VPS – What is it?
Virtual Private Server or virtual private server is the meaning of the acronym VPS. But do you know what this means? If the answer is no, that’s fine. We will explain it to you clearly. A server is nothing more than a computer. When you hire website hosting, you are renting space on that computer to store your website files. And when you hire a dedicated server, you are renting a machine dedicated exclusively to your website.
Now, imagine that software is installed on this computer that is capable of creating a virtual machine inside the server in question. This virtual machine allocates much of the computer’s resources itself, but not all of them.
This virtual machine will be your VPS. A virtual server is created inside a physical server. And obviously, because it’s private, only those with permission will be able to access it.
For comparison purposes, let’s imagine three servers. On server one, we have shared hosting services. In this way, hundreds of sites will share the resources of that server. Obviously, the amounts to be paid will be lower as well. It’s like you’re living in an apartment and sharing it with ten friends: the bills are cheap, but you have some inconveniences.
On server two we have a dedicated server. That is, it is unique to the files on a given site. Although the value may be high, it will deliver enough features so that your site never faces instability and always stays fast. Keeping with the previous metaphor, here’s how you live alone: the bills may be expensive, but you’ll be much more comfortable.
The third server is where the VPS is located. On this server, part of its resources was destined for a virtual machine and the rest are used in a different way, which is not the case now. This virtual machine is then rented to someone else who will be able to use it as if it were a server.
VPS – How does it work?
So far I believe that the basics of the operation of a VPS have become quite clear. But when we talk about a virtual machine inside a physical server, it’s important to talk about how resources are allocated.
For example, a server can have two or even more VPS. Couldn’t this cause the same problems as shared hosting? This is a very pertinent question and we will explain why this does not happen. When you create a VPS, you create what we call virtual environments. Each such environment works by allocating a predefined amount of resources.
For example, if you have a computer with 16Gb of RAM and 1 terabyte of storage. You can then create a virtual environment where 4Gb of RAM and 250Gb of storage will be allocated. This environment will work in isolation from the rest of the files and without generating any conflicts. The same is true with a VPS.
Still taking advantage of this example, the VPS is a virtual machine so complete that it can use its own operating system. It’s as if your computer were a Windows and you created a virtual environment with Linux inside it.
In other words, on a server with more than one VPS, each user will be able to use the operating system of their choice and as each environment does not interact with the other, everyone’s privacy and performance are still guaranteed. About the user access to the VPS, he is granted as an administrator and has all the privileges like installing and uninstalling programs and freedom in the configuration.
Finally, we can try to summarize the idea of a VPS as follows: a VPS is a dedicated server, which works inside another dedicated server and alongside other dedicated servers.
Why use a VPS?
There are reasons to use a VPS, just as there are reasons not to. It’s all about your need. Therefore, if you need hosting that allows your site to grow and be autonomous, you should study the advantages of VPS. Let’s enumerate some of these advantages without delving into them too much so that this article doesn’t get too long and then we’ll pay attention to three that we consider being the main ones.
- More security than traditional web hosting.
- Autonomy to configure the machine and install software
- For managed VPS: maintenance is borne by the provider.
- Operating system freedom.
- Ability to store multiple sites, within resources.
- Possibility to freely configure the firewall.
- Ease of increasing resources, which allows scalability of your site.
Autonomy
With a VPS you can see yourself as the owner of the server. This implies absolute freedom in settings and actions. Do you need more RAM? You can restart your machine. In which type of hosting would you have this level of autonomy?
But this is just a brief demonstration. On a VPS you can freely install programs, from digital marketing services to antivirus. And even if your website is growing fast, just tell your provider your need and they can allocate more resources to your VPS, so you can grow your website without fear of instability.
Resources
And since we started talking about features, let’s focus a little more on this issue. In a VPS all performance depends on the number of resources allocated, such as memory and storage.
In general, you can use resources until you run out of resources and track how much you are using through your control panel. Now, establish simple reasoning: if the VPS is your server and a server can include several hosting sites… do you understand what I’m getting at? The amount of websites you can have on your virtual private server is only limited by the resources you have!
Affordable cost
Although a VPS is more expensive than traditional web hosting, it is still much cheaper than a dedicated server. Of course, this cost is proportional to the number of resources used.
When to opt for a VPS?
At this point in the text, I believe that there is not much more doubt about the functioning of a VPS. Now the main question is: should I invest in a VPS, dedicated server, or website hosting?
This is an issue that must be carefully weighed, analyzing the pros and cons of each situation. A dedicated server, for example, offers the same advantages as a VPS, although they offer even more complete features. On the other hand, web hosting offers very limited features compared to previous options, but it has the lowest cost.
The VPS presents itself as an intermediate option between the two, with an average cost and with the same advantages as a dedicated server. We can also add that it is much more scalable to work with VPS than with traditional hosting.
This is because the ease of allocating resources is greater on a VPS than on upgrading your website hosting. In addition, in hosting there is always the possibility of instability, as several sites use the resources of the same server as you.
This risk is much lower on a VPS. Now, for very large sites, maybe the dedicated server still presents a more advantageous solution. All these variables must be analyzed calmly and carefully!
VPS Management
By now you should be looking at the VPS in the right way: as a computer. And as such, even if it’s a virtual computer, it needs to be managed. Therefore, when hiring a VPS, it is possible to choose managed, unmanaged or semi-managed services.
This server management concerns the care you must have with any machine, such as keeping them updated and performing system corrections.
Unmanaged VPS
On an unmanaged VPS, all this is up to the customer. The hosting provider will then have no obligation or right to make changes to your VPS. In addition, the client’s responsibilities can also be included in this case, performing backups, precautions against threats, etc. In short, it is as if you have a second computer for which you will be fully responsible. It is also important to mention that an unmanaged VPS server is administered completely by command lines or remote access protocols. That is, it is clear that this type of work will require some technical knowledge and a certain time of dedication.
In this case, the hosting provider must offer some support to the administration, although most of the responsibility remains with the customer. In this case, the company’s part may be, for example, to provide a management interface. Still, some level of technical knowledge is required. The main advantage of an unmanaged or semi-managed VPS is its lower cost than a managed VPS. However, we can cite numerous disadvantages. A person without technical knowledge (or even with knowledge, but without experience) will possibly have great difficulties in managing the VPS. In addition, even those who have knowledge and experience can manage the VPS with ease, but in the end, they end up spending a lot of time on this function. Hence, the need to hire a server management service will often arise, even if you know to manage your server.
What are the Pros and Cons of UnManaged VPS?
Pros:
- You can customize the server per specified requirements. This is achieved by using the T7C hosting guidelines of the provider
- The user has the autonomy to control the memory of the storage space, the process of software installation, and the capacity of bandwidth as well as the advantages of the unmanaged VPS.
- It is pocket-friendly and does not require any purchase, installation of server, security, and provision of power to the server.
- It is a perfect fit for organizations that need very speedy internet.
- They are not dependent on irresponsive assistance.
Cons:
- It is not ideal for users who are not tech-savvy because it requires little expertise for setting up and maintaining the server.
- It wastes much time because users are required to begin from the offset. The time that is supposed to be used for other tasks is usually gulped up.
- Users are usually exhausted because of the consistency exuded by the server monitors.
- Technical ability will affect efficiency in business and server management.
Managed VPS
A server management service is responsible for all technical and maintenance aspects of your VPS. That means you don’t have to worry about patches, updates, threats, or backups. All this will be in charge of the contracted hosting company. In addition, in a managed VPS service you will have a more complete control panel than in the semi-managed version. For those who already use website hosting services, you will feel super familiar, since you can use our cPanel license.
Managed VPS or not?
Although unmanaged or even semi-managed VPS service has a more affordable price, it is not a good idea to go for these right away. That’s because, as we said, these services require time and technical knowledge.
Another factor that should weigh in your decision is also safety. On an unmanaged or even semi-managed virtual private server, all backup routines are your responsibility, as well as SSL certificate installation, firewall configuration, threat scanning, etc.
These are all essential functions for the proper functioning of the hosting, which cannot be ignored. At the same time, they all require some technical knowledge and time. So, if you don’t feel confident doing these routines or prefer to focus your time on the production of your website, we don’t recommend hiring a VPS without full management.
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