Operating System:

An operating system is a set of programs that enables a user to operate and interact with a computer. It acts like an interface between user and computer hardware. It performs all basic tasks including file management, memory management, process management, handling input and output and controlling devices such as disk drives and printers etc.

Significance of Operating System:
It is a critical element of servers because it involves in managing and controlling the hardware resources and even
provides a platform for software application.
1- It manages allocation and use of system resources ensuring that applications and processes run efficiently.
2- It offers security features.
3- It enables installation and configuration of software.
4- It has tools for system maintenance.
5- It enables administrator’s to monitor the system’s performance, identity and fix problems.
6- It provides support for various network protocols, file system and hardware devices.

Operating Systems Used in Dedicated Servers:

There are numerous operating system commonly used in dedicated servers are as below:

1- Linux:

It is an open-source operating system based on Unix OS. It is preferable choice for dedicated server hosting due to following reasons:

Properties:

Stability:
The high level of it’s stability makes it ideal for running servers. It can run for long time without crashing which is important for servers that need to be available 24/7.

Security and Privacy:
It has well designed and built-in security model. Security threats can be identified and fixed quickly.

Scalability:
It can easily be scaled to meet requirement of growing business. . It can manage high traffic loads.

Cost:
It is free to use as it is an open-source. It’s cost effectiveness plays a primary role in attracting the users that are willing to save money on server’s operating costs.

Technical Support:
It has wide range of community of developers who can provide technical support and resolve the issues when need arises.

Note:
It provides a broad range of distributions such as Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, Fedora etc

2- Windows Servers:

It is a server OS developed by Microsoft. It is being used by various organizations and businesses while using dedicated server for following reasons:

Properties:

Control:
You have complete control over hardware and software configurations with dedicated server which allows you to customize and optimize your server according to your requirements.

Security:
It is designed with enterprise level security features to protect your data and network.

Compatibility:
Number of enterprise level applications and services are developed to run specifically on window server.

Centralized Management:
Windows server with dedicated server provides centralized management tools such as MMC and PowerShell to assist administrators to manage servers, users and applications.

Note:
Some popular dedicated server providers that offer windows server hosting include Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and OVH cloud. The cost of windows server for a dedicated server varies depending on hosting provider, the version of Windows Server, the number of users or cores and licensing model.

3- Free BSD:

It is a free open-source OS that is commonly used in dedicated server. This operating system is well-known for its stability, security and performance.

Properties:

Stability:
It is known for its stability and reliability which makes it a popular choice for server environments. It’s core is developed to be robust and efficient. In this way, it provides a stable platform for running server software and apps.

Security:
It offers multiple security features including built-in firewalls, support for secure communications protocols like SSL/TLS and robust user authentication and access control mechanism.

Performance:
It is well-known for its excellent performance in server environment. Its file system and network stack are designed to be fast and efficient. It has features such as kernel level threads and SMP support for better scalability.

4- Unix:

This is an open-source and a group of operating systems that includes popular versions such as Solaris, HP-UX and IBM AIX.

Properties:

Stability:
Unix OS are designed to manage high loads and maintain performance even under heavy usage.

Security:
Unix OS include numerous built-in security features such as robust user authentication and access control mechanism, file system permissions and assistance for secured communication protocols like SSH and SSL/TLS.

Scalability:
Unix OS are designed to be highly scalable allowing them to manage huge amounts of data and traffic. They posses features such as multi-processing, clustering and load balancing to enhance scalability and performance.

5- VM ware ES Xi:

This is a specialized OS used for virtualization on dedicated servers. It allows for creation and management of virtual machines on single physical server.

Properties:

Efficiency:
It is invented to run directly on server hardware which allows more efficient use of server resources and enhanced performance as compared to others.

Resource Management:
It offers advanced resource management capabilities that allow administrators to allocate CPU, memory, storage and other resources to virtual machines according to their requirements.

Virtual Machine Management:
It offers a wide range of tools for creating, installing, deploying and managing virtual machines including templates, cloning, snapshots and live migration. It provides optimized and efficient virtualization solutions when used on dedicated server.