Quick Introduction

RAID is an abbreviation of Redundant Array of Independent Disks technology. RAID has grown its popularity from a normal server option to the most essential data protection need. Now-a-days RAID can be found almost everywhere and most of the Web Hosting service providers are capable of offering RAID enabled servers. Raid can be seen from an operating system software feature to a stand alone controller that offers an advanced data integrity in high end storage area networks. RAID is so common these days that you can even find it Laptops,desktops,workstations, servers and external enclosures with larger number of hard disk drives. The latest in the trend is the addition of RAID in TV Set Top Boxes.

Description of RAID

Before proceeding further, it is necessary to understand RAID. RAID is an abbreviation of Redundant Arrays of inexpensive Disks. With RAID one can virtualize multiple hard disks into one or more than one arrays to improve performance, reliability and capacity. The complete array capacity depends on the type of RAID array and the size and number of disk drives. It does not depend on whether you use software or hardware RAID.

Various aspects of Software RAID and Hardware RAID

Software RAID

The simplest description of Software Raid is that the task operates on the CPU of your computer. At a first glance it sometimes seems that Hardware RAID to be implemented as some piece of hardware is included. Hence, its necessary to understand that software RAID code utilizes the calculating efficiency of the CPU. The code that provides the RAID features functions on the computers CPU, which shares the computing power with the operating system and the applications assiciated with its operations.
There are various implementations of Software RAID, namely: a) As a hybrid solution which includes some hardware design for improving the performance and to reduce the CPU overhead, or b) As a completely software solution also referred as Operating System Software RAID.

In case of a Software RAID no additional hardware is used.The software RAID uses only the hard disk drives what are attached to the computer system via a built in I/O interface or a processor less Host Bus Adapter also referred as HBA. It immediately comes into action as soon as the OS loads the drivers of RAID.It usually comes integrated with the server OS and is usually free or is offered at cheap price which is the most important advantage.

Below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of Software RAID

a)Software RAID is cheaper or depending on the web hosting provider no cost is charged since it is built in the Operating System itself. You are charged only for the additional hard drives.
b)The protection isn’t offered until the system is booted.
c)Incase you are using a Software RAID, it is bound to adversely effect the performance of the system.With each addition of hard drive needs to use a more complex RAID system this further affects the overall performance.
d)If software RAID is implemented on a certain OS it may be possible that migration of the array fails due to the difference in the OS or its versions.
e)In this type of RAID, it is considered as an application on the computer system, hence it is vulnerable to viruses and various harmful softwares alike any other computer application.
f) Server related software or hardware problems can impact the data integrity and consistency.

Hybrid RAID

It is also referred as hardware assisted Software RAID. This too is a software RAID but the hardware assistance is provided with it to overcome some weaknesses of pure software RAID. Usually addition hardware is provided with it such as RAID BIOS integration onto the motherboard. This additional BIOS makes the RAID functionality available when the system is turned ON.This improves the redundancy during boot ups.

Advantages and Disadvantages of hybrid RAID

a)Affordable Price: An HBA or additional flash memory for BIOS on motherboard is required for this purpose.
b)No need to worry during system Boots: There is no adverse impact on the availability.
c)The more the complex RAID application is involved, there is an adverse effect seen on the overall performance.
d)Dedicated GUI and software to maintain RAID
e)It is simple to set-up

Hardware RAID

Web hosting providers offer Hardware RAID solutions. It has its own processor and memory for the operation of RAID. Hardware RAID implementation is independent computer system and is specifically dedicated for the RAID application. This plays an important part in decreasing the load on the host system. Hardware RAID can sometimes be an upgrade of software to your existing system. Similar to the Software RAID, Hardware RAID too cannot be identified at a single instance. The best way to identify it,is to read the technical specification of the RAID solution.If the solution includes a micro processor one must understand that the solution provided is of Hardware RAID. On the other hand if there is no processor mentioned you can take that as a software RAID. This is an important aspect to know due to the system impacts of the software RAID vs Hardware RAID implementation.

Below are some of the impacts:
a) It may impact CPU utilization and performance when other applications are functional.
b)There may be an impact on the scalability of disk drives that can be added to the system
c)There is also an impact observed in the recovery data incase it is lost.
d)The capability for advanced data management can be hampered
e)The may be an inability to manage the disk drives  across different operating systems.
f)The ability to add a battery back-up option that allows to enable write caching on the controller to enhance write performance of a system too can face the impact.

Benefits of a Discrete RAID Controller Card:

Protection during boot: There isn’t any false impact on data availability when boot drive has least errors or there is a complete failure.
Performance independent of workload on server: Fast memory, fast processor and no impact on the performance of the application(s) running on the host system.
RAID application independent of host: No data integrity issues when system crashes.
Enhanced protection in case of power failure: Hardware RAID implementations typically keep track of in-progress writes in non-volatile hardware. Software RAID implementations
lack this protection, which makes it difficult to recover from a power loss during a write.
Not vulnerable to viruses: RAID arrays are completely independent of the host system and OS. No data integrityissues occur if the host system fails.
Offloads the RAID task from the host: Best suited for complex RAID 5 or RAID 6 scenarios which usually offers best cost/performance ratio.
Dedicated GUI and software to build and maintain the RAID: Easy setup and maintenance of the RAID array.
Easy to migrate and replace: Card can be plugged in any system and easily replaced or upgraded with the latest, best performing variant. It is also easier to migrate from one
operating system to another.
Supports advanced RAID features: Typical examples include disk hot plug, array-level migration and online capacity expansion.
On-controller caching: Accelerates access times by usage of cache memory including the ability to use write-back caching if memory is protected by a battery.
Highest cost: I/O processor and additional memory on a plug-in card increases cost

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One of the types of Web Hosting is Virtual Server Hosting also termed as VPS Hosting. VPS Hosting shares the similarity with a Dedicated Server Hosting. Many medium sized businesses prefer a VPS Hosting  as it is highly affordable and cheaper than a Dedicated Server. Though there is a difference in the resources offered. Many reputed web hosting service providers offer their services for both the platforms ie. Windows VPS Hosting as well as Linux VPS Hosting. They also offer flexible upgrade or downgrade options. packages offered by almost all the web hosting providers now-a-days. A VPS is created using one of the different virtualization applications. Virtuozzo is one such application that is widely used and preferred. With a VPS hosting solution, you can get to experience a dedicated like environment. It ,means with a VPS you get complete root/admin. access to the server with a control panel to manage the account. Usually, a DotNet panel or Plesk is more preferred to manage a Windows Hosting account whereas to manage a Linux Hosting account, cPanel control panel is widely preferred. The root or admin access allows you to install, create, uninstall, etc, any application or software onto your server similar to a Dedicated Server. In short you have the privilege to maintain and manage the server on your own. In such scenario, the web hosting provider takes care of the security of the node.
Limited number of VPS accounts are created on a physical server, using any of the virtualization softwares.

Benefits of using a Virtual Private Server Hosting

Any package lower than a VPS such as shared hosting or Reseller Hosting, do not offer privileges such as root/admin access. You get limited resources and there are multiple accounts set-up on a physical server, this gives the chance of overselling, which gradually hampers the performance of the website/s. On the other hand a dedicated server is bit more expensive than a VPS. A dedicated server is suitable for large businesses and enterprises. With a VPS you can get almost the same privileges as that of a Dedicated Server. You would get similar reliability with a VPS as that of a Dedicated Server but with a cheaper price. You get guaranteed resources with a VPS with better security than that of the other lower hosting packages. You can even apply your own security measures to the VPS as you have complete control over the server. To sum it up, benefits of a VPS are Dedicated Server like hosting environment, Reliability and Security.

Security: In comparison to other lower hosting packages a VPS is more secure. Most of the users upgrade their plans to a VPS due to security factor. A VPS is pretty much secure and impossible for hackers and attackers to breach in.
Dedicated Server Like Environment: Similar to a dedicated server hosting environment, you get complete admin access to the server. This privilege allows you to use maximum resources of the server.
Reliability: Reliability is one of the most important factor, that needs to be considered while choosing a web hosting package. VPS proves itself to be worthy of fulfilling this requirement. A VPS has its own dedicated resources. With the addition of all new technology called the Hyper V Hosting , Windows users get more reliability with a VPS.
The VPS Server Hosting also has some demerits of its own. This is because VPS’s are created on a physical server. You share its resources with other user accounts, hence limiting you to use certain applications such as Java components. It is similar to a shared hosting, which can hamper the server stability. It is always suggested that when your website/s become popular, you must upgrade from a VPS hosting package to a Dedicated Server to get the utmost hosting experience.

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Today, web hosting is one of the most preferred and the most populated online business. You can find number of companies who offer hosting for Big as well as for Small businesses. This makes it tough for an individual to choose the best suitable web host to host a website. One can follow the below mentioned simple factors that can ease you from the pain of shortlisting one such company.

A# Uptime : Uptime is one of the most important aspects when choosing a web hosting service provider. It is the uptime that determines the functionality of one’s website over the Internet. An uptime of atleast 99.95% can be considered to be ideal. 100% uptime is possible, it hardly does, as there might be a hardware failure or a planned maintenance of the server, which can cause downtime of the website. So, better be careful with the web hosts that claim to offer an uptime of 100%, unless technologies such as Server mirroring or Cloud technology is applied to the servers on which a website is hosted.

B# Connectivity and Speed : After Uptime one should know the speed or connectivity offer by the web hosting service provider. No matter if the web host offers maximum uptime, but if the speed is low and takes a longer time for the website to load, it’s a major set back for your website’s success. Therefore, the web host should offer good server speed. In this, bandwidth is another factor that must be considered. The web host should offer appropriate bandwidth with the package. For that you must analyze the packages and configurations offered by various web hosts. The processor is equally important for gaining good speed.

C# Security : With the ever increasing threat of online attackers, intruders and hackers, it is important that your website is hosted on a secure server. Your website data should be protected from the uninvited malwares and intruders, this should be one of the very basic requirements of any website owner. Therefore, it is important to check the security measures taken by web hosts for protecting the servers from such attacks.

D# Data Back-Ups : Its necessary that the web host takes or atleast offers optional plans for back-ups of websites hosted on a server. Usually most of the reputed web hosting provider offers such service for free with their dedicated server hosting plans. If such services are not displayed on their website, one should atleast ask them about it.

E# Post Sales Technical Support : Once you have chosen a web hosting service provider and have signed up for a package with them, it is important that the web host offers round the clock technical support. Usually,  people give least priority to technical support, but IMO. this one of the most important criteria when choosing a hosting provider. Inorder to have the web-site function very smoothly, it is necessary that the host experienced and knowledgeable technical crew to help you out during various paths of web hosting.

F# Money Back Guarantee : Take for example you have chosen a web host and have also signed up for a plan with them considering the points stated above. But, later you realize that the information and services stated by the host on their website were not true, in that case you must have an option to withdraw your data and money from them.

Following these simple steps can help you get a better web hosting experience.

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