Many businesses (especially SOHO's and SME's) are unable to meet the resource requirements required to manage
their systems 24X7. In order to be successful, a company whose online presence is an integral part of its
business must successfully implement and maintain the following:
Web Site Hosting
Remote application monitoring and
support
Database back-up, maintenance,
and recovery
Bandwidth measurement and scaling
Server hardware and software
Router(s) and other communication equipment that connects your server to the Internet
Firewall, and other security hardware and applications
Racks, cabling, and server-friendly facilities
Uninterruptible power supply and generator to ensure backup in case of power failure.
Hiring an in-house staff to maintain all this is prohibitively expensive, so outsourcing
these infrastructure needs to a third-party can be a very cost-effective option. However, as more and more
organizations claim to offer "managed services" it becomes difficult to determine between a MSP (Managed
Services Provider) and a managed host.
What is a managed host?
Managed hosts monitor and maintain all of the infrastructure issues that are integral in hosting a
site or application on the Internet. Unlike MSP's, which offer the applications themselves, a managed host
procures, configures, installs, and maintains the necessary servers, firewalls, and other devices that the
customer's architecture requires, including the operating system, and any backend database and server
support required to make the site functional (such as Oracle and Apache for example).:
Once configured, the managed host connects the server to the Web via its own network,
where it is monitored on a 24 hour basis. In essence, a managed host takes on the responsibility for maintaining
your infrastructure: if a hard drive fails, the host replaces it; if a server dies, the host swaps it; if
there's a spike in traffic, bandwidth is increased.
Do I need a managed host?
That depends on the purpose of your site. Obviously, a simple "brochureware" site will not require all the
bells-and-whistles that a managed host provides. If you are running a larger enterprise that supports a high and
constant level of traffic, a managed host may be the best option for your web site. In general, consider the
following questions when evaluating managed hosting for your business:
Is my web presence my primary
source of revenue?
Are my Internet applications critical?
Do I need highly responsive 24x7 support, and guaranteed uptime?
Are my current resources adequate in providing support in a timely way, on all hardware, software, and network functionalities?
Can I focus on business issues and keep my servers up and running?
Can I afford to hire, train, and retain the technical staff required to maintain my web presence?
If you answered "yes" to the first three questions, and "no" to the last three - managed hosting may be the best way
to maintain your Internet presence.
Why is a managed host the best option for my site?
Compared to handling infrastructure demands in-house, managed hosts allow the client to take full advantage of
the hosts processes and experience to implement solutions in less time, at a lower cost, and with higher
reliability than other hosting methods. For example, co-location and dedicated hosting plans provide just the
physical space, power, and network connections for customer equipment. Anything else incurs an additional
cost - which can quickly become prohibitive if you need to reconfigure your servers frequently, or have to add
multiple applications. While many dedicated and co-located hosts claim to offer additional services,
these are usually provided by a third-party organization or consultant, and are bolted onto the platform at an
additional cost - often costing interruptions to performance. These solutions simply cannot offer the
same level of reliability and adaptability that a managed host can provide.
Will I still have control over my web site or application?
Absolutely. Managed hosts typically provide the client with full root/administrative access, so changes can be
made to your web site at any time. You will also have the ability to place custom code (CGI and Java), on your
server at your discretion.
Are managed hosts scalable?
Scalability is the main advantage to using a managed host - customers can increase their bandwidth usage and
upgrade their server architecture at any time. Most managed hosts keep a large inventory of equipment on
hand so that server scaling can occur seamlessly - the host makes the necessary adjustments and simply modifies
the monthly service fee.
What should a managed host be monitoring on my server?
This is an important consideration. While most hosting providers boast "24x7x365" server monitoring, it's
important that you find out what aspects of your box are actually being monitored, and how rapid the response
time is in the event of failure. If your host is only monitoring your connectivity 24x7x365, and your load
balance is only checked on once a day for example, a sudden spike in traffic will quickly cause your server
to shut down. In general, a good managed host should monitor the following:
Server reachability (ping)
CPU usage/utilization
Memory usage
Storage usage
Load average
Virtual memory usage
Furthermore, you should be able to access or generate reports from the monitor logs, so you
can personally evaluate your server's performance.
How does a managed host integrate and deploy my solution?
While every hosting organization has their own processes in place for getting you online, they follow a
similar series of steps:
Initiation and production design phase: The managed host reviews your specific,
requirements and proposes a solution to meet your needs.
Build phase: From this ideal solution, you pick the equipment you can afford to implement, and the managed host's team of engineers
build your servers and network settings to your custom configuration.
Validation phase: The host's engineers put your solution through extensive validation processes to ensure that your server is
functional, and precisely meets your needs.
Production phase: Your solution is staged and provided to you for acceptance testing and implementation approval. Once approved,
a launch date is set to take your solution "live."
Live phase: A final round of quality-assurance tests are run to ensure the highest quality of reliability, security, and
performance. Finally, end-users are given access to your Internet solution.
How much will a managed solution cost?
Generally, a managed host will incur only 45-50% of the cost of an in-house solution, which gives them an
obvious advantage over more traditional hosting packages. Furthermore, these cost advantages will be
sustained through years of operations and upgrade cycles.
E-Commerce is the driving force in the global economy, and more now than ever, the strength of your service provider partner
is critical in maintaining a competitive edge. Your partner must be able to give you seamless availability, keep up with
technology, and maintain a highly skilled technical team.
