Virtual Private Servers (VPS) Web Hosting
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by Paras Shah
June 06, 2006
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A Virtual Private Server (VPS), also referred to as Virtual
Dedicated Server (VDS), provides the features of a dedicated server for
multiple web hosting customers to share. At first instance it sounds
contradictory, how can you have a dedicated server if it is being
shared by multiple users? Isn't that a regular shared or virtual
hosting environment? It is true that with a Virtual Private
Server you still share system resources like the CPU and RAM with other
users but the resources are allocated in such a way that you cannot
tell that the system has anyone else on it, much like a dedicated
server. So resources are usually setup in such a way that each hosting
client is only allowed to use an allocated percent, meaning that
resources assigned to you will always available to you.
Advantages of Virtual Private Server (VPS) web hosting
Most
hosting customers would rather have complete control of their server
environments. They don't want to be hosted on a server with tens or
hundreds of other users, who could easily use up all the resources or
cause the server environment to be unstable. But at the same time most
websites don't need a dedicated server. The Virtual Private
Server (VPS) alternative is a very attractive niche hosting solution
for a fairly large chunk of web hosting clients who would like the
stability of a dedicated server but on a smaller scale. With the
resources setup in such a way that each person can only use what is
allocated to them, your site will be more consistent because it will
always have the same amount of access to the CPU, memory, and
bandwidth. Virtual Private Servers are also more secure since
even as you share the memory and CPU time, you are allocated your own
file system. If a website on the server is hacked, the hackers will
only have access to that particular file system and would not harm the
other websites. A VPS is also much cheaper than a dedicated server.
Disadvantages of Virtual Private Server (VPS) web hosting
Now
that you have read the pros of a VPS you are probably thinking that
this is the best thing since sliced bread. Well, almost - as is the
case with every other type of hosting service, not all providers setup
or define Virtual Private Servers, also known as Virtual Dedicated
Servers, the exact same way. You must make sure that your
provider guarantees that their setup is robust enough to handle
operations at a peak level. A trick used by many providers in the
reselling and shared space is 'overselling'. What this means is selling
more in terms of services than what physically available, with the hope
that the end users wouldn't use up all the service that were advertised
to them. In the realm of VPS this can be a bit more serious,
since at least the expectation is that you are operating in a more
robust environment and many clients could be running more intensive
applications like message boards or custom web applications. A
shortfall of resources could end up causing problems for everyone
hosted on such a server, therefore negating the benefits of a VPS. In
a shared or dedicated environment you might be able to access more
resources during peak or spike periods but since the VPS environment
limits you to to your slice of the server resources, it can be a
drawback.
As if the technology rich lingo of regular web
hosting wasn't enough, the VPS services add a few new wrinkles. Apart
from storage space and bandwidth you must also deal with CPU cycles and
RAM. So you will see ads for hosting that might include *** MHz and ***
MB RAM to go with the usual hosting related features. It is somewhat
harder to figure out how much CPU time or RAM you might need, so seek
out a hosting provider that will provide you with some benchmarks and
the ability to upgrade or downgrade the VPS service if needed.
Conclusion
- Allows complete control of your virtual server and its resources
- Allows you to run web applications without adversely affecting other clients
- Flexible - cheaper than dedicated hosting, more expensive than shared.
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