A virtual private server (VPS) is a type of web hosting server which hosts all the data of the website. It is called a virtual private server because it only uses a small portion of the physical server’s resources, managed by a third-party owner. Apart from this, you get access to dedicated resources for your website.
VPS hosting is perfect for those people whose website has grown beyond shared hosting but has not quite reached the mark for a dedicated server. VPS hosting is cheaper than dedicated hosting but provides the same experience as a dedicated hosting.
Each user has a unique account on the VPS server and has access to a virtual server, which is running its own unique copy of an operating system (OS). This unique account only utilises the resources paid for the account owner. This feature helps in delivering a performance of a dedicated server without actually having to buy a dedicated server hosting.
Different types of VPS Hosting
- Unmanaged VPS
When you purchase an unmanaged VPS, your web hosting takes over installing the operating system. As the website owner, you have to to perform and manage various aspects of the server, like:
- Software installation, control panel and managing the software updates.
- Managing the security threats, installing security softwares and fixing error messages.
- Whenever there is an outage or any hardware failure, you won’t receive any support from the hosting company.
- Backup of the website and its data is your responsibility.
- Managed VPS
The website designers and owners who don’t have technical knowledge, or have a small number of staff, should opt for a managed VPS. With managed VPS hosting, you get the benefit of not having to worry about handling the server issues. Professional IT members will handle that work for your website. Below are listed some of the benefits of a managed VPS hosting:
- Initial server setup
A managed VPS hosting will help you after the initial launch of your website. Right after the launch, a few steps are required to set up the control panel, server software and the operating software.
- All updates will be handled
All applications, softwares and OS updates will be managed by the hosting company, and you will not have to worry about anything.
- Security patches will be installed
All the security patches for the OS and other server softwares, will be installed and managed by the hosting company.
- Monitoring
Monitoring the early signals of hardware malfunction and other malicious attacks, which after the uptime and performance of the website will be handled by the hosting company’s team of professional server management team.
- Automated backups
You don’t have to worry about backing up your website data, because it will be taken care of by the hosting company. They provide you with automatic updates, so if anything goes wrong and you lose all your data, you just retrieve it from earlier versions.
Advantages of VPS Hosting
The main benefits of a VPS hosting is that it provides you with the same performance of a dedicated server, but without the high cost of a dedicated server.
- Customization
You will be given access to your own OS, with your VPS, which you can customise as per your choice. You can customise the applications installed on your server, so that the server fulfils your requirements.
- Control
VPS offers you the ability to control everything that happens in your hosting environment. For example, if you install any application which requires restarting the server to finish the installation, you can do that without affecting anyone else’s website. Although you share VPS hosting with others, making changes to your hosting environment will not affect their website and hosting.
- Cheap
VPS hosting is more affordable and cheaper than a dedicated server.
- Dedicated resources
With a VPS Server, you get dedicated resources with a predefined value. For example, you get a predefined amount of RAM, which you can use anytime you need it. In shared hosting, there is a RAM which could be in use by other users, when you need it too. This could affect your website’s performance.
- Scalable
Unlike shared hosting, if the resources you have feel insufficient to handle the load, you can simply get an upgrade to improve the performance.
Disadvantages of VPS Hosting
- A bit expensive
Comparing VPS hosting to shared hosting, the former is more expensive. There are two types of VPS hostings. Managed VPS hosting turns out to be the more expensive one as opposed to unmanaged VPS hosting.
- Limited resources
There are some limits to a VPS hosting when compared with a dedicated hosting. When these limits are reached, you will be required to either purchase an upgraded package, or upgrade the resources, or buy a dedicated server.
Conclusion
VPS hosting is perfect for any website owner who does not wish to spend a lot of money on dedicated servers, but also wants a performance like a dedicated server. It is highly recommended for people having moderate to heavy traffic on their website.
At HostDistrict, our team of highly experienced web designers will guide you through the process of getting your website up and running. If you have any queries, let us know and we will get back to you with the solutions.
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