There are many web hosting options available today, each with their own price points, advantages and features. However, in this post, will be exploring Virtual Private servers.
What Is VPS Hosting?
Virtual Private Servers make it possible for you to store your website’s data and files on a server that has been designed to feel, look and act just like a dedicated server. VPS hosting servers act like dedicated servers even though they are still part of a shared hosting environment, which makes them ideal for website owners who cannot afford to invest in a dedicated server but would like more control and resources. By dividing a server into multiple virtual servers, each website hosted on the parent server can be monitored individually using Syslog server monitoring. This allows the administrator to track the activity and performance of each website separately and identify any issues or problems that may occur.
Even though VPS hosting is better than regular shared hosting, these servers cannot handle as much traffic as a dedicated server, which means that there is still a chance of your websites being affected by others on the server.
How Does VPS Hosting Work?
Servers are virtual computers that are used to store your website’s databases and files by your web host. When an online visitor requests to visit your site, the browser instructs the server to send the relevant files via the web to the visitor’s device without any delay or problem with performance, security, and speed. With VPS hosting, you get a virtual server that acts as a single physical server even though the computer is shared with other users.
Virtual Private Server hosting is possible because of the virtualisation technology – which allows your web host to install a virtual layer on the server’s operating system. This layer partitions the server, making it possible for each user to install their own custom software and operating system (OS).
The virtualisation technology is very similar to software that allows partitions on your computer which makes it possible for you to run more than one operating system, for example, LINUX and Windows without needing to reboot.
VPS hosting allows you to set up your website in a secure shared space with allocated server resources such as CPU cores, memory, disk space and so on- that you do not have to share with other users. In other words, VPS hosting is an inexpensive alternative to dedicated web hosting
What Are The Features Of VPS Hosting?
If your website needs require advanced server resources, a VPS hosting package is what you need. The first step is to register a domain name, which will be associated with your hosting account. It is a good idea to buy a domain name and your VPS hosting account from the same provider so that everything is set up automatically on your behalf.
Don’t be in a hurry to buy VPS though, as every hosting package comes with set unique features you should be aware of.
The services and features that come with VPS hosting will depend on the web host – and the plan that you would require depends on your website’s needs. However, here are a couple of features that you should look out for:
Backup Option
Like any other hosting solution, your VPS hosting plan needs to have a website backup option. This is because technical failures can happen even with a great service provider. We recommend that you go with a service that makes it possible for you to manually backup your data
Multiple Domain Hosting
Even though a lot of shared hosting providers offer multiple domain name hosting, most of them do not provide adequate resources for you to have multiple domains that perform well. Thankfully, most VPS hosting providers offer VPS plans that allow you to host multiple subdomains that function well. So, it is possible to set up separate email accounts and dedicate certain resources for each individual subdomain.
Server Monitoring
An excellent VPS provider will regularly monitor the server network and hardware that your website uses. This makes your website more secure and guards against threats such as ransomware attacks, hackers, malware and so on.
Management Service
VPS hosting requires you to manage your own server in the same manner as a dedicated hosting account. However, some web hosting providers will offer management services to assist with administrative tasks as a feature of their VPS hosting plan. If you are not very skilled with technology, this would be a valuable resource.
Root Access
With this, you get complete control over your VPS accounts software installation and configuration. All of which can be customised from your control panel applications interface.
What Are The Advantages Of VPS Hosting?
- Customisable: you can choose your servers software and operating system.
- Better site performance: because you have your own allocated resources, your websites will enjoy faster load times
- Dedicated resources: VPS hosting plans give you more server resources such as RAM, disk space and CPU which cannot be shared by the other users on the server
What Are The Disadvantages Of VPS Hosting?
- VPS can sometimes have limited server disk space, RAM and central processing time.
- VPS hosting can be a bit technical. It is best for website administrators using this hosting service to be proficient in managing server resources.
- Web servers hardware resources are still shared with other websites, so you may not be able to see the number of resources allocated for your website use
When To Use VPS Hosting
When the most advanced shared hosting plan is no longer provides enough resources to run your website optimally, then it is time to upgrade to VPS hosting. By upgrading to VPS hosting, you get the benefits of both dedicated and shared hosting.
However, in certain instances, VPS hosting might be the right plan for your website from the beginning. For example, if you are setting up an e-commerce website that needs to be stable, have fast load time and encrypted secure payment pages – you will be best served with a Virtual Private server from the beginning. VPS hosting can help reduce the risk of security breaches for websites that process online payments or store sensitive data.
Another instance to use VPS hosting from the get-go is if you anticipate increased traffic to use your sites. For example, if is a ticket selling or event planning website, Resource heavy sites such as game servers will also function better with VPS hosting.
