A dedicated server is a type of solution offered by a cloud service provider, or web hosting company. It is a physical server that is leased to the customer without any virtualization or software layers. It is now generally referred to as a bare-metal server, in reference to it solely containing hardware components and no add-ons. With cloud computing solutions like this, companies can get a physical server that is hosted with a cloud provider, but maintain full control over how it is used. The provider is responsible for maintaining the hardware, ensuring physical security, and guaranteeing round-the-clock internet access. They do all of this in a datacentre — a building dedicated to storing and operating IT servers on a large scale.

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Did you know?

The technology known as cloud computing is actually based on physical servers attached to a virtualization layer. This means you can create your very own cloud with our dedicated servers.

Why use a dedicated server?

A dedicated server is recommended if you want a fully customisable solution. It offers the highest degree of raw performance, which is perfect for high computing or storage requirements, for example. Unlike standard web hosting packages, which are designed to host websites, a dedicated server gives you the power to host much larger-scale projects. For example, you can use your dedicated servers to build a bespoke infrastructure, or add a virtualization layer to set up a fleet of virtual machines. The possibilities are limitless with dedicated servers, which makes them suited to any and all use cases.

The advantages of a dedicated server

Cost control

For a business, there are clear economic benefits to renting a dedicated server rather than buying a computing server. You do not need to invest in expensive hardware equipment, technical premises and maintenance staff. By renting a dedicated server, you can get the very latest components on the market at a low cost. This means you can choose the best performance for your processor (CPU), graphics card (GPU), RAM (Random Access Memory) and storage disks (NVMe SSD for example).

Saves time

If you have your own bare metal servers or on-premises datacentre, you are responsible for ensuring constant monitoring and maintenance. In the event of a technical failure, an employee must go to wherever the server is hosted, find the hardware failure, and fix it quickly. If the hardware to be replaced is not in stock, the employee will also need to place an order and ensure that the components are available.

By opting for a dedicated server, all these steps are taken care of by our expert maintenance teams, and all the necessary hardware is readily available. For example, in the event of a disk failure, a technician will be alerted and will replace it.

Reliable

A physical server on the company premises can be exposed to various hazards. A human error, a power outage or a network outage can make services inaccessible. In a cloud provider’s datacentre, essential elements like the network and electricity have redundant connections. In the event of an outage, secondary hardware can take over. The high availability of a dedicated server is usually guaranteed via a service level agreement (SLA).

Versatile

Unlike solutions that meet specific needs, dedicated servers are not restricted in their use. As a customer, you get root access, so you can configure the server as if it were your own machine. You can install your choice of operating system (OS), or choose from the comprehensive list of operating systems and distributions we offer. Similarly, there are no restrictions on the use of software or programming languages.

Services and features

As a professional web hosting company, the server provider can also offer a range of additional services and features. These services are designed to meet customers’ needs, and cover a number of requirements — including backup solutions, advanced security solutions, a private network, and even a high-performance anti-DDoS service.

Dedicated servers at unbeatable prices.

To guarantee you the best prices, we have chosen only to keep
the essential components and services for our Kimsufi server range.

100Mbit/s unlimited bandwidth
Available in France and Canada
Ticket support

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Dedicated server vs VPS

Dedicated servers and virtual private servers (VPS) are designed for different use cases, and involve different types of management. A VPS is a virtualized server, powered by software from a physical server. This means that multiple VPSs can be deployed on a single server.

This highlights the main advantage of a VPS — it is much more affordable. Since a VPS uses only a fraction of the resources used by a dedicated server, its price is much lower. It is well-designed for use with applications that require fewer resources. This can be the case for a website or business application, for example.

Flexible administration and a range of environments

Both solutions share a similar level of administration, apart from the choice of operating system. You can install an OS manually on a dedicated server, whereas a VPS comes with a list of operating systems and distributions to choose from. Nonetheless, OVHcloud VPS services offer a wide range of options to choose from, including the most popular operating systems.

Two usage levels

Dedicated Server

Hosting high-traffic websites that require a comprehensive, secure infrastructure.
Hosting critical applications.
Online game servers for game developers, distributors and resellers.
Business infrastructures with private internal connections.
High-performance computing.
Big data.
Machine learning.

VPS

Hosting websites with average traffic.
Web or business application hosting.
Private video game servers for gaming communities.
Test environments.
Extranet and intranet.

What is a dedicated server?