Hosting your own bare metal server is a great way to cut costs and improve performance. With the right tools and techniques, you can get your server up and running in no time. Here’s a guide on how to do it the right way.
Bare Metal Dedicated Server Hosting
What is a Bare Metal Server?
A bare metal server is a computer system that doesn’t include any components such as a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. This allows the system to run completely autonomously, meaning it doesn’t require any human interaction in order to function.
The benefits of hosting a bare metal server include the following:
1) The server can be powered by either batteries or an AC adapter.
2) It can be used without any software or drivers, making it easier and faster to connect to the internet and access your data.
3) A bare metal server is simpler to maintain than traditional computers, which makes it easier and quicker to fix or update issues.
4) A bare metal server can be more reliable than traditional computers, since there are no built-in security features or warranties.
How to Host a Bare Metal Server.
Before you start hosting a bare metal server, it’s important to choose the right one. Many servers are available in a variety of prices and sizes, so it’s important to find one that will fit your needs and budget. You can also check out online ratings and reviews to get an idea of what others have had to say about their particular server.
Setup Your Server
Once you’ve chosen the right Bare Metal server, it’s time to set up your infrastructure. This includes setting up your computer and networking components, as well as setting up your storage devices (like hard drives or SSDs). You can also recommend software that will help manage your server including a central management system and performance monitoring tools.
Monitoring Your Server
Your Bare Metal server should be monitored regularly in order to track performance and ensure uninterrupted service. To do this, you can use popular software like IPMI or SSH Keys for network access and CPU usage measurement, respectively. Additionally, you should set up alerts on yourserver in order to receive real-time updates about its state.
Optimize Your Server for Performance
Optimizing your server for performance is another important step when hosting a Bare Metal server. By doing this, you can reduce startup times, improve data throughput, and optimize overall system performance while keeping costs low. Some common tips include using proper hardware encryption techniques, optimizing persistent files storage locations, and optimizing web application settings so that they run faster without sacrificing quality or usability。
Section 3. Administration and Troubleshooting Tips.
Subsection 3.1 Administrator’s Guide to Bare Metal Servers.
Subsection 3.2 troubleshooting guide for bare metal servers.
Subsection 3.3 Maintenance andsupported software forbare metal servers.
Subsection 3.4 How toFix any Problems with a Bare Metal Server.
Section 3. Administration and Troubleshooting Tips.
Subsection 3.1 Administrator’s Guide to Bare Metal Servers.
To administer your Bare Metal server, you need a basic level of knowledge and experience. In this section, you will learn the basics of how to set up your server, monitor it, and troubleshoot any problems. Additionally, we provide troubleshooting guides that can help you solve common issues with your server.
Subsection 3.2 troubleshooting guide for bare metal servers.
Troubleshooting tips for bare metal servers can be divided into three categories: system issues, application issues, and network/server issues. System issues include problems with the hardware or software of your server; application issues include problems with applications running on your server; and network/server issues include problems with the connectivity between your server and other devices
Dedicated or bare metal server vs. a virtual server
Today, available compute options for cloud services go beyond just bare metal and cloud servers. Containers are becoming a default infrastructure choice for many cloud-native applications. PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) has an important niche of the applications market for developers that don’t want to manage an OS or runtime environment. And serverless computing is emerging as the model of choice for cloud purists.
But the comparison most users still gravitate toward when evaluating dedicated or bare metal servers is the comparison to virtual servers, and for most companies, the criteria for choice are application- or workload-specific. It is extremely common for a company to use a mix of dedicated/bare metal and virtualized resources across their cloud environment.
Virtual servers are the more common model of cloud compute because they offer greater resource density, faster provisioning times, and the ability to scale up and down quickly as needs dictate. But dedicated or bare metal servers are the right fit for a few primary use cases that take advantage of the combination of attributes centered around dedicated resources, greater processing power, and more consistent disk and network I/O performance:
- Performance-centric app and data workloads: The complete access and control over hardware resources makes bare metal a good match for workloads such as HPC, big data, high-performance databases as well as gaming and finance workloads.
- Apps with complex security or regulatory requirements: The combination of a global data center footprint with physical resource separation has helped many organizations adopt cloud while simultaneously meeting complex security and regulatory demands.
- Large, steady-state workloads: For applications such as ERP, CRM, or SCM that have a relatively stable set of ongoing, resource demands, bare metal can also be a good fit.
Dedicated vs. bare metal servers
While we have used the terms interchangeably to this point in the article, dedicated and bare metal servers are similar but not synonymous. Their differences are less about the servers themselves, and more about how they are delivered by the provider.
Historically, dedicated servers have been associated with long provisioning times, billing increments of months or years, and often low-end or even dated hardware.
The concept of bare metal servers rose as a response to the sometimes negative associations with dedicated servers and hosting. Providers specializing in bare metal servers offer dedicated hardware in something much closer to a cloud service model, with provisioning times in minutes, by the hours, and hardware ranging from inexpensive to top-of-the-line components, including graphic processing units (GPUs). Dedicated servers remain as a lower-priced alternative for users who don’t require these attributes.
Bare Metal Server Pricing
Plenty of bare metal server billing options to choose from — including hourly, monthly and reserved. Create an account and receive USD 200 in free credits today.
Best Dedicated Server Hosting
Liquid Web
Liquid Web may not be as well known as some of the other hosts on this list. However, it offers a fantastic selection of dedicated server plans (among other options).
This particular web host provides six different tiers of dedicated managed servers, each named after the type of CPU that powers it. For every tier beyond the basic option, you can even choose between single or dual-CPUs.
The “basic” Intel Xeon 1230 v6 plan will set you back $169 per month if you pay on a yearly basis. That option, along with every other, includes an integrated Content Delivery Network (CDN), Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack protection, load balancing, an application firewall, and more.
If you sign up for the starter dedicated server plan, here’s what you’ll get:
- CPU: 4-core CPU clocked at 3.9 GHz
- RAM: 32 GB
- Bandwidth: 5 TB
- Storage: 2×240 GB
- Dedicated IP addresses: 1
There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to this web host. First, it offers a much higher amount of RAM for all of its tiers than basically any other option on this list. That makes it a fantastic choice if you want to run multiple projects on a single server.
Beyond that, the plan selection here is very straightforward, and it gives you a lot of details about what each tier offers. If you’re looking for a managed service with root access at lower prices than SiteGround, but with a comparable level of features, Liquid Web is a solid option.
The only potential dealbreaker is that Liquid Web doesn’t offer managed hosting for servers that use Ubuntu. Managed options are only available for CentOS, CloudLinux, and Windows servers.
Inmotion Hosting dedicated hosting
InMotion Hosting(opens in new tab) offers a range of dedicated server hosting options, divided between managed and unmanaged server hosting ranges.
All servers comes with SSD storage for faster load times, and use smart routing technology to guarantee 99.999% uptime. As well as being on a Tier-1 network the servers come with multi-layers security protection, and also offer rebootless upgrades as required.
Managed server pricing is very affordable, with the most basic costing $139.99 a month, yet delivers a power suite of hardware specs such as Intel Xeon processor, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD hardrive, and 15TB of data transfer.
Although six different managed server configurations are provided, you can ask for a customized solutions according to your own specifications. All come with the option of running WHM/Cpanel for easier backend administration.
The bare metal server range offers the same specifications as the managed ones above, but come in much cheaper, with the lowest range model mentioned above coming in at just $99.99 a month. As with managed servers, you can also configure your own bare metal server according to your own needs.
Overall, InMotion hosting offers a powerful platform for your dedicated hosting, but at incredibly competitive prices.
Bluehost
Bluehost is one of the biggest names in the hosting market overall. It provides multiple types of plans, ranging from basic shared servers to dedicated options.
When it comes to dedicated plans, Bluehost offers three tiers, starting at $79.99 per month with a three-year commitment. Every package includes a free SSL certificate, a domain name, a custom cPanel dashboard, and multiple dedicated IP addresses.
Here’s what you get with the Standard dedicated server plan, in terms of hardware:
- CPU: 4-core CPU clocked at 2.3 GHz
- RAM: 4 GB
- Bandwidth: 5 TB
- Storage: 500 GB
- Dedicated IP addresses: 3
Bluehost was named as one of our best WordPress web hosts in 2020, due to its good price-to-performance ratio. Although our survey was based on shared hosting plans, this gives you an idea of the level of service you can expect from this provider.
Hostwinds dedicated server hosting
Hostwinds(opens in new tab) is a capable hosting provider which crams a huge range of features into all its products, from the most basic shared hosting plans to its enterprise-level cloud-based range.
Its dedicated server range may start at just $106 (£76) a month, for instance – but even these baseline products include features that are premium extras elsewhere.
All systems have 1Gbps ports, for instance (some providers start at 100Mbps). Every server is fully managed, ensuring you’re not wasting time running operating system updates or other basic maintenance tasks. Hostwinds monitors your server to detect problems as soon as they crop up, and automatic nightly backups ensure you can quickly recover from even the worst of disasters.
Storage is extremely configurable, too. Some servers have four drive bays available, and they can be equipped with any mix of 1TB to 3TB SATA drives, or 120GB to 1TB SSDs. That’s considerably more flexible than providers like IONOS, where you can only use SSD drives on some products, and even then they’re often available in fixed configurations only (1TB SATA or 800GB SSD, for instance).
There’s more good news with the choice of operating system. Not only do Linux fans get a choice of CentOS, Debian, Fedora or Ubuntu, but Windows users can choose Windows 2008, 2012 or 2016 Server for a low $25 – we’ve seen charges of up to $50 elsewhere.
Put it all together and the Hostwinds dedicated range is refreshingly honest. Servers aren’t crippled by low specifications to hit a price point, and yet final costs remain low, with most updates very fairly priced. Well worth a look for anyone who needs a reliable, highly-specified server for a low price.
SiteGround
SiteGround consistently scores top marks in hosting comparisons and reviews. It offers excellent web hosting plans for blog hosting or eCommerce. And you know what, they do it all for relatively low prices. However, keep in mind that dedicated servers are seldom what we’d call “affordable.”
When it comes to dedicated hosting plans, SiteGround tiers start at $269 per month. All of them are fully managed, yet you still get root access. Unlike its other plans, however, you can pay for this type of service on a one, three, or six-month basis with prices holding roughly the same.
With SiteGround, you get the option of a managed WordPress service. This means you’ll have access to auto-updates, staging functionality, WP-CLI support, and integrated Git. Every plan also includes free Cloudflare integration, five dedicated IPs, multiple control panel options, and more.
On the topic of hardware, here’s what the Entry Server tier gets you:
- CPU: 4-core CPU clocked at 3.20 GHz (Intel Xeon E3-1230)
- RAM: 16 GB
- Bandwidth: 10 TB
- Storage: 480 GB (SSD)
- Dedicated IP addresses: 5
Right off the bat, SiteGround throws a lot more firepower your way than Bluehost does (at an extra cost). Beyond that, it also provides many more details about each server’s hardware, which is what you want if you’re going to be paying hundreds of dollars per month for hosting.
IONOS dedicated server hosting
German-based IONOS(opens in new tab) is well known as a budget hosting provider, but the company doesn’t just offer value for website newbies: its dedicated server range starts at a very low $45 a month for the first six months, then $65.
As you might imagine, IONOS has had to cut a few corners to hit that price point. The cheapest plans are relatively basic, with limited hardware, although network bandwidth got an upgrade with 1Gbit/s. Features like SSD drives and server management (IONOS updates, monitors and manages the server for you) cost extra. Oh, and there’s also a setup fee of at least $50 (entry level plan doesn’t have setup fee).
But there are plus points, too, including unlimited bandwidth, bundled Symantec SSL certificates, and the Plesk Onyx server control panel thrown in for free. Overall, even the most limited IONOS dedicated server plan has enough power to handle many tasks. Additionally, you get a personal consultant free of charge.
Demanding users have plenty of paid upgrades to explore, including a faster CPU, more RAM and storage, a bundled backup service and more. Some of these add-ons include more than you might expect, too. Paying $14 a month for management doesn’t just mean IONOS will look after server admin: you also get a website builder, simple analytics, a photo slideshow service, automatic backup and restore for WordPress sites, and more. Sounds like a good deal to us.
A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting has a reputation for competitive pricing and talks a big game when it comes to performance. We’ve tested it in the past, and we can vouch for those claims, at least at the shared hosting level.
When it comes to dedicated servers, A2 Hosting offers both managed and unmanaged options, which is rare. In fact, it has four different types of plans, each including three tiers of service.
Among those options, you have three tiers of unmanaged dedicated hosting plans. The rest of its catalog is fully managed and only one of those plans offers you root access to your server.
Unmanaged dedicated servers start at $105.99 per month with a one-year commitment. However, A2 Hosting does offer month-to-month payment options, with a surcharge that isn’t all that steep. Managed servers, on the other hand, start at $155.99 per month. To gain root access, that cost goes up to $141.09 per month.
Here’s what you get if you sign up for an unmanaged A2 Hosting dedicated server:
- CPU: 2-core CPU clocked at 3.1 GHz
- RAM: 8 GB
- Bandwidth: 10 TB
- Storage: 2×500 GB
- Dedicated IP addresses: 2
By the numbers, A2 Hosting offers a more powerful alternative to Bluehost’s unmanaged plans at prices that are only somewhat higher. Likewise, it’s perhaps the cheapest option if you’re looking for a managed dedicated server, sitting at about half the price that SiteGround charges.
Those two facts combine to make A2 Hosting an interesting “budget” option if you’re in the market for a dedicated server. It must be said, however, that plan selection can be a headache if you don’t know the specifics regarding the resources you need.
Tips for Hosting a Bare Metal Server
Hosting a bare metal server requires some extra security precautions, including setting up antivirus and security software, and ensuring that your server is up-to-date. You should also set up a password protection system to protect your data and ensure that only authorized individuals can access it.
Make sure Your Server is Up-to-date
Make sure your server is current by checking its performance and compatibility with new software updates. For example, check for BIOS or CPU changes, or verify the processor recommended by your motherboard. If you don’t have time to update your server, consider purchasing an updated model from a store or online vendor.
Set Up a Password Protection System
Configure your server for password protection by installing McAfee AntiVirus, Bitdefender Antivirus, or other similar software. This will help protect your data from unauthorized access and prevent unauthorized people from viewing it.
Conclusion
Hosting a Bare Metal Server can provide a lot of benefits, including reduced costs, increased performance, and secure storage. Additionally, it’s important to set up security and Antivirus protection on your server in order to protect yourself and your data. Make sure to check out our other Bare Metal Server articles for more information.