Difference Between Linux and Windows Dedicated Servers

Regretting the hosting package or server you had chosen will not help you after you have selected the hosting package or server and found that your requirements are not fulfilled with it. This is the reason you are suggested to consider a dedicated server once you find that other hosting packages are not able to cope up with the requirements of your websites and applications. However, before you choose a dedicated server for hosting your websites and applications, you need to select an operating system for it and the selection depends on the features and options you need for your server.

Mostly, hosting providers offer 2 operating systems with the server and these are Linux and Windows. Linux and Windows dedicated servers have been widely preferred due to various reasons. Dedicated server hosting usually consists of a hardware with a specific configuration and the operating system is installed on it and the features of the server varies according to the operating system it has. You may know that you need dedicated web hosting to host your website, however, you might not be aware of the server or say the operating system you should choose for your websites. Information given below will help you to choose an operating system for your dedicated server.

Features:

First of all, let us clear the concept. It has been noticed that some of the website owners who develop a website feel that it would be better to host the website on a Windows dedicated server if the website is developed on a Windows machine which is absolutely not correct. The operating system of your local machine does not make a difference and hence you can host your website on the server with any operating system. However, the programming language in which the website is developed is important and you can get information about this below. Another benefit when it comes to dedicated server hosting is the root administrator access provided with the server so that you do not face any problem while performing some tasks on the server. Root access is no doubt available with other hosting packages and servers also, however, the benefit of having a dedicated server with root access is unmatchable.

Linux as an operating system is fabulous for dedicated servers and this is because it actually supports most of the applications and software's or say technologies which are available. This actually means that you will be able to install most of the components required and as root access is provided, you are on the go once you decide to install the applications, however, the only drawback when it comes to Linux is the fact that you won't be able to install some of the applications of Windows and this is due to the lack of compatibility of the Windows applications.

The applications of Windows are basically designed for Windows dedicated servers only and hence most of the applications like asp, asp.net, MS SQL etc. aren't supported on Linux but are supported on Windows. Though, there are some applications available which can help you to run these applications on Linux dedicated server hosting, they aren't reliable enough and hence we won't discuss about them.

Security:

Linux operating system is available for free and this is the reason the source code is provided to everyone so that they can develop it and make it better than it is. Because of this, it has been made better and even if hack attempts are made, it is considered to be more secured. However, this is not the only reason it is considered as secured. Most of the viruses do not affect Linux which is the best benefit in terms of security as it is found that viruses can really harm the system and cause problems to your data. The only thing, though, it cannot be considered as a drawback is the fact that it is a bit difficult to install some of the security applications on Linux as it is a bit difficult in terms of usage when it is compared with Windows.

Windows on the other hand which has been in the industry for a long time can be affected with Viruses, however, as it is easy to install the applications you need for security and most of them are programmed by Microsoft only, this can be avoided. Also, you will find that some of the applications are provided as standard for security with Windows operating system so as to make sure that dedicated web hosting of Windows is secured enough which is an added benefit. As it is not very difficult to install the applications you may need on Windows, you can install the applications you need easily through root access provided.

Usage:

Windows operating system has been preferred widely for one of the reasons which is easy interface. Managing dedicated servers will be as simple as managing your local machine as Windows operating system with a simple interface is installed on the server and you feel like you can actually using your local machine when you are logged in your server.

Though, it is not very difficult to use Linux as well, it can be a little tricky for your to start with as it requires some of the commands which are bothersome for a while. However, as it has been developed by many people, it is found that it has become better in terms of usage and hence you won't face a lot of difficulties thanks to the easy interface which has been developed.

Price:

Now comes the point which can indeed make a distinct change in your decision and this is the price. Windows, as a product of Microsoft requires licensing fee and hence you need to pay the charges for the operating system as well, whereas, Linux is a free open source application which is available for free and hence you do not pay anything for it which reduces the overall cost when compared to Windows dedicated servers.

Carl Owen writes about Dedicated Server Hosting, Dedicated Servers and Dedicated Web Hosting

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