A virtual private server (VPS, also referred to as Virtual Dedicated Server or VDS) is a method of splitting a server. Each virtual server can run its own full-functional operating system, and each server can be independently rebooted.

The physical server typically runs a hypervisor which is tasked with creating, destroying, and managing the resources of “guest” operating systems, or virtual machines. These guest operating systems are allocated a share of resources of the physical server, typically in a manner in which the guest is not aware of any other physical resources save for those allocated to it by the hypervisor.

The Guest system may be fully virtualized, paravirtualized, or a hybrid of the two.

In a fully virtualized environment, the guest is presented with an emulated or virtualized set of hardware and is unaware that this hardware is not strictly physical. The hypervisor in this case must translate, map, and convert requests from the guest system into the appropriate resource requests on the host, resulting in significant overhead. Almost all systems can be virtualized using this method, as it requires no modification of the operating system, however a CPU supporting virtualization is required for most hypervisors that perform full virtualization.

In a paravirtualized environment, the guest is aware of the hypervisor and interfaces directly with the host system’s resources, with the hypervisor implementing real-time access control and resource allocation. This results in near-native performance since the guest sees the same hardware as the host and can thus communicate with it natively. UNIX-like systems, such as Linux, some variants of BSD, Plan9, and OpenSolaris are currently known to support this method of virtualization. However, installing operating systems as paravirtualized guests tends to require more knowledge about the operating system in order to have it use special hypervisor-aware kernels and devices.

Some examples of paravirtualization-capable hypervisors are Xen, Virtuozzo, and OpenVZ (which is what SpexHost‘s VPS packages currently run on).

Hybrid or partial paravirtualization, is full virtualization, but in which the guest uses paravirtualized drivers for key components such as Networking and Disk I/O, resulting in greatly increased I/O performance. As such, it is a common solution for operating systems which cannot be modified (for various reasons) to support paravirtualiztion.

 

This is a question we at SpexHost often recieve. Do I need a VPS? Will Shared Hosting be enough for my business? I have these needs what is best for me, a VPS or Shared Hosting? All are great questions so let us explain.

What is a VPS?

Definition: A Virtual Private Server provides the features of a dedicated server on a machine that is shared by other hosting customers. Customers therefore get hosting services that are similar to that of dedicated hosting without sacrificing privacy or performance.

A Virtual Private Server (VPS), also referred to as Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS) is a method of splitting or sharing a physical server. Each virtual server can run its own full-fledged operating system, with it’s own resources and start and stop independently of other server. It’s a great way to run isolated environments. Read more on our VPS offerings here.

What is Shared Hosting?

Shared hosting is the method of sharing resources of a single server between all users and their attached domain services.

This is the most economical of hosting methods as it allows users to have a interface to manage their services (such as cPanel). This allows for a simple and secure way to host any web sites needed. Accounts are provisioned resources of the server such as CPU, RAM and Disk Space.

 So… VPS vs Shared Hosting?

A lot of SpexHost customers struggle to find out which one fits their needs. Read the five biggest advantages below:

1. Reliability

With the use of a VPS you will experience reliability at its best. With extensive technical knowledge and experience you can expect reliable VPS’s with industry leading uptime.

2. Flexibility

VPS allows for the ability to customize system configuration, install any applications and server wide software to fit your sites needs. Full root level access and almost complete control over the system configuration brings hosting to next level without the dedicated servers’ price tag

3. Performance

With custom built servers you will benefit from Enterprise class hardware with RAID-10 storage for redundancy. No factory built servers here! Consistent performance to the specifications you choose.

4. Easy-to-use GUI

When using a VPS vs Shared Hosting with SpexHost both have fully functional Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs).

A browser based GUI tool which allows you to restart, troubleshoot, and restore your own VPS without the help of your provider. You can also restart the core server components such as Apache, FTP, and DNS; even deploy a fresh OS with your former VPS account’s data mounted to the new OS. Restore a backup on the fly if you need to reinstall due to some sort of attack.

Shared Hosting delivers the control you need without the hassle of managing the underlying services. Through the custom GUI tool (cPanel) you can maintain Mail, Webspace, Databases, FTP and even back up and restore your account.

5. Dynamic

When using a VPS vs Shared Hosting, you have the ease of mind to know your performance will never be lacking. As you grow along with your web traffic, the VPS will adapt as needed with the use of the OpenVZ technology. Upgrading to a higher resource VPS is simple with no downtime what so ever.

We have Shared Hosting accounts for all shapes and sizes. If you’re looking for a specific need but we don’t have it listed let us know. We’re always working on our packages to deliver the best value we can to all our customers.

If you still want more help contact us today!