Table of Contents
What is a VPS?
A virtual private server (VPS) is an arrangement of splitting a physical server into several virtual servers that have their isolated virtual environment. Each virtual server can run its own operating system, and each server can be freely rebooted. In other words, a VPS hosting is a server, with its own copy of operating system and allocated server resources, within a bigger server.
Significant features of a VPS
- Facilitates you to install any software (excluding the software mentioned in our AUP as prohibited) and have any kind of custom configuration.
- Assured minimum use of resources (memory, processor time and so on)
- Allotment of personal IP addresses
- Possibility of filtering rules and routing tables
With the advent of virtualization, using VPS has become possible.
Types of Virtualization
- Operating system level virtualization (OpenVZ)
- Full virtualization (Xen)
OpenVZ is an operating system-level virtualization technology for Linux. It allows a physical server to run multiple isolated operating system instances, called containers, Virtual Private Servers (VPSs), or Virtual Environments (VEs).
Xen allows several guest operating systems to execute on the same computer hardware concurrently. It uses a form of virtualization known as full virtualization. Xen gives you much of the dedicated server behavior.
OpenVZ VPS Server
- Burstable and Guaranteed RAM
Guaranteed RAM – the amount of RAM dedicated to your virtual machine.
Burstable RAM – is an extra amount of RAM that your VPS can use in bursts. Can be used by your VPS if no one else uses it.
Good: You can temporarily exceed your virtual server’s memory limits and not get stuck with the normal result. Mostly beneficial in temporarily high traffic scenarios.
Bad: It may not be fully available for your VPS if other virtual machines experience peak load at that time.
- HDD subsystem is divided between VMs on a software level
Each virtual machine is sensitive to other virtual machines’ activity. You are not as dependent on other users as on a shared server, but still VPSes, to some extent influence each other’s performance.
- One guest operation system;
Only Linux OS can be installed:
CentOS (the only compatible with cPanel)
Ubuntu
FreeBSD
- Provides account with Full Root Access
- Inexpensive solution
XEN VPS Server
- Guaranteed RAM
If you run out of RAM, you use virtual memory, which stores the program data on hard disk. Unlike OpenVZ, you don’t have any ‘shared’ memory, all RAM you have according to the plan is always yours. But reading from disk is slower than reading from RAM, so it may slow everything down.
- HDD subsystem is divided on hardware level
Processes are scheduled on VM level and then re-scheduled on the carrier level. This way we don’t have all tasks from all VPSes lined up in one queue. A VPS can overload itself, but will not influence the whole carrier, i.e. XEN VPSes are more isolated and behave much like a dedicated server.
- Almost any OS can be installed
Linux: Centos, Ubuntu, FreeBSD
and windows 2008
- Provides accounts with Full Root Access
- Supports Swap space
- High level of customization
- Better Java Performance
- Para-virtualized Linux kernel (i.e., full isolation)
Conclusion
At present, a VPS is an excellent bridge between shared hosting plans and dedicated solutions that lets its user save money and also have much more independence. Its main advantage is the ability that it provides to you to have complete control over the hosting environment as you would get in a dedicated hosting package minus the cost.
If your hosting requirements exceed the services offered by your shared web host or you need more control over the hosting services, the best solution would be to go for a virtual private server (VPS). Not only does it give you more root access, but you also have the freedom to install any type of software you want. You also get to choose the right configuration that suits your requirements and growth.
Hostripples, a major player in the Web Hosting Industry since 2013, offers you high-quality VPS hosting with 99.99% uptime. We provide the best hosting plans that guarantee optimum performance at very affordable prices.
