Managed Hosting Services Can Make Life So Easy

Managed hosting services are available in order to provide the servers, people and resources to maintain and run customer websites. They also organize the deployment, testing, management and provisioning of all of the networking and server procedures. These procedures include the setting up of virtual private networks, switches, routers, firewalls, SSL accelerators, routing tables etc. They also direct the customer hardware, and maintain high levels of uptime and performance.

The managed hosts look after any server problems that might come up during the course of hosting. They also help in the installation of the operating system and other software that is required to run the website. A few managed hosts can also provide easy hosting solutions.

An efficient managed host will also be able to manage the installation and maintenance of all the applications belonging to the server. This comprises administration, data backup and migration. Log files also require to be monitored to assess traffic patterns, disk space usage and site performance. All this set aside, managed hosts use load balancing servers to switch the traffic from one server to the other so that the user experience is not harmed during traffic peaks.

Before you decide to sign an agreement with a managed hosting company, the customers will need to determine whether the host can fulfill the site requirements or not. This might range from the purchase of the server and equipment to the regular technology upgrades. Since not all of the customers are experienced in technology, the managed host should also guide and advise their customers on both hardware and software.

Customers should also try to find out if the sales and technical staff of the managed host are competent enough to handle their online business. The people employed by the host could be the most important consideration because they are the ones who manage the requirements on the server-side. The employees should therefore have the required qualifications and experience including certifications in routing equipment, operating systems etc. They should also be able to make choices fast during crisis situations, and also suggest the best solutions for any unexpected problems that might arise.

Most managed services will also provide you with a dedicated account manager. This individual will be the main contact point with the customer and will be available during business hours. If he is not available, then someone else will stand in for him at other times. The best managed hosts are those who not only give you good equipment and connectivity, but also work actively to ensure and maintain the highest quality of service, making the customer feel like all is under control.


J.M. Stevens is contributing editor at WebDesignArticles.net. This article may be reproduced provided that its complete content, links and author byline are kept intact and unchanged. No additional links permitted. Hyperlinks and/or URLs must remain both human clickable and search engine spiderable.