What exactly is the difference between managed and unmanaged server hosting (and perhaps examples of both)?What sort of things does a sys admin need to do on a an unmanged server that they wouldnt have to do on a managed server?If you have a control panel like cpanel or plesk, and you are on an unmanged server, are most/all of your tasks possible to perform from the cpanel?unmanaged looks after the hardware and network.managed looks after the OS and the applications.ok. so what specific tasks are required by both, and what extra tasks will need to be performed on an unmanaged server?where do things like security and firewalls fit in?Again unmanaged means nothing about the box is looked at. thats left upto you since its you who will be managing it.Managed includes security and firewall, basically all admin tasks.Managed includes security and firewall, basically all admin tasks.
It only includes what the host defines it as. There is no concrete definition of managed hosting.Again unmanaged means nothing about the box is looked at. thats left upto you since its you who will be managing it.Managed includes security and firewall, basically all admin tasks...ok...basically what i want to know is, what are the admin tasks one would need to perform?things like upgrading software, starting/stopping processes, configuring software etc i think i could manage.Things like configuring firewalls and managing security, are things i would rather leave to the professionals...another thing which would be useful for me, and im sure for others too would be just a list of things which one should be doing on an unmanged (or even managed) server to ensure that it runs smoothly...anyone?IN SIMPLE :
Empty server is said to be unmanaged server
FOR ex: production server is said to be managed serverManaged Hosting have different kinds of level also aside from doing the basic things. Depending on the company you are looking at, there are fully managed, semi managed, basic managed and so on...CPanel is not enough. There are plenty things you need to do especially when it comes to security.alot of people have different views on this "touchy" subject. I believe that hosting is a service that should be managed whether or not is it specified. To me, its just like getting phone service through bellsouth or something else. Everything is taken care of. The billing, the support, the overall service. You don't have to go outside of your house and and climb the telephone pole to make something happen on your account. Its the same way with hosting solutions. Atleast on a shared platform ALL accounts should be managed. The provider should take care of every aspect for the customer. I mean at the end of the day..the customer is still providing you with the monthly payment. Provide that customer will the service they deserve.alot of people have different views on this "touchy" subject. I believe that hosting is a service that should be managed whether or not is it specified. To me, its just like getting phone service through bellsouth or something else. Everything is taken care of. The billing, the support, the overall service. You don't have to go outside of your house and and climb the telephone pole to make something happen on your account. Its the same way with hosting solutions. Atleast on a shared platform ALL accounts should be managed. The provider should take care of every aspect for the customer. I mean at the end of the day..the customer is still providing you with the monthly payment. Provide that customer will the service they deserve.
Just like many of your other posts...that makes absolutely no sense.
Please define what you consider to be 'managed'. Because from your post above it seems as if you are describing what every shared hosting providers off, with no questions asked.unmanaged looks after the hardware and network.managed looks after the OS and the applications.Simply going off of what was said here. I think that the provider should look after both hardware and network, OS and the applications on a shared platform. Which brings me here It only includes what the host defines it as. There is no concrete definition of managed hosting.I don't think I could possibly make that any more clear for youYes managed is defined by each host as I have found out through research.Please read their conditions carefully and ask them SPECIFICALLY otherwise you won't find out until it's too late.A real professional will detail what they do/don't and with the costs included.Otherwise sh*t will hit the fan if you don't. Trust me.After getting into this industry I'm finding it easier and easier to pick dodgy hosts from good hosts.Managed hosting seems to be a phrase coined by Rackspace - most major hosting players in the market can manage your dedicated server solution. We use ukfast.net and they have never let us down, there 'headache free hosting' mantra reallyt is true.In general with unmanaged you take the box and they are reponsible for teh network and reboots
With managed service you can ask them to tweak any config files/add domains etcyes, a usual unmanaged server is handled entirely by owner. the DC helps only with replace faulty hardware (paid or not but it is on their side still) and reboots.I do not agree with HostFrog.for phone company you pay a subscription. call it "phone management payment".the higher it is the more free minutes you get, lower rates etc, like on server's management services.maybe you would like to have management included in you server by default, all servers to be managed.What exactly is the difference between managed and unmanaged server hosting (and perhaps examples of both)?
What sort of things does a sys admin need to do on a an unmanged server that they wouldnt have to do on a managed server?
If you have a control panel like cpanel or plesk, and you are on an unmanged server, are most/all of your tasks possible to perform from the cpanel?
There definitely doesn't seem to be much of a standard, or even a consensus on managed hosting. I run a managed services provider, and what we offer is very different from most other managed hosting providers.
The level of management should coincide with your threshhold for pain. The lower your threshhold, the more you should have other people administering your servers.
Good systems administrators are expensive. In the bay area, a good sysadmin with a decade of experience costs about $120k/year before loading up with benefits. Most companies probably don't need this level of expertise, but the architectual guidance a sysadmin like this can offer will pay for itself many times over.
LoudCloud was an example of the higher end of managed hosting. They dictated a set platform, came with a very strong automated management platform (OpsWare), and a massive management staff behind it. They were also really expensive. I worked for a company who decided it made more sense to pay LoudCloud $1M per year, instead of spending $900k per year on sysadmins and a 24x7 NOC staff. Ultimately, LoudCloud never understood their market, and failed. The concept in itself was sound.Read my post here:http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=534404It's not misleading so long as its clearly defined on the providors website. Most companies will have a different outlook on the term managed, if they didn't - it wouldn't be a competitive market.I think unmanaged is more like they are responsible for getthing the OS up and running and getting it on the network, you are responsible for everything including rebooting it and patching it. managed really depends on how much management is invovled, just patching, or patching, checking logs, make sure it is optimized, and so forth..... you want to double check with different providers to find out what they mean by managed and compare to your needs.I basically always go for fully managed when I need a dedicated server.This seems to be a pretty old thread, But I wanted to reply. I think that managed hosting is taking two forms. Both are definately 24x7x365 support and available, have access to dual power sources and have more than one carrier they connect to.
How they're different depends on who you talk to you. Some of the large providers have 'fanatical support' and make you pay for it. How thats defined is unknown to me. I think where Managed Hosting will play a significatnt role is with developers and the SaaS market place. These folks need to develop but not worry about hardware, OS, network and power issues. They want to worry about their application's.
In general, managed hosting will take on different forms- some less than others and more than others. Price, quality of the gear and quality of the support staff and facility should be the 4 major pieces of criteria you evaluate.
Just another helpful insight from a "squirrel gathering nutts!"I think unmanaged is more like they are responsible for getthing the OS up and running and getting it on the network, you are responsible for everything including rebooting it and patching it. managed really depends on how much management is invovled, just patching, or patching, checking logs, make sure it is optimized, and so forth..... you want to double check with different providers to find out what they mean by managed and compare to your needs.
I basically always go for fully managed when I need a dedicated server.
Yeah. Fully managed servers vs. unmanaged...well, you probably HAVE an unmanaged server if you don't have 24x7x365 capability. Managed Servers come with SLA's on network, power, problem resolution and fix, security and patch management and some assistance with services support (IIS/Apache) type stuff. Al the other FANATICAL things are considered professional services and or managed services...IMHOHere's your problem: You're having trouble setting up an email account on your account.with Managed Hosting: We'll help you set up the accountwith un-managed Hosting: You'll get "Sorry. This is beyond our scope of services"Managed is there for you, and has proven to be far more reliable.If you don't really know what you're doing, you can get a dedicated server, but make sure to hire a "Server Manager."It ends up being around the same price as a managed hosting service in the end, though.Keep in mind that some when looking for a VPS the words unmanaged and managed means very little. You will have to research and read what your account covers. There are "unmanaged" plans out there which will cover more than some "managed" plans.Make sure you do your research.
It only includes what the host defines it as. There is no concrete definition of managed hosting.Again unmanaged means nothing about the box is looked at. thats left upto you since its you who will be managing it.Managed includes security and firewall, basically all admin tasks...ok...basically what i want to know is, what are the admin tasks one would need to perform?things like upgrading software, starting/stopping processes, configuring software etc i think i could manage.Things like configuring firewalls and managing security, are things i would rather leave to the professionals...another thing which would be useful for me, and im sure for others too would be just a list of things which one should be doing on an unmanged (or even managed) server to ensure that it runs smoothly...anyone?IN SIMPLE :
Empty server is said to be unmanaged server
FOR ex: production server is said to be managed serverManaged Hosting have different kinds of level also aside from doing the basic things. Depending on the company you are looking at, there are fully managed, semi managed, basic managed and so on...CPanel is not enough. There are plenty things you need to do especially when it comes to security.alot of people have different views on this "touchy" subject. I believe that hosting is a service that should be managed whether or not is it specified. To me, its just like getting phone service through bellsouth or something else. Everything is taken care of. The billing, the support, the overall service. You don't have to go outside of your house and and climb the telephone pole to make something happen on your account. Its the same way with hosting solutions. Atleast on a shared platform ALL accounts should be managed. The provider should take care of every aspect for the customer. I mean at the end of the day..the customer is still providing you with the monthly payment. Provide that customer will the service they deserve.alot of people have different views on this "touchy" subject. I believe that hosting is a service that should be managed whether or not is it specified. To me, its just like getting phone service through bellsouth or something else. Everything is taken care of. The billing, the support, the overall service. You don't have to go outside of your house and and climb the telephone pole to make something happen on your account. Its the same way with hosting solutions. Atleast on a shared platform ALL accounts should be managed. The provider should take care of every aspect for the customer. I mean at the end of the day..the customer is still providing you with the monthly payment. Provide that customer will the service they deserve.
Just like many of your other posts...that makes absolutely no sense.
Please define what you consider to be 'managed'. Because from your post above it seems as if you are describing what every shared hosting providers off, with no questions asked.unmanaged looks after the hardware and network.managed looks after the OS and the applications.Simply going off of what was said here. I think that the provider should look after both hardware and network, OS and the applications on a shared platform. Which brings me here It only includes what the host defines it as. There is no concrete definition of managed hosting.I don't think I could possibly make that any more clear for youYes managed is defined by each host as I have found out through research.Please read their conditions carefully and ask them SPECIFICALLY otherwise you won't find out until it's too late.A real professional will detail what they do/don't and with the costs included.Otherwise sh*t will hit the fan if you don't. Trust me.After getting into this industry I'm finding it easier and easier to pick dodgy hosts from good hosts.Managed hosting seems to be a phrase coined by Rackspace - most major hosting players in the market can manage your dedicated server solution. We use ukfast.net and they have never let us down, there 'headache free hosting' mantra reallyt is true.In general with unmanaged you take the box and they are reponsible for teh network and reboots
With managed service you can ask them to tweak any config files/add domains etcyes, a usual unmanaged server is handled entirely by owner. the DC helps only with replace faulty hardware (paid or not but it is on their side still) and reboots.I do not agree with HostFrog.for phone company you pay a subscription. call it "phone management payment".the higher it is the more free minutes you get, lower rates etc, like on server's management services.maybe you would like to have management included in you server by default, all servers to be managed.What exactly is the difference between managed and unmanaged server hosting (and perhaps examples of both)?
What sort of things does a sys admin need to do on a an unmanged server that they wouldnt have to do on a managed server?
If you have a control panel like cpanel or plesk, and you are on an unmanged server, are most/all of your tasks possible to perform from the cpanel?
There definitely doesn't seem to be much of a standard, or even a consensus on managed hosting. I run a managed services provider, and what we offer is very different from most other managed hosting providers.
The level of management should coincide with your threshhold for pain. The lower your threshhold, the more you should have other people administering your servers.
Good systems administrators are expensive. In the bay area, a good sysadmin with a decade of experience costs about $120k/year before loading up with benefits. Most companies probably don't need this level of expertise, but the architectual guidance a sysadmin like this can offer will pay for itself many times over.
LoudCloud was an example of the higher end of managed hosting. They dictated a set platform, came with a very strong automated management platform (OpsWare), and a massive management staff behind it. They were also really expensive. I worked for a company who decided it made more sense to pay LoudCloud $1M per year, instead of spending $900k per year on sysadmins and a 24x7 NOC staff. Ultimately, LoudCloud never understood their market, and failed. The concept in itself was sound.Read my post here:http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=534404It's not misleading so long as its clearly defined on the providors website. Most companies will have a different outlook on the term managed, if they didn't - it wouldn't be a competitive market.I think unmanaged is more like they are responsible for getthing the OS up and running and getting it on the network, you are responsible for everything including rebooting it and patching it. managed really depends on how much management is invovled, just patching, or patching, checking logs, make sure it is optimized, and so forth..... you want to double check with different providers to find out what they mean by managed and compare to your needs.I basically always go for fully managed when I need a dedicated server.This seems to be a pretty old thread, But I wanted to reply. I think that managed hosting is taking two forms. Both are definately 24x7x365 support and available, have access to dual power sources and have more than one carrier they connect to.
How they're different depends on who you talk to you. Some of the large providers have 'fanatical support' and make you pay for it. How thats defined is unknown to me. I think where Managed Hosting will play a significatnt role is with developers and the SaaS market place. These folks need to develop but not worry about hardware, OS, network and power issues. They want to worry about their application's.
In general, managed hosting will take on different forms- some less than others and more than others. Price, quality of the gear and quality of the support staff and facility should be the 4 major pieces of criteria you evaluate.
Just another helpful insight from a "squirrel gathering nutts!"I think unmanaged is more like they are responsible for getthing the OS up and running and getting it on the network, you are responsible for everything including rebooting it and patching it. managed really depends on how much management is invovled, just patching, or patching, checking logs, make sure it is optimized, and so forth..... you want to double check with different providers to find out what they mean by managed and compare to your needs.
I basically always go for fully managed when I need a dedicated server.
Yeah. Fully managed servers vs. unmanaged...well, you probably HAVE an unmanaged server if you don't have 24x7x365 capability. Managed Servers come with SLA's on network, power, problem resolution and fix, security and patch management and some assistance with services support (IIS/Apache) type stuff. Al the other FANATICAL things are considered professional services and or managed services...IMHOHere's your problem: You're having trouble setting up an email account on your account.with Managed Hosting: We'll help you set up the accountwith un-managed Hosting: You'll get "Sorry. This is beyond our scope of services"Managed is there for you, and has proven to be far more reliable.If you don't really know what you're doing, you can get a dedicated server, but make sure to hire a "Server Manager."It ends up being around the same price as a managed hosting service in the end, though.Keep in mind that some when looking for a VPS the words unmanaged and managed means very little. You will have to research and read what your account covers. There are "unmanaged" plans out there which will cover more than some "managed" plans.Make sure you do your research.