What is a VPS Hosting?
VPS web hosting is a type of web hosting that stands for Virtual Private Server. It is an intermediate solution between shared hosting and a dedicated server. It allows you to benefit from the advantages of dedicated hosting without having to bear its price.
As part of VPS hosting, VPS servers are subject to sale. These VPS servers coexist on the same server without affecting each other. However, the division is logically, whence the term “virtual”. Although these VPSs are on the same server, their software separation makes them appear as dedicated servers, it grants administrator access and the root of the file system is accessible. The user can configure his server however he wants without affecting other users, as if he were working on a personal machine.
This separation is achieved by means of virtualization. Virtualization on VPS servers is similar to the one performed on local machines, allowing separate operating systems to run on a single machine. Virtualization software called a hypervisor is installed on top of the operating system and will do the software separation of the VPS servers. Each user will be able to install the operating system and the programs he wants on the needs of his site.
VPS hosting vs. Shared hosting
Webmasters generally choose VPS web hosting for sites with a large audience, for which the need exceeds the limits of shared hosting without necessarily requiring a dedicated hosting. It can be e-commerce, press or video game sites. A VPS server is also suitable for applications and sites that require a particular configurations for their operation. Especially private business applications.
These are the following advantages for VPS web hosting over shared hosting.
- Fast and reliable.The resources that means RAM, processor, speed, are guaranteed and used only by the application hosted on the VPS server.
- Secured. A security issue on one VPS will never affect other VPSs. Indeed, access to files and databases is limited to the user alone.
- Root administration possible. With root access, the user can perform all configurations as needed by its application.
- Expandable. A site or an application evolves easily thanks to the architecture of VPS. Therefore, there is no need for major changes to increase resources.
VPS offers many advantages. However, estimating its weakness is vital in order to ensure that it suits its needs. Although the price of VPS is reduced compared to dedicated servers, it is still superior to shared hosting. Likewise, the web host provider no longer takes over the administration of the server. The user must therefore have knowledge for the serene management of his server. Otherwise, it’s easy to leave dangerous security holes, for example. However, a managed VPS server can overcome this problem.