But over time, as the company develops, the site has more and more photos, the traffic on the site grows, and the store generates more and more orders. In such a situation, it is worth considering a VPS server. What are its advantages and disadvantages? How can you choose the best VPS service? Let's check it!
In the VPS model, the service provider allocates the user a particular portion of server resources, serving other clients. The server resource, in this case, depends on what package you decide to buy. Importantly, VPS ensures complete separation of environments, thus guaranteeing not only total isolation of the processes being run but also independent access to physical hardware resources, such as:
- Network
- Working memory
- Disk arrays
In this model, there are several clients on one server. Thus, statistically, there are 1/20 of the power and server capacity resources for one user. However, the statistics do not fully reflect the advantages of the solution.
Pros of the VPS web hosting
The owners of small and medium-sized online stores, as well as owners of more prominent blogs or corporate websites that need to operate quickly and efficiently and are visited by thousands of people, usually decide to use a VPS server. Why is a VPS server worth considering?
1. GUARANTEED COMPUTING POWER VPS
servers offer a large amount of space for data, unlimited data transfer, or a dedicated core or processor thread. That allows them to be used for even large commercial projects and to be used in several ways simultaneously, e.g., for running an online store, blog, and e-mail server.
2. SCALABILITY
At any time, the VPS server can be expanded and changed to a more comprehensive and individual solution. Virtual Private Servers provide great freedom and the possibility of scaling their parameters and the growing needs of projects. For this reason, they may turn out to be the best solution if you plan to install software, system, or environment on them that is to grow with your business.
3. SECURITY
A significant advantage of VPS is the complete security of data stored on dedicated disk space. To ensure data security, service providers provide daily, incremental backups to external servers, regardless of the various types of backups that clients can make themselves in their administration panel on the VPS server. Therefore, in the event of any site failure, you can restore the backup from external resources with the help of the service provider's consultants.
4. FLEXIBILITY VPS
is a separate cluster on a physical server where a different operating system is installed with its file system, applications, or resource allocation. That allows you to take comprehensive control over the virtual server–the operation does not differ significantly from a dedicated server. Unlike shared servers, you can count on greater rights (you are the administrator), and you have the freedom to install and remove software and system components.
VPS web hosting: Cons
The main disadvantage of VPS web hosting is the cost of their maintenance, which is much higher than in a shared server. In addition, if you want to use VPS, you must have technical experience in the field of installation, configuration, and updating of Linux or Windows Server. Choosing a VPS server requires you to manage the server yourself or commission this service to an experienced admin. That, obviously, generates additional costs. Another expense may be paying a license fee for providing a control panel if you want to have one.
Virtual Private Server: How to choose one
One of the advantages and, at the same time, a vital issue is adapting the server to the user's specific needs. This service should provide the performance you need, but without generating unnecessary costs. Therefore, server resources must be selected so that they are thoroughly used and ensure business continuity. Of course, it can be quite a challenge for new users. Therefore, it is worth expanding your knowledge about the parameters before purchasing the service.
SERVER PARAMETERS
The parameters of the machine determine its efficiency, power, speed, and disk space. As part of the service, you will receive specific server resources: • CPU (number of cores and clock speed)
- RAM
- Disk space and type of disks used (SSD, NVMe, or HDD)
- Monthly transfer limit
- Capacity
Usually, hosting companies offer several variants of VPS server configuration, thanks to which everyone will adjust the server parameters to their own needs. The selection criteria should also include the number of IP addresses included in the service price, monthly transfer, and the speed of server connections.
VISUALIZATION TYPE
Hosting providers use two basic types of virtualization: Full virtualization with hardware support and paravirtualization, i.e., virtualization at the operating system level. Paravirtualization means that all VPS servers work based on kernel elements common to the base system. That makes it impossible to directly modify the system kernel as if it were a dedicated server. On the other hand, full virtualization means that each VPS can have a completely independent, separate operating system. Thus, only hardware resources are shared, not operating system components. Consequently, you can run virtually any operating system on such a VPS.
SECURITY
When managing VPS, you must take care of implementing mechanisms securing your data and continuity of services. That does not mean, however, that service providers don’t take care of these issues. Usually, operators, on their side, provide anti-DDoS protection and the ability to perform data backups. Be sure to pay attention to the scope of protection offered by the service provider.
Before you decide on a VPS
VPS guarantees its computing power, dedicated IP address, and independence in terms of configuration. Before choosing the right host, however, you must first understand your own needs. Make a plan for your site and figure out what's coming next in the next 12 and more months. VPS is not the cheapest solution on the market, so it is worth considering whether you will use its advantages and benefits before choosing it.
In most cases, a shared server is sufficient for a small business to start. You can always switch to VPS at a later stage as your site grows. You can also spend the money saved this way on marketing and promotion.
