The online thing
One of the most important things in the online world is the humble dedicated server. It may have many shapes and forms, different hardware specs and capabilities but its role is the same. A dedicated server is an online machine leased to a single customer with full access to the available resources and not shared with anyone else. This is alot more flexible than a shared hosting plan or a VPS or a hybrid server because a dedicated server is the physical machine connected directly or by a proxy, to the internet. Another advantage is the choice of the installed operating system , managed operating system installation or changes to it without restriction. Compared to a VPS, you have full access to everything while at the same time responsibilities for the changes you make, drive encryption , bleeding-edge kernels and so on.
Overall, the dedicated server is closest to true resources and performance and the number one choice for large projects which exceed the limits of a shared hosting package , a VPS or anything in between.