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Virtual Private Servers

A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a hosting environment that combines the benefits of both shared hosting and dedicated hosting. It does this by creating a virtual server that runs inside a hardware server via a specially designed partition.

Each Virtual Private Server partition runs its own operating system in a secure and private environment and cannot be accessed or interrupted by its neighbours. This system gives you the same level of root access as a dedicated server whilst sharing the cost of the hardware. With a VPS you are virtually running your own server but at a fraction of the cost.

The flexibility of a dedicated server

Users share system resources, such as the CPU and memory, but unlike shared hosting (a virtual host on a shared hardware server ) the file system is fully partitioned. This means that up-time is more consistent; while root access to the server provides the flexibility to add and change modules and to install your own software.

The cost effectiveness of shared hosting

Partitioning a single hardware server into multiple servers is nothing new. In fact, mainframe computers have long been partitioned into multiples. The result though is a more cost effective setup for smaller dedicated clients, because you are sharing the cost of the hardware with others.

VPS Basics

VPS behaves exactly like an isolated stand-alone server. For it user it has:

• Appears to have its own processes, users, files and provides full root access
• Their own IP addresses, port numbers, tables, filtering and routing rules
• Their own configuration files for the system and app software
• Their own versions of system libraries or modify existing ones
• The ability to delete, add, modify any file, including files in /root, and install its own application software or custom configure/modify root application software
   

VPS Benefits

Control:
A virtual private server gives you root access to the system, this allows you to modify server configuration files, install applications or modify system software, in a shared environment you have to rely on server settings that are 'best fit' for all clients and this may not suit your needs.

Security:
With a virtual private server your file system is not accessible or viewable by any other VPS owner, unlike a shared envoronment where anyone with shell access can browse through your files a VPS ensures full privacy and security.

Isolation:
In a shared hosting environment you are 'held hostage' to the actions of others, if another shared account runs a script that crashes the server then your site goes down too. With a virtual private server you have complete resource isolation, no matter what another VPS user does it will not affect your server.

Performance:
In a shared environment resources goes to the site 'that shouts the loudest' in other words a big site can drain all resources and leave yours performing badly. In a virtual private server environment you are guaranteed a set of resources to ensure your site always performs at full speed, these resource guarantees ensure other virtual private servers have no affect on the performance of your site.

In a shared environment resources goes to the site 'that shouts the loudest' in other words a big site can drain all resources and leave yours performing badly. In a virtual private server environment you are guaranteed a set of resources to ensure your site always performs at full speed, these resource guarantees ensure other virtual private servers have no affect on the performance of your site.

All of the above are also valid reasons to move to a dedicated server. However if you don't need the full power of a dedicated server and this is what makes virtual private servers so good, all the benefits, at a resource level you need and at a fraction of the cost.