| VPS and Dedicated Server Hosting
Terms and Their Meanings
Virtual Private Server (VPS) and dedicated
server hosting are two types of the dedicated hosting. Virtual
Private Server (VPS) is also a partially type of shared web
hosting since the CPU on the node is shared amongst all the
VPS on the server unequally in some cases.
On the dedicated servers, some web hosts
do not offer a money back guarantee, due to the costs of setting
them up. But with the Virtual Private Server (VPS), many hosts
do offer a money back guarantee on Virtual Private Server
(VPS) servers since they are a type of shared hosting as well
as dedicated hosting. So, there are no costs involved in setting
them up.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the traffic, and is the amount
of data that can be transferred between your website and the
client computers which visit it. Bandwidth is measured in
gigabytes (GB), but when Internet becomes the busy traffic
exchange, it is measured in megabytes (MB).
In dedicated server terms, bandwidth refers
to the data transfer rate that the server will receive. Dedicated
servers are connected to 1GB/per second internal networks
and then fed through to the Internet via 100mb/per second
uplinks.
When looking for a Virtual Private Server
(VPS), you should always consider the amount of bandwidth
that you will receive on the package concerned since this
will effect how many visitors your website can receive.
Disk Space
Disk space is the amount of space that you
are able to use to host your files, or clients. In most cases,
you are unable to purchase extra disk space since the host
node has limited amount of disk space. So, if you want more
disk space, then the only solution for you is to upgrade to
the next Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting plan that your
web host offers. Also, the amount of the disk space that you
have can dictate how much you are able to host.
RAM
RAM means ‘Random Access Memory’.
Ram is the amount of usable memory which is assigned to your
Virtual Private Server (VPS). There are two types RAM for
Virtual Private Server (VPS).
Guaranteed RAM
It is the amount of RAM which has been uniquely assigned to
your Virtual Private Server (VPS), and will always be available
for your Virtual Private Server (VPS) to use. It is the amount
of RAM which you ‘own’ and cannot be touched by
other VPS that are hosted on the same node as you.
Burstable RAM/ Swap RAM
It is left over RAM on the physical node which can be accessed
by any Virtual Private Server (VPS) which may have run out
of guaranteed RAM and just needs a bit more so that it can
get it’s activities back on track. It is shared amongst
all the Virtual Private Server (VPS) on the host node.
The amount of guaranteed RAM that you have
assigned to your Virtual Private Server (VPS) is crucial for
your performance. This is due to the reason that if you don’t
have enough RAM then certain programs might not be able to
run at all. And if your Virtual Private Server (VPS) runs
out of free RAM at a certain point and there isn’t any
burstable RAM available, then your Virtual Private Server
(VPS) might just crash or be shutdown by the Virtual Private
Server (VPS) software.
Root Access / Remote Desktop Access
Root access is the name given to the ability
of being able to access a Linux Virtual Private Server (VPS)
over SSH using the root account and Remote Desktop access,
which is its Windows counterpart.
With the root / administrator access to your
Virtual Private Server (VPS), you are able to administer any
part of it you wan. You are also able to install any program
you want, since the actions of the program will not have any
effect on the other Virtual Private Server (VPS) that are
hosted on the same node as you.
You are open to a whole load of idea on what
you could use your Virtual Private Server (VPS) with the ability
to install any program that you want. Now, if your Virtual
Private Server (VPS) is powerful enough then you might want
to run several different programs or services to make the
most of it, so that you can make your Return On Investment
(ROI) within a Virtual Private Server (VPS).
Virtuozzo / OpenVZ
Virtuozzo is the software which enable the
web hosts to host the Virtual Private Server (VPS) servers
in the physical nodes. This program is available for both
Linux and Windows. Virtuozzo also ensures that the Virtual
Private Server (VPS) which will come to be hosted on it do
not interfere with each other in any way.
OpenVZ is an open source alternative to Virtuozzo
for Linux. OpenVZ has most of the features that Virtuozzo
has, but does not have the Virtuozzo Power Panel which is
used by customers to manage the basic needs of their Virtual
Private Server (VPS).
Private Name Servers
Private name servers can be created under
the branding of a domain of your choice. Using the Private
Name Servers is a big 'must', if you are a web host or website
designer, since it can help improve your corporate identity,
as well as extend it. Private name servers are only achievable
on Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting and dedicated servers
due to the nature of the IP address assigning.
Control Panels
Most of the Virtual Private Server (VPS)
web hosts offer some sort of control panel as such with their
Virtual Private Server (VPS) packages. These Virtual Private
Server (VPS) control panels give you the ability to create
multiple ‘client’ accounts and host multiple domains
along with many features such as email account creation and
managements, FTP account creation and management as well as
file manager so that you can manage the contents of the web
space of the domain concerned to help get your website started.
If you are new to Virtual Private Server
(PVS) hosting, then the control panel is the perfect solution
for you, since these panels give you a web based graphical
interface which you are able to use to administer your server
and websites.
Working of Webservers
It is very complex system, that you type
the Url, and the particular website opens. Although, the methodology
behind this fact is difficult-to make-it-work process, but
it is easy-to-use also.
Now, lets suppose, you open a browser and
type http://creativewebsols.com. Your browser then initiates
a connection to the webserver in which the creativesebsols.com
files are stored. The browser does this using the Internet
connection you have. The request for http://creativewebsols.com
is first converted into an IP address using the nameservers
which have been assigned to creativewebsols.com and then locating
the server which has creativewebsols' files.
Now, once the communication has been established
between the browser and the webserver; request for the files
of creativewebsols.com to be displayed is made. This is done
using the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (http). All the files
which the webserver sends back to the browser is then converted
into human readable format by the web-browser itself. Using
this process, the server can send files to multiple client
computers at the same time allowing viewers across the globe
to access the website.
A webserver typically stores all the files
necessary to display the pages of the creativewebsols on your
desktop. This includes all the text files, images, graphics,
and any other script that enables the dynamic elements of
a website to function. The number of such simultaneous requests
which can be serviced depends entirely on the robustness and
configuration of the webserver.
The most popular open-source webserver in
use today is Apache while windows servers generally use IIS
(Internet Information Services) as the webserver application.
Shared Web Hosting
It is used where multiple websites are hosted
on the same server and each website is contained within its
own folder or location on the server to keep it separate from
other websites which are hosted on the same server. Shared
hosting is seen as the most economical type of website hosting
since the cost of server maintenance as well as other server
related costs are spread across a large amount of customers.
Shared hosting is normally only available
on two different types of operating system: Linux and Windows;
this is because most web applications are built to suite either
one of these platforms, and hosting control panels are only
mainly made for Linux and Windows.
Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting
Virtual Private Server (VSP) can be categorized
under both shared and dedicated hosting. Virtual Private Server
(VSP) works by splitting the resources of a physical hosting
node amongst many Virtual Private Server (VSP) and the number
of Virtual Private Server (VSP) which you can fit on a node
is dependent on the node’s resources. The result of
the resource splitting is several VPS which have their own
dedicated environment.
Generally, Virtual Private Server (VSP) act
as the filling gap between the standard shared hosting, and
dedicated servers. Virtual Private Server (VSP) packages are
also tend to be a bit more expensive than a standard shared
hosting package, but less than a dedicated server.
With most Virtual Private Server (VSP), you
are able to choose any operating system that you want to use.
If you are on a shared hosting package, but your needs point
more towards a dedicated server, but don’t have the
funds then a Virtual Private Server (VSP) might be what you
need. Virtual Private Server (VSP) are currently available
mainly on Linux and Windows platforms.
Operating System Choices
With a Virtual Private Server (VPS), you
are limited to your choice of that Operating System (OS),
which is running by the node. Most of the hosts allow you
to install what Operating System (OS) you want, since you
are normally provided with a control panel which you can use
to reload your Virtual Private Server (VPS) to any operating
system template which is in the system of the host.
The use for your Virtual Private Server (VPS)
should always be reflected in the choice of your Operating
System (OS). Your choice of the Operating System (OS) might
also be affected by the specs of your Virtual Private Server
(VPS);
Resources
All the Virtual Private Server (VPS) are
allocated a certain amount of RAM, disk space and bandwidth.
RAM comes in two different types within Virtual
Private Server (VPS):
Guaranteed RAM uniquely assigned to your
Virtual Private Server (VPS) and can't be used by anyone else
and is always there for you.
Burst Ram is shared amongst all the Virtual Private Server
(VPS) on a node and is utilized by a Virtual Private Server
(VPS) when it runs out of guaranteed RAM.
Disk space which is assigned to a Virtual
Private Server (VPS) is exclusive and can only be used by
the Virtual Private Server (VPS) to which it has been assigned.
Bandwidth that is assigned to a Virtual Private
Server (VPS) can not be used by any other Virtual Private
Server (VPS) hosted on the same node. Although, most hosts
allow you to purchase extra bandwidth, but it is quite expensive
since it is a treasured resource.
Uses
Virtual Private Server (VPS) are commonly
used for the testing of the applications, as it is considered
that Virtual Private Server (VPS)are 'isolated environment
on the physical node'. So, if any problems are found they
don’t harm the main node.
You are able to install most of the programs
of your choice, as you have your own dedicated environment,
depending on the resources specifications of your Virtual
Private Server (VPS).
Virtual Private Server (VPS) sometimes run
a piece of software with known security flaws; these are run
within Virtual Private Server (VPS) environments since if
there are any problems with the software, then the host node
is unlikely to be damaged.
Virtual Private Server (VPS) Software
All the Virtual Private Server (VPS) needs
virtualization software to run them. The main pieces of virtualization
software that are run by web hosts are Virtuozzo which can
run on both Linux and Windows and OpenVZ which is an open
source alternative to Virtuozzo for Linux.
Dedicated Server Hosting
Dedicated hosting is that web hosting in
which the environment with which you are provided is a dedicated
one. In the dedicated servers, you lease a physical server
from a web host and the resources contained within that server,
which is not shared between multiple users.
Dedicated hosting solutions are normally
taken up by companies or individuals who need their hosting
environment to be customized. So, Dedicated server hosting
solutions are chosen in a situation where a return can be
made easily, since both the Virtual Private Server (VPS) servers
and dedicated servers are quite costly.
Supported Operating Systems
With the Dedicated server hosting solutions,
you can choose any Operating System (OS) to be installed on
your server since your choice will not have any effect on
other users or customers.
Cost, support and skills are also factors
which can effect the choice of the Operating System (OS).
If you find either of those three a limitation, then you could
always opt for an open source Linux distribution; this is
because open source means free, and because of this you are
normally able to find a mass of the online forums and e-books.
The application or content that you are wanting
to host might also put a limitation on your choice of Operating
System (OS).
Finally, the security of the operating system
should always be a key factor affecting your final choice
of the operating system. This is because you do not want your
system to end up being hacked or to be infected by any type
of virus. There are many viruses for the Windows Operating
System, but with the correct precautions and protection you
should not face any problems.
Bandwidth and Connectivity
Bandwidth is assigned to each and every server
by the upstream provider. The connectivity refers to the different
peers with which you are connected to, the more peers you
are connected to, the more likely it is that your website
will have a fast connection around the entire world.
Bandwidth is normally assigned per GB (gigabyte),
however until quite recently it was still being assigned as
MB (megabytes), the change being because of the increasing
amount of the Internet traffic.
Management
Most of the dedicated server hosting providers
are able to provide management for the dedicated and Virtual
Private Server (VPS) to a certain extend, normally for node,
network and included software problems. Since the environment
given is a dedicated one, the customer is expected to have
a certain amount of knowledge in order to be able to keep
the server in working order and to be able to carry out general
tasks such as maintenance.
Support for the node would cover issues such
as problems with the physical node and any hardware to which
it is connected as well as software and hardware upgrades
and maintenance.
Security
Most dedicated servers and the Virtual Private
Server (VPS) are normally located behind both a software and
hardware firewall. Most of them also contain virus scanners
so that any malicious programs that do find their way onto
client servers are found and removed as soon as possible.
In the case of Virtual Private Server (VPS)
servers, the nodes normally have some sort of virus scanner
which means any Virtual Private Server (VPS) which is found
to have a virus will be shut down or sorted in the correct
manner. Some types of software are banned from being used
on the networks of some hosts for the reason being that they
can compromise both the security of the client’s server
and the hosts network.
Software
With the dedicated hosting, you are normally
able to install your own software on your server since it
is a dedicated environment and your actions will most likely
not effect anyone else. Some hosts allow you to purchase licenses
for certain pieces of software at the same time when you purchase
the server. This can prove to be an advantage for the customer
since the host might be selling licenses cheaper, which is
normally the case if they are a license reseller. Most hosts
also offer software such as control panels from vendors including
cPanel to allow you to manage your server effectively.
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