For people running businesses out of their home or on a tight budget, VPS is an ideal option. A virtual private server is basically a computer server sold commercially by an Internet hosting provider as a service. The main difference between VPS and dedicated servers is that VPS is sold as an appliance, which means you install only what you need, and do not have to deal with managing servers, software, security, etc. Furthermore, VPS uses virtualization technologies to make it easy to use.
Explanation
VPS is an intermediate between physical and virtual servers. While a physical server is literally a server that is located in someone’s home, a VPS is a type of bridge between a physical server and a cloud provider. A virtual private server works in a completely virtual environment but some resources are dedicated to it, which isn’t the case with VPS. With a VPS, you can get a slice of the cloud’s infrastructure without having to own the actual server.
If you’re not familiar with the term “virtualization,” it describes a technology that has allowed computers to behave like multiple machines. Basically, virtualization is used to reduce the overhead associated with software systems. VPS can be thought of as a scaled down, or “vanilla” version of a dedicated web hosting solution. While VPS hosting allows for great flexibility and cost savings, it is still considered to be fairly comparable to dedicated hosting. Here’s a quick breakdown of the different types of VPS and how they operate:
Simplicity and affordability
VPS are highly affordable and a good alternative to shared web hosting. For the same price as dedicated hosting, you can have one single machine that hosts your website. You get root access and can install various programs on the single machine. You only pay for the resources that are used by the single machine. This includes the amount of memory, hard drive space, processor speed, and more.
The ability to scale up or down as needed
With VPS, as opposed to dedicated hosting, you don’t need to worry about making any upgrades to the physical server resources as needed. Because you only pay for the resources that are used, you are able to scale up or down as needed. With shared hosting, you typically cannot alter the underlying hardware resource base in any way. Because you share the same physical server resources with other websites, you are often subject to the whims of other hosts. VPS hosting gives you the ability to make upgrades whenever needed without interrupting your service.
For the exact benefits VPS offers, you will want to do some research to learn more about this great web hosting option. VPS offer unlimited flexibility and cost savings when compared to shared hosting solutions. By taking the time to learn about the different types of VPS and their features, you will be able to decide which type is right for you.