Sometimes it"s easy to forget that "this" – the Internet – does exist in the physical world too. Millions of servers around the world.
Here"s a picture from one of the Stardock data centers. This rack contains one of the Impulse cluster manager servers and just inches below is Neowin.net"s servers. Neowin requires 5 very high end servers to run the site that is almost purely database/text is a testament to how popular the site has become over the years.
The Neowin setup consists of 5 servers. Top two are the apache servers, IRC is in the middle, and the bottom two run the database. The bottom server is the one we purchased last month, which replaced our very first self owned dedicated server that we bought back in in the beginning of 2005. We also use this server for development work. For details on stats and what it does, follow this link.
Years ago, when we were a lot smaller and I was more involved in setting up servers, the traffic was so much lower that you could have a single box for handling all the databases and another box for handling the web server. Such a setup, back in 2001, was enough to handle millions of users.
All 5 servers and the site are only made possible by our loyal readers. The revenue to purchase the servers and keep the site running is generated solely from member based subscriptions and advertising on the site. We appreciate our loyal readership and look forward to an exciting 2010. From all the staff at Neowin Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.