Standalone servers are an excellent choice for local office distribution. As their name says, they 'work alone,' without other devices or software. That makes them simple to use and install, and it runs without an Internet connection.
Instead, a standalone server is a Windows server that runs on its own. It's not a member of a domain or group but provides local authentication and access control for all resources. And you can have them to ensure a high-availability environment.
This server is not typically part of a production and can't support enterprise-grade apps. Its lack of robustness, scalability, and capacity makes it inappropriate for such demanding environments. But it's great for smaller businesses that need to maintain design standards and reference documents.
Benefits of Standalone Servers
1. Simplicity of Use
Standalone units are less complicated to manage and require less specialized knowledge to administer. For example, you don't have to be tech-savvy to use POS or a printer. That's because these systems don't rely on other specific software or hardware. Instead, they have their own program, which can be installed via USB, CD, or downloaded from the Internet.
The most popular example of a standalone unit is a PC with its own operating system and interface. Its operating system works with many files but is not dependent on them. Besides, you know that PCs can work without any other device and Wi-Fi connection.
2. Solid Performance
A standalone server can be configured to provide authentication and user accounting locally. This eliminates the need for complicated actions such as domain logon or user association. This makes standalone servers the best choice for local office distribution.
Besides, these units have better performances than network servers. Simply, they're in charge of simple tasks unrelated to anything else. So nothing can slow it down or disturb its work. But the problem might arise when more than half of the memory is used because there's no backup option.
3. Low Maintenance Costs
Standalone servers require regular maintenance for optimal performance and durability. The procedure varies depending on the model, application and website, and hardware requirements. But generally, it's not too complex and doesn't take much time. It can take anywhere from one to ten hours a month.
Server maintenance is a high expense. Like electricity, it eats up money. Different standalone units have varying needs, so it can be hard to get an exact estimate. An average maintenance fee is between $150 and $1500 per month. But if you follow tips, you can keep these costs at their low end without sacrificing functionality.
Another financial advantage of these systems is the low hardware costs, making this unit quite inexpensive to set up in any environment. Basically, it's a single unit without extra devices, wires, and connections with other devices. Of course, that can be tricky when transferring files to other devices, but it's solvable with flash drives, CDs, etc.
4. Great Damage Control
Unlike network servers, standalone units rely on their own forces to protect them from intruders. In other words, they have their own security management, which runs specific firewalls and antivirus setups that ensure the great security of this system.
Also, standalone servers don't have a central instance and can be restarted quickly. This makes them great for disaster recovery. As these units don't depend on others, they provide excellent damage control. So if anything happens, only one unit will suffer. In case of a breakdown of network servers, the entire system would collapse.
5. Good Security
The independence of a standalone unit contributes to its security. It has all its data and files inside, and no one can access them from any other device (as they're not connected or networked in any way). That makes it less prone to hacking, viruses, and spy wares.
6. Not Affecting Other Users
Another benefit of standalone servers is their independence from other users and domain controllers on the network. Also, being independent of others means this server doesn't affect their work and logon facilities. Besides, they can be configured to operate in read-only or share mode.
In the case of network computers, an action of a single user might affect all other units. For example, if someone decides to watch a movie on their office computer, that can slow down the entire network and disturb the work of others.
Besides, a standalone unit is not tied to an administrator. In other words, you don't need approval from a higher instance as you control the system. So, you can manage it any way you want, make modifications if necessary, and install any program you need. But you're also responsible for updates, repairs, and prompt bug-solving.
Standalone servers can do a great job for smaller businesses. They have high performance and stable and secure work, so you don't have to worry about hacking, system slow-down, and network issues.
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