Virtual Private Server (VPS)
Virtual Private Server (VPS)
Virtual Private Server (VPS)
Virtual Private Server (VPS), also referred to as Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS) hosting is a mid-range hosting option between shared hosting and dedicated hosting. Hosting companies promote it as having performance and control close to that of a dedicated server but at a much more attractive price.
VPS hosting allows multiple accounts to share the same physical server, similar to shared web hosting, but each VPS account runs its own operating system with guaranteed amounts of processing power, RAM, and disk space. Resources are limited, however, and even though an account may be guaranteed certain amounts of processing power and RAM, a VDS environment cannot offer the performance of a full dedicated server because resources are shared, behind the scenes, among the accounts installed on the physical server.
How Does a VPS Work?
Virtual private servers run software called a hypervisor. The hypervisor is responsible for managing system resources and handling requests from the various operating systems. Some of the more popular hypervisors include Xen, Virtuozzo, Vserver, and OpenVZ. Each VPS account is able to run it's own fully independent operating system instance giving the client complete control over their hosting environment. The client is able to install almost any software supported by the installed operating system, start and stop services, and manage multiple accounts from within a web based control panel.
Control Panels
A popular control panel for VPS is Web Hosting Manager (WHM). WHM allows the VPS account owner to set up multiple hosting accounts on his virtual server and manage them each independently. He has the ability to create, block, and delete accounts, monitor account resource usage, set up and install SSL certificates, manage passwords, stop and restart web and mail servers, and more.
WHM allows each account on the VPS to have its own control panel such as cPanel. This is another advantage of virtual private server hosting over shared hosting. Many shared hosting packages allow the account holder to set up and host multiple web sites on their hosting account, but they only get one control panel to manage multiple domains. With a VDS account, each account, or website can have its own control panel, giving the account holder greater flexibility and control over each site.
Why Should I Choose a VPS?
The ability to run multiple individual accounts on one VPS makes VPS hosting an attractive option for web hosting resellers. A client, say a web design company that does not own its own servers, can purchase a VPS hosting account from a web hosting provider, then offer hosting services to it's clients, giving each client it's own control panel and a share of the VPS hosting space and resources. The clients would be able to log into their control panel and maintain their own site without being aware they are sharing a VPS with other clients. The web hosting company may even have the ability to brand the individual control panel it offers to its clients with its own logo and colors.
Another option may be a company that needs a specific software configuration, greater security, or performance that just cannot be guaranteed with shared hosting, but they are not ready, or financially able to justify a dedicated server. The VPS gives them an option that is more flexible, more secure, and offers better performance than shared hosting, but at a significantly lower price point than a dedicated server.
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