The way web hosting and servers are set-up is often referred to as architecture. Indeed, once your architecture has been planned, the hosting set-up will then need to be built. In this way, getting your new server up and running is quite similar to building a house - and the similarities don’t end with the basic terminology.
In fact, thinking of your hosting solution in the same was as you would approach building your home is a useful way of ensuring you get exactly what you need from your server.
Your hosting set-up is doomed to fail if you don’t pick the right platform at the outset. Just as in building work you need to start from strong foundations, in hosting you need to start from a clear idea of the end goal and the type of hosting that is best suited for that build.
Brick-and-block? Timber-frame? Straw bales? You need to make sure you’re using the framework that will deliver the best end results for your requirements. It’s the same when choosing a hosting route - you need to ensure you’re getting the right type, brand and quality of hardware for the end goal.
When you’re building a property, you need to consider the materials that will be used in the finish, because this will have a big impact. Similarly, in hosting, the firmware and tools you choose to add the finishing touches to a hosting setup can make or break the way it peforms.
Nobody builds a new house and thinks: “Well, we’re a couple with one child - two bedrooms ought to do it.” What if more kids arrive? Or guests come to stay? Or your want to sell the house one day? Just as you would future-proof a new-build house by making sure there’s enough space for all eventualities, so you need to make sure that your hosting architecture can cope with growth that might occur.
You don’t need to have seen many episodes of Grand Designs to know that builds usually go a lot more smoothly when there is an experienced architect taking a hands-on role and a project manager to oversee the entire process.
Those are the dual roles Tibus performs when it comes to web hosting architecture. We specialise in designing server set-ups to match a client’s brief (using our knowledge and experience to enhance and add detail to that brief, where appropriate).
As for project management, we take on a far more practical role in migrating to new servers that most web hosts, which we discussed that in a bit more detail here.
