Uses of a VPS server

What is a VPS?

We have previously discussed VPS hosting. In case you missed it, read it here.
To give you an overview about VPS hosting: A VPS hosting is where a server is divided into several mini servers which are used to host one website per mini server. It results in better performance than shared hosting and is less expensive than dedicated hosting. A VPS can be configured according to the requirements and can be scaled when the need arises. The hardware resources used in a VPS are added to the server according to your requirements. The major benefit it offers is that the performance of the webiste hosted on a VPS will not be affected by other website’s traffic hosted on the same server, because the resources are dedicated to your website only. 

VPS Use Cases

VPS hosting has a lot of uses, because of enhanced performance and cost effectiveness. The resources can also be upgraded or downgraded according to the needs. A VPS is essentially a dedicated server, but in a miniature form. 

Some of the use cases of a VPS are:

Website Hosting

The most common use of a VPS hosting is for website hosting. Many business websites which are experiencing or expecting a lot of traffic are hosted on a VPS server. VPS server has gained a lot of popularity in recent times because of its cost-effectiveness and performance. Any VPS can be customised according to your needs and the resources are chosen to deliver the best performance, because these resources are dedicated to your website only, and will not be affected by the traffic on other websites. The server can be customised according to your liking and needs. It also offers customization and preferences in terms of the applications installed on the server.  

Application Server

Application server is a server which holds the information which is important for the functioning of a mobile, web or desktop application. It holds the software which will help the application in communicating with the server through predetermined protocols. 

Most of the applications nowadays run on a VPS server. The software installed on the server can be chosen according to the project and customised according to your choice. 

Gaming Server

Any good game server has two characteristics.

Firstly, it needs to be powerful. When multiple thousand players are playing on the server simultaneously, it should be capable enough to support these players and deliver the best performance and experience to them. VPS, as we have read earlier, is scalable depending on your needs. The hardware configuration can be upgraded with a few clicks and changes are seen almost instantaneously. So, if new players are also logging on the server, it will be able to handle the extra load on the resources. 

Second thing is that the online game server should be able to deliver high speed. VPS fulfils this criteria with ease. Theoretically, any computer can serve as a server. But without a proper connection, many players will feel the frustrating lag. The hardware which is equipped in the VPS is powerful enough to deliver lag-free performance. The best performing hardware ensures that the downtime is kept at a minimum, and the best possible experience is delivered. 

Email Server

Email communication has been used since its inception and it is still going strong. With different email clients, the daily number of email users has risen significantly. Many businesses and companies have also adapted the use of email to further grow their business and increase revenue. Purchasing an email server will become essential to keep the flow of business emails smooth. A VPS server can be used as an email server to make sure the incoming and outgoing communication is happening smoothly. 

One of the major benefits of using a VPS as an emails server is the dedicated IP address. You will not be sharing your IP address with any spam website so you won’t run the risk of the spamming and blacklisting. You will have a dedicated storage for all the email messages and their data. 

VPN Server

VPNs or Virtual Private Networks, can be used in multiple applications. The main uses of a VPN range from bypassing geographical location blocks to increasing online privacy. Another important role is played by a VPN, to increase data security. Data is really important in any business, more so in the online business, because you always run the risk of the data getting stolen by hackers. A VPN uses encryption based tunnels to ensure that the data is not breached at any point. 

VoIP Server

VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is an important method of communication, just like emails. It is really beneficial for anyone who travels a lot. It helps reduce the costs tremendously. But VoIP services are not cheap, but if you make many calls, it can become more cost-effective for you in the long run. A VoIP solution can directly be implemented on your VPS server. The VoIP service can be customised according to your preference. A good internet connection will ensure the quality of voice call is impeccable. 

Backup Server

Everybody knows that not keeping backups is a major problem, because in case anything goes wrong, there is no way to restore the lost data. To avoid these troubles, backups are made. You can use VPS to store these backups.

The main reason for using VPS as a backup server is if all the data is stored on the main server, it will utilise space and in case of a catastrophe, it will also be damaged.  

Some people would believe that backups can also be stored on a hard-drive or an SSD. They are not completely wrong, but in case the website’s main server suffers failure and cannot be restored, they would have to rebuild the website on a different server, whereas if the backup is stored on a VPS, they could simply switch their servers. 

In the longer run, it becomes more cost effective, because you don’t have to purchase any hardware. Also, you are not stuck with a piece of hardware that you feel is not fulfilling the requirements. You can simply upgrade the resource. 

Conclusion

A VPS plays many roles but the most important and common use case is the website hosting server. VPS is perfect for any website or application which has the potential of growth or is seeing an increase in its daily traffic.