What is VPS hosting? Everything you need to know about Virtual Servers
VPS is the abbreviation for V irtual P rivate S erver in English. It is a logical or virtual server rather than a physical server. A physical server can host multiple virtual servers. The main resources of a physical server can be shared between several virtual servers.
It's a safer and more stable solution than shared hosting where you do not have dedicated server space. However, it's smaller and cheaper than renting an entire server.
L ' VPS hosting is generally chosen by website owners who have medium level traffic exceeding the limits of shared hosting plans, but still do not need the resources of a dedicated server.
VPS solutions generally offer several hosting plans. For example, at Hostinger, we have six VPS plans to meet the different needs of the business et allow you to scale your site seamlessly when you need more resources.
Sommaire
- How does VPS hosting work?
- Compare VPS hosting to other types of web hosting
- Advantages and disadvantages of VPS
- When to use a VPS and how to decide when to upgrade?
- Are there VPS alternatives? What is a managed VPS?
- Overall, what is VPS hosting?
How does VPS hosting work?
A server is a computer on which your host stores the files and databases necessary for your Each time an online visitor wishes to access your website, their browser sends a request to your server and transfers the necessary files via the Internet. VPS hosting provides you with a virtual server which simulates a physical server, but in reality , the machine is shared between several users.
Thanks to virtualization technology, your hosting provider installs a virtual layer on top of the server operating system. This layer divides the server into partitions and allows each user to install their own operating system and software.
Therefore, a virtual private server (VPS) is both virtual and private because you have full control. It is separate from other server users at the operating system level. In fact, VPS technology is similar to creating partitions on your own computer when you want to run multiple operating systems (Windows and Linux , for example) without restarting.
Running a VPS allows you to configure your website in a consecure content with guaranteed resources (memory, disk space, processor cores, etc.) that you don't have to share with other users. With VPS hosting, you have the same access at the root level as if you rented a dedicated server, but at a much lower cost.
Compare VPS hosting to other types of hosting web
Different types of web hosting allow you to perform different levels of customization on your server . They vary in terms of price, performance (for example, page load time) and service availability (for example, availability). Below is information on how VPS hosting compares to other hosting solutions.
Shared hosting
Shared hosting is the solution for website owners with low traffic sites. This is the starting point for most small businesses and bloggers. With shared hosting, you share the same physical server with several other clients of the hosting company. You don't have any resourcesdiees, because your site runs on the same operating system as the others.
Consequently , the memory and computing power that your site can use is affected by the needs of other users of the service. For example, if there is a sudden spike in traffic to a website hosted on the same server, your page load time may increase. You also cannot choose your operating system and other server software, because all users use the same configuration. Overall, your hosting provider is responsible for all aspects of your shared hosting environment.
You can think of shared accommodation as a rental where you share the same apartment with a number of roommates. VPS hosting is always a kind of colocation, but everyone has their own room where they can customize the space according to their needs. For example, they choose paint, furniture, decoration, etc.
Cloud hosting
With cloud hosting, you don't use a single server but rather a cluster that runs in the cloud. Each server in the cluster stores an updated copy ofyour website. When one of the servers is too busy, the cluster automatically redirects traffic to another. As a result, cloud hosting has no downtime, as a server cluster can always respond to requests from visitors to your website.
Cloud hosting and VPS hosting are not mutually exclusive. Instead, many hosts offer VPS hosting on a cloud infrastructure. This is also the solution we chose at Hostinger, because we have found that the combination of VPS and cloud technologies leads to the highest performance and reliability in a virtual server environment.
WordPress hosting
WordPress hosting is a service specifically offered to WordPress site owners. It comes with several WordPress related features that you can only use if you have a WordPress site, such as a one-click installation, pre-installed plugins or a WP command line interface. The servers are configured for WordPress needs. Therefore, hosting providers offer WordPress hosting as part of their shared hosting service.
Although it is also possible to configure a WordPress site on a virtual private server, you cannot access the servers custom settings that have been configured with WordPress in mind, however, if you always choose VPS for your WordPress site, you can configure your hosting environment according to your business needs.
Dedicated hosting
With dedicated hosting, you rent a full physical server for your business. If you have a site Dedicated web, dedicated hosting may be the best solution for you, as dedicated servers are fast, flexible, and fully customizable. However, the service also comes with a price tag, so they're not a bargain at all. the world, especially if you have a small or medium website.
While VPS hosting allows you to choose and configure your operating system and server applications, dedicated hosting goes further. It not only allows you to configure the software but also the hardware, because the entire server is yours and no one has a say in the configuration. You can also run a dedicated server on site (for example, in your office), but you lose the support of a professional hosting team in this case.
Advantages and disadvantages of VPS
VPS hosting can be a great fit for you if you really need it. Below are the pros and cons of using a virtual private server.
Advantages
- It's faster and more reliable than a shared hosting server.
- Since server resources such as memory or processing power are guaranteed, available resources fluctuate from zero to minimal.
- Problems and increases s traffic from other users on the server does not affect your site.
- You get root access to your server.
- You get better privacy because your files and databases are locked from other users of the server.
- It's an easy service to adapt. As your website grows, you can easily upgrade your server resources (RAM, processor, disk space, bandwidth, etc.).
Disadvantages
- It's more expensive than shared hosting.
- This requires more technical knowledge to manage your server.
- Incorrectly configured servers can lead to security vulnerabilities urity.
When to use a VPS and how to decide when it's time to upgrade?
VPS hosting is generally considered the next step after your website has gone beyond Limits of Shared Hosting. If the most advanced shared hosting plan is no longer enough to run your website smoothly, it's worth switching to a VPS plan.VPS hosting can offer you the best of both worlds: shared and dedicated hosting.
However, there are other use cases where it may be wise to start with a VPS plan from the start. For example, eCommerce websites where you need to make sure payments are secure with a fast and stable environment, they can benefit greatly from a virtual private server. In fact, if you store any type of sensitive data or need to process payments online, VPS can help you reduce the risk of security breaches and identity theft.
If you expect traffic spikes at certain times on your site, for example in the case of a website planning 'events or ticket sales, a VPS hosting plan can also be a good solution. Game servers and other resource-intensive sites can also run with much better performance on a virtual private server.
Are there VPS alternatives? What is a managed VPS?
One of the biggest traps of VPS hosting is to manage your entire environment yourselfserver operation. If your virtual server is not configured and properly maintained, you may face serious security risks and loss of performance. Managed VPS hosting services have emerged on the market as a viable solution to this problem. You can think of it as an improved alternative to VPS hosting, with full technical support.
Managed VPS is still new on the market, but more and more web hosts are offering it to their customers. For example, at Hostinger, we aim to provide a fully managed hosting environment with all of our Buisiness hosting plans. We configure your server according to your needs, take over the server uptime and monitoring, take over backups and caching and provide 24/7 dedicated support to all of our managed VPS clients.
Overall, what is VPS hosting?
VPS hosting gives you access to guaranteed resources and full control without having to use your own server. It’s a great solution for medium, high traffic, resource intensive and eCommerce websites. However, companies that anticipate rapid growth can also benefit from stable service. If you want an enviBecause of reliable and affordable hosting, it is definitely worth considering VPS hosting for your website.
We hope this article has helped you understand VPS hosting and how it works. If you have additional questions, please feel free to submit them in the comments section below!
