What Does Semi-Dedicated Hosting Really Mean?

Of the numerous web hosting services available, semi-dedicated hosting is probably the most misunderstood. Sometimes referred to as shared dedicated hosting, most webmasters understand semi-dedicated hosting as a solution that fits somewhere between shared hosting and dedicated server hosting, but do not really know how the service works.

In many ways, semi-dedicated hosting is like a virtual private server, also known as VPS hosting. It is a product offering that can deliver the performance of a dedicated server, but at a lower price, helping businesses grow their websites and meet the resource demands of increasing traffic.

But semi-dedicated hosting is not VPS hosting, nor is it a dedicated server. In fact, it is turbo-charged shared hosting with incredible performance and speed.

Experienced web hosting company JaguarPC has put together the following information on what semi-dedicated hosting really means. Learn how this type of hosting works to maximize the performance of your website without exceeding your budget. Once you understand what semi-dedicated hosting means for your business, you can use its benefits to succeed online.

Read on to understand this valuable, yet affordable type of hosting.

What is semi-dedicated hosting?

Semi-dedicated hosting is a service where you receive a section of a dedicated server, using the same technology as a standard shared web hosting service.

Your individual website is stored in one part of a hardware server. When you require the use of hardware resources, such as RAM, CPU, and disk I/O, they will be dynamically assigned to you if they are available.

However, in the case of traditional shared hosting, you cannot be certain that resources will be available. It is understandable that web hosting providers try to lower the cost of individual shared hosting plans by filling servers with as many accounts as possible. Unfortunately, this means resources are often stretched thin.

With semi-dedicated hosting, web hosting providers limit the number of accounts per server to a small number. As a result, you can be more confident your website can access the processing power it needs to serve your site’s visitors.

Semi-dedicated web hosting offers the following technical features:

* Your account is isolated in one area of a hardware server
* Dynamic resource allocations on-demand
* Fewer accounts per server for more consistent performance
* Full server management – the overall server remains the responsibility of your hosting provider

Commonly, customers do not understand the difference between semi-dedicated hosting and virtual private servers (VPS hosting). Although these services are similar in several ways, they each offer their own unique benefits.

The difference between semi-dedicated hosting and VPS hosting

Both semi-dedicated hosting and VPS hosting occupy a similar position in the available services – they offer power similar to an entry-level dedicated server, at a price closer to shared hosting. However, both services are unique.

A VPS hosting plan uses a technology called virtualization to configure one hardware server as multiple self-contained computers. These virtual computers are often referred to as virtual machines, or VMs. A VM has its own independent operating system, which can be configured to meet your requirements and restarted on-demand. Most VPS hosting plans also include remote access, allowing you to work with your VM remotely. Anything you do on your server will only affect your account.

However, in the case of semi-dedicated hosting, your account is housed in one section of a single server, with a single operating system. You are unable to install your own OS, although most providers offer a choice of semi-dedicated hosting plans that run on Microsoft Windows or popular Linux distributions.

What you sacrifice in control, you make up for in ease of use. Semi-dedicated hosting is managed, configured, and monitored by your web hosting provider, allowing you to concentrate your attention on building your business online.

What does a semi-dedicated hosting plan mean for your business?

As you learn how semi-dedicated hosting works and the technical features of this type of service, the benefits become clear. For your business, semi-dedicated hosting means access to more hardware power, consistent performance, and unrivaled ease of use.

Access to hardware resources

Every time a visitor logs on to your website, data must be processed. Your server will need to find the relevant information the user needs and transfer it to the browser. If you use dynamic web applications, your server may also need to conduct complex server-side processing.

These actions require hardware resources, including disk space, bandwidth, RAM, and CPU. The more visitors you have and the more complex your website is, the more resources you will require.

Semi-dedicated hosting gives you a larger section of a hardware server than conventional shared hosting, allowing you to use more resources.

Consistent website performance

Shared hosting takes a dynamic approach to resource allocation. For example, if one account is using most of the hardware power, you will need to wait in line for your turn. In practice, your website will perform slowly, or worse, become unavailable.

Semi-dedicated hosting gives you fewer neighbors, reducing the risk of one user monopolizing resources. As a result, your website will perform more consistently, and you can confidently deploy rich, interactive applications with certainty that the hardware power you need will be available.

Unrivaled ease of use

Some webmasters and web developers require deep access to their hosting account, using the command line to configure servers and applications. However, most of us would rather spend our time working on our business.

Semi-dedicated hosting offers the same ease of use as a shared web hosting plan, with a convenient browser-based control panel to work with files, domains, databases, and mailboxes. You can keep your administrative workload to a minimum and leave server management, security, and monitoring in the expert hands of your hosting provider.

Together, these features make semi-dedicated hosting an excellent choice for your growing website.

Powerful semi-dedicated hosting from JaguarPC

JaguarPC is an experienced semi-dedicated hosting services provider that offers dedicated server performance at an accessible, affordable price.

Each semi-dedicated hosting plan from JaguarPC is implemented on SuperMicro hardware, with no more than 15 users on average. Customers find they can use up to 600% more resources, and access them on a more consistent basis.

With so few accounts per server, JaguarPC can offer unlimited semi-dedicated hosting, with unlimited disk space, bandwidth, and MySQL databases. These features make the service ideal for your dynamic web applications.

Plans also include 24/7/365 technical support, a 100% network uptime guarantee, and a 45-day money back guarantee.

To learn more about JaguarPC unlimited semi-dedicated hosting, call 1-888-338-5261 or visit jaguarpc.com today.