Summary
- Advantages and disadvantages of a VPS
- Who should use a VPS?
A VPS, from virtual private server, is a widespread hosting model which belongs to the category of service IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) delivered by the numerous suppliers of ‘Internet access. We can define a VPS as a virtual machine, which uses the resources of a physical server and offers users the same functionality as a classic dedicated server. Thus a VPS represents the same concept as a VDS (virtual dedicated server).
In the commercial domain of web hosting, a high-performance physical machine normally hosts several VPS, each having its own operating system (OS) and offering users full access to the root. So each server administrator operates independently of other users on the same computer hardware. The management of the material takes place through a hypervisor: a virtual machine manager. It is simply a program that creates and manages virtual machines. The hypervisor defines the virtual environment and offers for each virtual dedicated server a sharing of its physical resources such as the processor (CPU, central processing unit), the random access memory (RAM) or even disk space. Root access rights allow a VPS user to install all applications that are supported by the selected operating system – this can include web server software, an email server, or even applications specific for e-commerce or blogging systems.
Advantages and disadvantages of a VPS
The virtual dedicated server is positioned as a good compromise between two hosting solutions: shared hosting which is the least expensive solution and the option of having your own dedicated server, very expensive for the latter. The dedicated virtual hosting model offers users a wide spectrum of possibilities for a reasonable and affordable price. Indeed, creating virtual reproductions of an individual computer system on a common sharing platform is a much simpler process for web hosting companies than preparing separate hardware for each user. Finally, a high level of independence of the users’ systems is obtained by encapsulation. Each VPS on the shared hardware can be used securely and protected from other systems operating in parallel.
The sharing of hardware resources that each VPS obtains from the central hypervisor is usually defined in advance. This guarantees a minimum level of server performance for each user. However, the actual performance of a VPS is generally much higher than the guaranteed minimum, especially when the other systems operating on shared equipment are not used. Indeed, the hypervisor relocates free and unused resources on the other systems sharing the material.
Each VPS uses its own operating system. This means that errors and malicious attacks are restricted to the individual operating system (OS), other VPS that operate on the same hardware are not affected. But as the virtual dedicated server gives users full access to the root, the administration of these servers is therefore much more complex than for shared or shared hosting where the basic configurations and updates are managed by the company.
Another disadvantage of VPS, this time compared to a dedicated server is the restriction in the use of hardware in terms of network resources. The virtual servers on a hosting system are controlled by a specific number of suitable networks and the LAN connections do not generally correspond to the number that the virtual dedicated server uses.
Another hosting model similar to VPS is Cloud hosting with real consumption pricing rather than by fixed subscription.
Who should use a VPS?
The virtual dedicated server hosting model is mainly suitable for experienced users who are looking for a personalized hosting solution for their Web projects but who do not necessarily have the budget to have a classic dedicated server. So a VPS is only recommended for companies that operate on an open network and have knowledge of server administration.
Small businesses, blogs or sketchy news sites with a reasonable number of visitors can manage their pages simply by using a shared or shared hosting model. The use of a virtual dedicated server is particularly interesting for important Web projects such as community sites, medium-sized online shops or business sites which generate high traffic and therefore need to be supported by a solution of solid hardware ensuring good performance.
In addition, a VPS also allows access to the console, thus authorizing to install software which is often impossible in the case of shared hosting or the client will depend on the goodwill of the host if he wishes a technology or specific software (for example: Ruby on Rails, Node, the NoSQL database system, or Windows).
With reasonable monthly pricing and good scalability, VPS is the ideal solution for a medium-sized business. Virtual servers are generally quick and easy to update. Finally, if a project requires more or on the contrary less performance than initially planned, it is always possible to simply change the tariff which will best correspond to your needs. Finally, updating a VPS does not cause any data migration, unlike the dedicated server, and the additional resources are simply freed by the hypervisor.
Source website: https://www.dmtwebhosting.com