• Coding

  • Dedicated/Remote/Cloud Servers

Are there any tips regarding the dedicated versus cloud server debate?
I am responsible for this choice at my new job and I could really use some advice in this department.
There are just so many choices for regular dedicated hosting, and really some very ambiguous specification for the rackspace/EC2 instances.

All help really appreciated.

[EDIT]
We are using this server as the backend for several iOS apps, hosting for websites (AJAX oriented), and some internal team management (possibly email). The OS will be some Linux flavor (probably CentOS or something similar).

What are some of the most reliable service providers?
I know of the following:
- LiquidWeb
- Rackspace
- Amazon (Cloud only I believe)
- HostGator
I am not familiar with the different commercial offerings, so what I say may not be 100% accurate. But the idea is here.

Cloud services will usually prove far more flexible and powerful then a dedicated/VPS solution.
The main 2 advantages are:

1- The service: You're actually outsourcing the administration of your system.

Do you know how to set up and maintain a Linux server for a 99% uptime? Or if I call you telling you the mailing server is down, what do you do?
If your answers are "I don't know" then you probably don't want to be responsible for this. Every hosting offering will include system adminsitration, but the question is: Do you want root access to your machine?
The way I see it, you should only get root access if it gives you competitive advantage. If you're just a team of programmers and know little of system administration, asking a 3rd party to take care of it could be a good idea.

2- The billing system: Most modern cloud offering include a flexible billing system.
Since cloud servers are almost always virtual machines, they are easily expandable at run-time. Have a highly publicized release coming up? Just call your hosting provider and ask him to add a couple processing units (or a couple GB of memory) for the next couple hours.
Actually a lot of offerings tend to present a "pay-as-you-consume" way of work. Meaning you only get the resources you need, and you only pay for the resources you consume.


VPS/Dedicated solutions can be more powerful. They are the "Do It Yourself" side of hosting. And just like all the DIY in the world, it can prove better, more adapted to your line of work and considerably cheaper.
However, I do not think that hosting should be taken lightly and is probably the one area where you don't want to be cheap. Also, for this DIY (and all the DIY) you only get a real advantage, if you have a master sysadmin in your team.
I'm guessing you don't since you're asking the question here, so ... :)

TL;DR: Get a cloud unless you have a Linux guru on your team.