A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a simulation of hardware by a host operating system that allows another operating system to run on it. What that means for Web developers is that a Web hosting company can host multiple “Virtual” servers on one physical, or “host”, server.
Most VPS plans are hosted on either Linux or FreeBSD, but they do also exist in the Windows world. VPS hosting plans fill the gap between entry level Web hosting plans that offer specific services (such as PHP/MySQL, or Perl/CGI) with a limited amount of disk space on a shared server, and co-location, where you own and manage the hardware and simply rent “rack space” and an Internet connection from a data center. If you’re outgrowing a shared hosting plan, but aren’t ready for the financial commitment of co-location, a VPS hosting plan could be the ideal middle ground.
VPS hosting plans offer the following key advantages:
- root access gives you the ability to install and configure any programs you want.
- You can host an unlimited number of Websites through Apache’s Virtual Hosts.
- You can host other services, such as a mail server, an FTP server, or any type of server you want.
- You can use the server for backup, file storage, or anything you need.
A number of virtualization technologies make Virtual Private Servers possible: there are commercial companies, such as VMWare, and Microsoft’s own Virtual PC, Open Source offerings such as User Mode Linux, QEMU, and more recently XEN. This is a hot topic in the Linux world at the moment, with XEN, in particular, receiving a lot of press and support. There’s even the possibility that it may be bundled with upcoming distributions of Linux.
So what do you get with a VPS account? Well, the one thing you do get is root access to your server. As mentioned above, if you’re comfortable with administering a Linux server remotely, this is, of course, a great thing. It means you have complete control, can install any programs you want, and do anything you choose.
Prices range from $20 per month at the low end to more than $100 per month for higher end systems, but beware: price isn’t always an indication of more features or better service. If you’re still wondering whether a VPS hosting plan is right for you, it may be worth starting at the lower end (potentially a 64MB RAM with 2GB disk space VPS). You can always expand from there.
If you still have any further questions regarding VPS (Virtual Private Servers), please visit www.designwebgraphic.com or contact Mitul Bhavsar on +91-9825095314 now.
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