Server “Co-Location”
Many ISPs offer server “co-location” – which simply means that your server is housed on their premises, located alongside servers belonging to other clients.
Under this scenario, either you can hire the ISP to administer the server, or you can take on some or all of the server administration responsibilities yourself.
Here are reasons why you might choose server co-location over running a server on your premises:
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The ISP has faster or more reliable connectivity to the greater Internet.
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The ISP has a better physical environment for the server – better environmental conditions, better security, etc.
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The ISP can perform regular tasks, such as backup, restarts after failure, or security monitoring, on a 24 hour basis.
Co-location differs from the virtual host option. Under co-location, typically you buy and own the server hardware. Under the virtual host option, typically you rent a share of the server resources under your own domain name.
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