Category Archives: VPS

Shared Hosting, VPS, Dedicated Hosting – What Are They?

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In this world of computers and internet, it is no surprise that so many companies are now trying to get their websites on the internet as quickly and cheaply as possible. Every website on the internet requires that it be on a server. Some companies need absolute freedom in how they operate the server, desiring to control every aspect. However, some companies merely want their website online, and they don’t care much about the specifics. Luckily for them both, there are a few different types of web hosting available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

The three types of web hosting that are most common are called shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated hosting. Shared hosting is when the server basically has many different websites operating off of it at the same time. There are a lot of negative effects to shared hosting. These can include running a lot slower than other types, having much more traffic that collides, and a huge lack of control and personalization of the server. However, shared hosting is really cheap, the cheapest of all of the hosting types, and if you don’t need a large amount of control of personalization, then shared hosting could be just about the perfect solution for you.

VPS, or virtual private servers, are another way of hosting your site. They are almost as cheap as shared hosting, but come with much more control and personalization capabilities, such as a dedicated server. This is done by logically segmenting the server, meaning that you create many servers out of the one; you devote some of the resources of one server to create many ‘virtual’ servers. This is a great way to have the personalization that you may need, while still keeping the costs low. The only real downside is that it can still be fairly small, and at times the backbone circuit could become overloaded with traffic.

Finally, dedicated hosting is the most expensive of the three. However, as the old adage goes, you get what you pay for. With dedicated servers, you rent the entire server for your website. You don’t have to share even a little bit of it, meaning that you have free reign to do what you need to do with your website, and what you want to do, not limited by pre-set formats or operating systems. This can be a great solution for the large business that needs a lot of space and a lot of control, and dedicated servers give you everything that you need for your site to be exactly as you want it to be.

In conclusion, the three main types of servers are great for different situations and need. Each has the potential to be the ideal solution for a specific problem. Shared hosting is great for small needs, without a need for personalization. Virtual servers can be perfect for those who don’t need much space, but still need to personalize it, while dedicated servers give all the space and personalization that you need, but you pay for it.

What Is Server Virtualization?

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In this age of computers and networks, everyone wants a chunk of the big wide internet. Everyone wants to get their networks and their websites online. Perhaps it is only a personal website. Or perhaps it is for an entire business. Either way, the only way to have this happen is through web hosting, and this is done by using servers. However, when everyone wants a chunk of a limited number of servers, and don’t want to pay exorbitant costs, what do they resort to? They could try another company, but they will likely have the same difficulties there as well. Or, they could try using server virtualization.

Sounds too complicated, right? Well, that’s a great thing about virtualization. You don’t have to take care of it at all! The server company takes care of it for you, and usually in the way of a VPS. VPS stands for Virtual Private Server, and is a special kind of server that can give you most of the benefits of a dedicated server, with a similar cost of a publicly shared server. This is done by vitalizing the server, or making the network think that there are more than one by dividing the memory and resources of the available servers.

It’s like this: having a dedicated server is like having a big, 5 bedroom house, all to you. You have access to everything without a problem; there is no one and nothing to get in your way. This is great freedom right? But then you see the cost and Blanche! It is certainly expensive. Now you can get the exact same thing by renting an apartment. You have the private bathroom. Everything is still yours and you can personalize however you like. It’s just smaller. This is exactly how virtualizing servers works.…

Another great benefit to virtualizing servers comes through a program-based configuration called a vmware machine. This is when you can create a virtual copy of the system hardware configurations and transfer them from one machine to the next. This is infinitely helpful when you need to create a disaster recovery plan, or simply to program your routers and servers when you’re first setting up. Having a vmware machine is a great way to always have a copy of what you’re running in case everything falls apart and you need to get your network up and running quickly and smoothly.

Virtualizing servers has led to a lot more happy and satisfied clients, combining utility with economy, and giving the public a way to keep their servers personalized and unique while still not costing exorbitant amounts. Of course there are drawbacks to having a virtual private server or to having VMware. However, the benefits far outweigh the problems involved, and if this solution does not work for a particular person or situation, there are always a lot of other options that can be taken advantage of. But for the other 90% of the world, having virtual servers is exactly what we need.

When Should Your Business Get a Managed Server?

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There inevitably comes a time in every business’ life that it needs to begin paying for someone to manage managed services for its website. This may be construed as a bad thing, but it’s actually something very good! This shows that the business is in fact growing so much that they can’t keep control of their website, and that their current server settings cannot handle the traffic of everyone visiting its website.

So, when should one consider getting managed services? Or better yet, what kind of web hosting should the business choose? These are both questions that need to be asked, especially if the first question is already answered by the business! However, in general, a business should begin to pay for a second party to manage their servers if the business website can no longer handle the volume of traffic and if the business no longer is able to or wants to devote enough time to manage and control it itself. The second question, the one concerning the type of web hosting a business should get, is the more difficult to answer. So, what are the best types of hosting available?

The main types are as follows: shared hosting, dedicated hosting, VPS, and cloud. The first, shared hosting is the cheapest. This may be the type you want if you do not require a lot of control over the settings on the server, such as the format of it. It is one of the most popular kinds because it is so cheap, but it certainly does have its limitations. It’s like renting a room from somebody. You can live there and sleep there, but you have to share the kitchen, and share the washroom, and every other part of the house, and you’re always going to be running into other foot traffic inside.

The second kind of hosting are called dedicated servers. These are the most expensive type of hosting, and this is because you are renting an entire server for yourself, your one website. This is not recommended for smaller businesses but only for large ones with very specific needs for their website. You can liken it to renting a very large house in a great area of the suburbs, perhaps. You have no one to share it with you, and you can do whatever you want to the house to personalize it.

The third is VPS, which means that it is virtual. It’s like renting an apartment. You all share the building, but you get all of the advantages of the dedicated server. This can be a great choice. Finally is the cloud, which is perhaps the most simple: you pay for as much as you use every month. Ultimately, knowing when to get a second party to manage your servers can be tricky, but if you want a website created or don’t want to manage one yourself anymore, hiring another business to do this for you can be a great idea, especially with the assortment of different choices.