| Mainland carrier-backed hosting | Dedicated servers in mainland data centers; available CPU, memory, storage, and redundancy vary by site and order. | May offer access to domestic carrier networks. Mainland-hosted public websites generally require an ICP filing; cross-border performance depends on routes and network capacity. | Common options include operating-system installation, monitoring, hardware replacement, and basic troubleshooting. | Check the written uptime definition, maintenance exclusions, response targets, and escalation process; carrier access alone does not establish an SLA. | Organizations serving users primarily in mainland China. |
| Cloud-platform dedicated server | Single-tenant physical servers integrated with a cloud control plane, with optional virtual networking and related cloud services. | Region availability and connectivity depend on the selected cloud region. Mainland and overseas regions may have different regulatory and routing requirements. | May combine server management with console-based provisioning, monitoring, backup, and network controls; confirm which tasks are included. | Support tiers, response targets, and service credits are plan-specific and should be checked in the applicable service terms. | Teams that want dedicated hardware alongside cloud-style administration. |
| Regional metropolitan data-center hosting | Servers hosted in a city-specific facility, often selected for proximity to users, offices, or existing network links. | Latency and carrier choice are facility-specific. A city location by itself does not guarantee faster access or a particular route. | Remote hands, reboot assistance, basic operating-system support, and hardware fault handling may be available. | Confirm whether support is available around the clock, which languages are supported, and how onsite work is billed. | Businesses with a concentrated user base or operational presence in one region. |
| High-bandwidth network-focused hosting | Dedicated hardware paired with contracted port capacity; actual throughput depends on the port, traffic policy, and facility network. | Ask whether bandwidth is committed, shared, or traffic-metered, and whether the quote specifies domestic and international routes. | May include traffic monitoring, network troubleshooting, and configuration assistance; application administration is not necessarily included. | Check congestion policies, traffic limits, DDoS response scope, and whether network availability is measured separately from server availability. | Traffic-heavy services that need clearly documented network capacity. |
| High-availability and redundant-design hosting | May offer redundant power and network paths at the facility; server-level redundancy requires additional design and configuration. | Redundancy varies by data-center design and purchased service. Confirm whether diverse carriers or physically separate paths are provided. | Possible services include health checks, failover assistance, backup coordination, and recovery planning. | Review the SLA scope and disaster-recovery terms. A redundant facility does not automatically make an application highly available. | Services where outages have significant operational impact. |
| Storage-intensive dedicated hosting | Server configurations may emphasize drive capacity, RAID options, or separate storage systems; usable capacity depends on the chosen redundancy layout. | Storage performance is affected by drive type, controller, workload, and network design—not capacity alone. | May include RAID configuration, disk monitoring, replacement coordination, and backup setup as separately defined services. | Confirm backup frequency, retention, restore testing, and responsibility for data recovery; RAID is not a substitute for backup. | File repositories, media workloads, and data-intensive applications. |
| Security- and compliance-oriented hosting | Dedicated servers may be placed in facilities with documented security controls; certifications and audit scope must be verified for the specific site. | Data location and access arrangements should match the organization’s regulatory and contractual requirements. | Possible add-ons include patch coordination, access controls, logging, vulnerability management, and incident assistance. | Ask for current documentation, incident-notification terms, audit evidence, and a clear division of security responsibilities. | Organizations with formal security, audit, or data-governance requirements. |
| Managed operating-system and application support | Dedicated hardware with an agreed operating system and a defined management boundary; supported software varies by contract. | Network configuration and service reachability still depend on the data center, carrier, and application setup. | Can include OS updates, service monitoring, configuration changes, and troubleshooting. Application code and third-party software may be excluded. | Obtain a written responsibility matrix covering routine changes, emergency work, response targets, and out-of-scope charges. | Teams that need ongoing administration rather than hardware rental alone. |
| Cross-border connectivity-oriented hosting | Servers may be located in mainland China or a nearby overseas location; the appropriate choice depends on users, data location, and service requirements. | International routing, latency, and throughput can vary by carrier and destination. Do not assume a route or performance level without a tested, written commitment. | May offer network diagnostics and configuration support; connectivity products and service scope differ by provider. | Check destination-specific testing, traffic terms, route-change handling, and applicable legal or regulatory requirements. | Businesses serving users in multiple countries or regions. |
| Custom-built enterprise dedicated hosting | Hardware, rack placement, network, and redundancy can be specified to order, subject to facility availability and procurement lead times. | Design can account for multiple locations or carriers, but diversity and failover behavior should be documented and tested. | May include a named service contact, change management, capacity planning, monitoring, and tailored operating procedures. | Compare the signed SLA, escalation contacts, maintenance windows, reporting, and service-credit conditions rather than sales descriptions alone. | Organizations with specialized technical requirements and formal procurement processes. |