Virtual is the key description here. A VPS offers most of the advantages of a dedicated server whilst actually running on shared hardware. It is achieved with the aid of modern clever virtualization software that creates and manages a number of ‘virtual servers’ on a single box.

Each ‘virtual server’ appears to the customer’s applications, databases and so forth as if it really is a dedicated server, which includes a predetermined memory size, disk size and network data transfer. It even allows the customer to fully configure the environment for their specific application and security needs.

The computer software then protects that ‘virtual server’ from the activities of all other ‘virtual servers’ which are operating on the same physical hardware. So, should another customer’s application go rogue because of a coding error or get swamped with internet transactions or be in any way compromized, other ‘virtual servers’ would carry on as normal. Even a significant crash within one virtual server won’t affect the the rest. Each partition is autonomous and to both inside and outside visitors the server partition appears to be is a stand alone server to all intents and purposes.

The software that makes VPS viable is becoming very advanced indeed and recent times have seen the entry of  companies like Microsoft into the marketplace with what they dub their Hyper-V product. That is strong evidence that the concept of VPS is swiftly becoming mainstream, not merely for hosting companies but also for large IT users trying to optimize the effectiveness of their hardware utilization.

There are multiple advantages of VPS compared to shared servers, some clearer than others. The greatest disadvantage to using a shared environment for your websites or applications is the possible impact on your system’s efficiency and stability of those that you share space with.

All you need is one of the other user’s applications to crash badly and the whole of the shared server is likely to quit and need re- booting or even repair. In addition another user’s website becoming very popular might slow the system down for your programs as they would use up a disproportionate amount of the shared system resources.

If you have a breach in security it can often affect a lot of or all of the sites on a shared server, meaning that every client has to hope that the hosting company are quick to respond and have enough expertise to resolve such problems quickly and effectively.

You will have less responsibility for your server’s security on a shared hosting account(virtually none in actual fact) in comparison with a customer on a VPS account but if those who own and/or manage the box you are on are not on top of their game, the consequences might be very frustrating.

Under the VPS approach these shared hosting issues just go away. It’s as simple as that.

The software protects each ‘virtual server’ from the others and isolates the key resources which have been configured. So if one VPS has been configured with 512Mb of RAM, then it always has that level of memory available to it irrespective of what other ‘virtual servers’ are asking for(despite the fact that the total pool of RAM is shared amongst all ‘virtual servers’). It is this protection and isolation that justifies the use of the word “private” in the VPS label.

What are the benefits of  VPS over dedicated servers? Consider that before the latest VPS software became available the only alternative to the performance ‘lucky dip’ of shared servers was a dedicated box, a server that you owned/leased exclusively for your own use.

This required the hosting provider to purchase and configure new hardware for each buyer. This in turn meant a significant capital investment upfront from the hosting company and the swift usage of their data center space, power, network connections and so on. Thus the fee for dedicated servers is usually pretty high.

The VPS process adjusts the web host’s costs significantly. Now, they can provide a near- dedicated server quality of service and features using shared hardware, which reduces the consumption of their data center racking, power and network connections. This cost reduction may then be passed onto their clients by way of reduced fees.

One other cost- associated matter that using VPS technology changes noticeably only comes into play after several years of use … hardware renewal. In the traditional dedicated server setup, when the server hardware attained a certain age, typically around three years, it made sense to lessen the risk of failure whilst also allowing the customer to obtain developments on processors speeds and so on, to renew or “refresh” the hardware.

The idea of renewing the hardware after a cycle of continuous use still holds true for a VPS, but the big distinction is in who pays for the new equipment. For a dedicated server, the full cost of the replacement hardware was borne by the client through the fee levels, sometimes including a new set- up fee too. With the VPS model, the price is distributed across a number of customers and as a consequence the fees can stay low throughout multi- year plans even when hardware refresh is involved.

Virtualization is being quickly embraced by both hosting companies and large IT using organizations because it makes strong financial and technical sense. There will, obviously, still be complex computing needs for which true dedicated servers are a requirement but for many commercial computing demands, virtualization offers considerable resilience and performance improvements over using shared servers with no technical disadvantages. VPS has certainly come of age.

As a VPS hosting customer you will effectively be allocated a partition within a server that’s exclusive to you. That partition is a self contained server where you can run all your applications as well as your own operating system, all customized to your requirements and wishes. It offers you the efficiency of a dedicated server at a more affordable price but the VPS option usually includes more tecnical and financial responsibility than a shared hosting plan.

One of the key advantages of leasing a VPS is the ability to have more resources allotted to your web pages. With shared hosting you’re restricted with resources and must share it with many other websites. All of these websites compete with each other for the resources of the server. When you lease a VPS, you’ve got the peace of mind that a set volume of memory, and hard drive space is allocated to you. This will be significant if you are running websites which are resource- intensive or that have particularly high visitor traffic. Not only do you have those set resources, but you can customize the VPS to match your demands.

The customization feature of VPS is perhaps the best selling point. The ability to run your own operating system and software as you wish, setup your own version of PHP, and MYSQL, and having full root access to your partition gives you an invaluable edge on shared hosting and a degree of autonomy and control that rivals those on a truly dedicated box.

Another great benefit of VPS hosting is the ability to handle growth. Most websites begin small, and then grow with time. By using a virtual private server, you’ll have the resources available to handle your growth. This is due to the fact that you are not on a shared web hosting environment. With shared hosting when you reach a certain point, the web host may request you upgrade to another plan since your site is using too much of the server’s resources. Always keep in mind that with shared web hosting you are literally sharing resources. With your VPS, you can grow as needed.

Prices for VPS hosting at the time of writing start at under$20 per month, or around $40 for a fully managed plan, which is a very inexpensive solution. It’s a lot more affordable than using a dedicated server, but also offers similar functions. You can now see why VPS hosting is very attractive for anyone seeking affordability backed with power and excellent customization choices.  As to whether or not you need it is going to be a very personal decision depending as it does upon your need for the features it offers – however, with prices now at almost shared hosting levels from many providers it is definitely more attractive to a much larger percentage of webmasters.

As with any hosting plan, remember that some are going to be better than others in terms of service, support etc. so we would advocate doing your homework just as you should for an hosting plan. Remember too that a VPS is likely to be a little more hands on in terms of server maintenance and configuration so it’s important to know what the hosting company offers in terms of support and management of your shiny new VPS and what the associated costs there will be for the level of server management you require.

We welcome your comments and questions along with any experiences you may wish to share.

TCH