Dedicated server provider: learn how to choose the right one

While virtual servers are known for shared hosting – as in different companies sharing the server’s computing power –, dedicated server hosting offers a server's hardware resources to a single tenant.

But before switching from the public cloud to a bare metal provider, you must first learn how to choose the right one. With the number of vendors growing each year, there are multiple factors to pay attention to when making this important decision.

What are the right hardware specifications for your workloads? How do you assess the reliability of a potential infra partner? What about technical support? Are they available at the same locations as your users?

Let’s address all of these questions, one at a time.

Performance

When selecting the best dedicated server provider, prioritizing performance is crucial to maximizing your investment and that’s where the server’s hardware comes in.

Begin by carefully evaluating the hardware specifications offered by potential vendors, as these will directly influence your server's capability to handle workloads efficiently.

The CPU, for instance, is the heart of any server and its performance is critical. All the other server specs will usually scale according to the number of cores of its processor.

With that said, look for providers that offer the latest generation of multi-core processors, such as the AMD 9554P with 64 cores at 3.1 GHz and the AMD 9354 with 32 cores at 3.25 GHz, currently available at Latitude.sh.

Multi-core processors excel at handling parallel processing, which is essential for high-performance computing tasks and managing simultaneous requests. 

For example, workloads involving complex calculations or large-scale simulations benefit from higher core counts and advanced CPU features.

In addition to CPU performance, adequate and fast memory (RAM) is essential for server operations. Ensure that your chosen provider offers sufficient RAM to support your applications without causing any bottlenecks. 

Latitude.sh, for instance, offers servers with up to 1.5 TB of DDR5 memory. The total amount of RAM required will depend on your specific use case — applications with large datasets or high concurrent user loads will naturally demand more memory.

Storage also plays a critical role in overall server efficiency, so only opt for providers that offer modern storage solutions, like Solid State Drives (SSDs), and especially, Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) drives.

Latitude.sh's 4th generation of servers uses only NVMe drives, which offer high-speed data access and improved performance for applications requiring rapid data processing, ideal for industries that rely on near real-time workloads.

Reliability

Reliability is a cornerstone of effective IT infrastructure and ensuring that your provider excels in this area will help prevent costly disruptions and maintain consistent service performance. 

Checking whether the provider has built-in redundancy and failover systems to handle potential hardware or network failures can make a significant difference for businesses that need to remain operational around the clock.

A top-tier provider typically offers a high uptime guarantee, such as 99.99% or better, which translates to minimal downtime over a year. 

The reliability of a provider is also closely tied to the quality of the data center infrastructure where their servers are placed. Data centers must have advanced facilities, power redundancy, and rigid thermal control to ensure operational stability.

Investigate the provider’s historical performance and customer reviews to gauge their reliability. Online reviews, case studies, and testimonials can provide valuable insights into other experiences with the provider.

Finally, consider the quality of customer support. Reliable support is essential for quickly addressing any issues that might arise. Ideally, 24/7 support is the way to go, which you can only find in a few bare metal providers, like Latitude.sh.

Security

This is one of the most important aspects of any type of online service, and dedicated servers are no exception. Look for providers that include multiple layers of DDoS protection to avoid situations that could disrupt your services.

Ensure the provider’s data centers have strong physical security, including 24/7 surveillance, controlled access, and environmental controls, which will mitigate potential problems with unauthorized access and blackouts.

Data encryption is also critical in most of today's applications. Make sure the provider offers encryption both at rest and in transit to secure sensitive data against unauthorized access.

By prioritizing these security measures, you can protect your server and maintain the integrity of your data, which is a core value at Latitude.sh.

Flexibility

A provider that prioritizes offering a wide range of specifications, customization options, commitment lengths, and discounted rates is always preferred.

This flexibility lets you choose the commitment level that matches your financial strategy and operational needs, ensuring you’re not locked into a bad deal.

Providers that offer tailored solutions allow you to adequate your infra’s hardware to the specific needs of your organization so your workloads can be optimized. 

Some vendors may be able to assemble servers from scratch based on your requirements while others will offer limited flexibility, like adding more RAM or increasing the storage of their shelf products.

Equally important are the billing options. Look for providers that offer a range of contract lengths, from monthly to annual plans, as well as pay-as-you-go models.

At Latitude.sh, clients can use the platform on-demand, or enjoy discounted rates when reserving instances for a longer period of time, and the discount increases the longer you commit to your servers. 

There are several server options available, from different generations, to ensure different use cases can be handled, and you can even have a custom-made fleet assembled according to your requirements.

Locations

Geographic availability is essential, especially if your business serves a global audience. 

Look for a provider with a wide network of data centers across different regions. This allows you to deploy servers closer to your end-users, reducing latency and improving the user experience.

Geographic flexibility also supports redundancy and disaster recovery by enabling you to distribute resources across multiple locations. 

This ensures that if one region experiences an issue, your services can continue running smoothly from another location. 

Prioritizing geographic flexibility helps deliver a faster, more reliable experience to users worldwide.

Latitude.sh has servers available across 16 global cities: Buenos Aires (Argentina), Sydney (Australia), São Paulo (Brazil), Santiago (Chile), Bogotá (Colombia), Frankfurt (Germany), Tokyo (Japan), Mexico City (Mexico), Singapore, London (UK), Ashburn (US), Chicago (US), Dallas (US), Los Angeles (US), Miami (US), and New York (US).

Time to Deployment

Finally, deployment speed is a crucial factor and for that to happen, there are two important variables: inventory availability and the platform’s speed.

On many occasions, companies might need immediate deployment or as close to immediate as possible, and Latitude.sh stands out in this regard by offering exceptionally fast deployment times and server availability across all locations.

From the moment you sign up to the platform, you can use our dashboard to deploy a server in less than five seconds, which will help you spin up your business infra without unnecessary delays.

And if you need to quickly deploy larger amounts of servers, you can leverage our API or CLI to manage everything from your own terminal.

Moving your workloads to dedicated servers is within your grasp. Ready to get started? Create a free account and deploy a server in less than 10 seconds.