself a virtual private server is still much more efficient.

Even if I just wanted to use a server at home for a test environment without putting it on the web, I wouldn't get a dedicated rack style server as I know that a single person could not possible hit load capacity on the thing. A slimline PC without a monitor once its set up would be just as effective and much more cheaper.

Waylander.

[Jick]

<off-topic>If I'm not mistaken, I believe this post belongs in the Computer Issues forum. Does it not? I'll go ahead and move it there. Let me know if you have any reasons why it doesn't belong there. I'm not quite sure how I missed this before but I'm taking care of it now.</off-topic>

Back on topic now... ;)

[The Little Guy]

A slimline PC without a monitor once its set up would be just as effective and much more cheaper.

Waylander.
This is the way I am thinking of doing this.