The business of web hosting could be a tricky one! And with so many options and solutions available, the complexities only compound. A thorough need assessment is mandatory before a business can get in touch with a web hosting service. Shared servers are available as cheap solutions. Dedicated servers are for those who require customized and powerful solutions and possess the required technical acumen for managing them well. For those who get enough traffic to prove a shared solution redundant and not as much for spending on a dedicated server, it is time to get in touch with a VPS Server hosting provider.
What is VPS Hosting?
If you are seeking an economical, scalable and flexible hosting solution, VPS should ideally be your choice. This involves servers that cater to the requirements of every type of website, especially those that are finding shared solutions inadequate and do not need a dedicated server either. A specific thing to keep in mind before analyzing the features and advantages of a VPS is that the specifications might vary widely from one host to another. In order to check whether a particular hosting service is offering the feature, you will need to ask the VPS server hosting provider.
Understanding the Basic Concept of VPS
A simpler way to understand the concept is to understand how VPS fits into the scheme of offerings provided by most hosting companies. When it’s shared hosting, the website shares a machine with other sites and the resources provided is shared among them. Disk space, RAM, CPU are all shared. Your website can utilize the resources that are available. In case of non availability, you remain deprived as is the case with any shared service.
A dedicated server, as the name suggests, is your private hosting platform where you are the only one utilizing the resources. You have all the resources at your command and can utilize it as and when you please. So if you have large enough website with a big database and lots of traffic, you will need one. You will however need to pay the price which can be hefty.
A VPS, therefore, is something which is somewhat in between. It is a virtual private server which offers flexibility in functions and pricing. Quite like a dedicated private server, VPS will also offer private disk space and RAM. However, just like shared servers, it will share CPU space. So, your performance will not be dependent on shared disk space and RAM, but will share the central processing unit. The manner in which this sharing is distributed will depend on the VPS server hosting provider.
Understanding the Different Levels of Support
Quite like how there are distinct differences between dedicated, shared and VPS hosting plans, there are differences in the types and levels of support offered by different VPS platforms. Some firms offer semi managed solutions while others may consider a completely hands on approach. Basically, there are three types:
Un Managed: This is where some of the control is in the hands of the hosting company. They handle the network support as well as the hardware. As a client, you are left to manage all software related issues and snags as well as performance related issues.
Semi Managed: Here, your hosting company would be handling network and hardware along with standard software. However, you will have to take care of all custom software.
Fully Managed: Here every hardware and software related problem is handled by the service provider. You, as a client, can simply sit back and relax.
As can be understood, VPS can prove to be the ideal choice for those wishing to tread the middle path. There are enough resources and flexibility for those requiring more access than provided by a shared platform. However, the cost is significantly lesser than the amount promised for a dedicated server. So, if you require root access, you can never get it on a shared server. However, a VPS will allow you the control. In case your website experiences swing in memory usage, you may seek the presence of burstable memory.
If you are keen on customizing your product, you can customize the software at server level such as MySQL, PHP and so on. Apache is also an option. To put it simply, selecting VPS over the other options will allow you similar freedom as a dedicated server but with affordable rates and in a flexible and easily manageable solution.
So is VPS for You?
If you are considering getting in touch with a VPS server hosting provider, chances are that you have outgrown shared hosting solutions. As a professional business entrepreneur, you would also not like your business to function poorly simply because others are snatching more space and resources. Also, if you do not have that much traffic or the needs are not consistent enough, you may not require a dedicated server and it makes little sense paying for it.
In such cases, a VPS hosting solution is certainly your pick.
