What is a VPS server?

A VPS also is known as a (Virtual Private Server) is a virtual machine provided by a web hosting company. A VPS runs its own operating system (OS) and provides admin rights and root access so that you can install any required software. You have more control with a virtual server.

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What is Virtualization?

Virtualization is the act of creating a virtual version of something, including virtual computer hardware systems, storage devices, and computer network resources. It is done using a virtualization software known as the hypervisor. In general, a VPS is a virtual machine, performing the functions of a server, running on powerful server hardware.

A VPS or a Virtual Private Server is a service used in the hosting world where it acts as a standalone dedicated server. With the use of cloud technology and virtualization, the VPS comes into play. A VPS server has its own dedicated resources but the difference is that in one powerful physical server there can be more than one VPS. By the use of virtualization, the physical server is divided into the required number of Virtual Private Servers and the resources are dedicated accordingly. 

A Virtual Private Server is a perfect hosting choice as it has a balance of performance, security, and price. There comes the point of the price for a VPS as it is expensive than a shared hosting service but the thing to take into consideration is that if you are capable of managing a VPS account. If you are sufficiently capable of the technicalities that come with VPS hosting, then this is the best option to grow your business the way you want without any restrictions.

VPS vs. Shared Hosting

VPS and shared hosting both share a single server’s resources. But with shared hosting, resources are shared equally between all users. This means the bandwidth any user has available will always be in flux, and each user won’t have as much control over how much bandwidth they have available at any given time.

VPS offers a more customized option that includes more control over your data and bandwidth usage. When you select a VPS service provider and plan, you can select one that allows you access to a maximum amount of RAM, bandwidth, and server space, so you can select how much you may need, and all of it will be yours to use at all times.

VPS vs. Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting is true to its name. It includes a fully-dedicated host server where 100% of resources are dedicated to your site. VPS, on the other hand, has a dedicated amount of resources allocated to your site from a shared server, essentially giving you a piece of a larger whole. When you have a dedicated host, the entire host is yours to utilize.

What Are the Advantages of a VPS?

Every hosting solution has its own advantages and is suitable for different stages of a business. But what is VPS used for? A VPS is good for businesses that are feeling constrained by their shared hosting plans but aren’t ready for—or can’t afford—a dedicated server. It’s ideally used for organizations that are seeking:

More flexibility than shared hosting: With a VPS, you can customize your hardware and software configurations and run your own applications.

Lower cost than a dedicated server: The hosting company can spread the cost of running and maintaining the server across all businesses operating on a given machine. Depending on your host, monthly fees can be as low as $20.

Better security than shared hosting: Because you are not sharing space with others, their mistakes, faulty scripts or resource usage will not affect the uptime or accessibility of your Web site.

Independent FTP and POP access: Again, other users' use of FTP and POP email don’t affect your access and speed.

Root access: Because of a VPS functions as an independent server, you get root access, which is what you need to configure and install your own operating system and other applications. Shared hosting only gives you access to a directory on the shared server, which does not allow for software customization.

Lower technical knowledge requirement than a dedicated server: In most cases, you access your VPS through graphical user interface control panels, from which you install and configure your applications. Dedicated servers usually require manual configuration.

Do You Need a Virtual Private Server?

It might be time to consider upgrading from shared hosting to VPS if:

Your business is growing and getting more traffic: If your Web site’s resource needs are approaching your shared hosting provider’s premium-level plan, you can often get more resources and flexibility with a VPS for the same cost.

You want to run applications your shared hosting plan doesn’t offer.

You’re looking for increased security: With multiple sites hosted on the same server, your site can become vulnerable if another is breached or attacked. With VPS, you’ll have a more protected piece of real estate on the server that keeps your data more secure.

You need more reliability and uptime: Depending on how much each user is utilizing at any given time, the bandwidth on a shared server is constantly changing. If your infrastructure is going down, your business can’t run. VPS can offer you more uptime on your own allocated portion of resources.

You want more control over your server overall: With VPS, you’ll have root access to control your configurations and install any software you need.

Choosing the Right VPS Hosting

Here are some basic questions to ask and things to consider when you’re deciding on VPS hosting for your website.

Environment: Which environment will you run on? Windows and Linux are two options, which are both quite different, but you will need to start by selecting one.

Managed vs. Unmanaged: Do you have an IT person or team to help manage your VPS server? If not, you may want to consider a managed hosting solution where server management is included in the service.

Redundancy and Scalability: How will your server back up data? You need a hosting solution with a failover plan to ensure your data is securely backed up outside of a single server. Also, if your business bandwidth needs to change or you need to scale up, can your hosting solution grow to meet your needs as they change?

Cloud-based or Conventional: Will you want your data hosted on the cloud or on conventional servers? Conventional servers tend to have more limitations, whereas the cloud tends to be more flexible and scalable.

Customer support: Even the best-laid plans go wrong, which is why you’ll need support at the ready. Ensure that you select a hosting provider that will offer you 24/7 support. Without customer support available, you risk losing valuable uptime.

Price: Most hosting providers offer an allocation of storage and RAM along with a specified data transfer speed, IP addresses, and more. Typically, they charge a monthly fee for the whole package, so compare your options and see who provides what you need for the best possible price. Pricing can start at under $15 a month.

When to use VPS and how to decide it is time to upgrade?

VPS hosting is usually seen as the next step after your website grows out of the resource limits of shared hosting. If the most advanced shared hosting plan is not enough anymore to run your website smoothly, it’s worth upgrading to a VPS plan. In such cases, VPS hosting can provide you with the best of two worlds: shared and dedicated hosting.

However, there are other use cases when it can be a good idea to start with a VPS plan right from the beginning. For example, eCommerce websites where you need to ensure secure payments with a fast and stable environment can benefit a lot from a virtual private server. In fact, if you store any kind of sensitive data or have to process online payments VPS can help you reduce the risk of security breaches and identity theft.

If you expect traffic spikes at certain times on your site, for instance, in case of an event planning or ticket-selling website, a VPS hosting plan can be a godsend as well. Game servers and other resource-heavy sites can also run with much better performance on a virtual private server.

VPS hosting gives you access to guaranteed resources and full control without having to run your own server. It’s an excellent solution for medium to high traffic, resource-heavy, and eCommerce websites. However, businesses who expect rapid growth can also benefit from the stability of the service. If you want a reliable, business-scale hosting environment at a friendly price, it’s definitely worth considering VPS hosting for your website.

We hope this article helped you understand what is VPS hosting and how it works. In case you have any additional questions, feel free to submit them in the comment section below!