The efficiency of the webserver is crucial in the performance of your website. It’s the place where your website resides and hence, the performance of the server directly impacts the performance of your website. Given the number of hosting types and providers available in the market, finding the right hosting type can be a difficult task. Also, since most providers make similar claims of services and features, it is important to assess the data centers of the hosting providers to ascertain if they can offer the promised features. We understand that this requires technical knowledge and hence, most site owners just compare the feature and choose the plan. Today, we will talk about Cloud Hosting and some data center features that can help your growing business.
1. HVAC System
The Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning or HVAC system, is essential for the optimum performance of a data center. A data center has many machines and computing devices. Therefore, you must look at the HVAC system deployed by the Cloud Hosting Provider in the data center to ensure that the devices function efficiently. Look at features like power distribution, air supply, cooling, etc. Reputable managed data center services will have high-quality systems where you can rest easy with your data being located there.
2. Security and Backup
For any site owner, the security of the website and data is absolutely important. Therefore, ask the following questions before purchasing the hosting plan:
Q1. What are the tools used by the hosting provider to protect your site against viruses and/or malware?
Q2. Does the host use redundant storage systems?
Q3. What are the backup policies?
Q4. What are the security policies?
3. Scalability of Resources
Most Cloud Hosting Providers offer instant scalability of resources allowing you to increase the resources like RAM, CPU, etc. But, you cannot assume that all hosts offer similar features when it comes to scalability. Therefore, it is important to assess if the data center has the resources as well as physical space to allow you to scale up your resources as your website starts attracting more visitors.
4. Reviews
Usually, we read reviews before buying any product and/or service. While most reviews will be generic in nature, try to find reviewers who have spoken about data center-specific features and have also tried several hosts.
Summing Up
If you pay attention to the points mentioned above, you will be able to assess if the hosting provider can offer the features promised by him. Before you start looking for a host, spend some time assessing the hosting requirements of your website. Next, research the options available to you and shortlist the providers who offer the required features. Once you have the shortlisted names, look at their data center infrastructure and assess if they can offer the said features. It is important to make this decision carefully as changing a web host is a time-consuming process and you wouldn’t want to make a change soon. Good Luck!