What is a VPS, Anyway?

A VPS is a fairly recent development in the IT world that has opened many doors for hosting environments that are under utilized.  Basically, it is a dedicated server with several “virtual machines” running on it.  For instance, you can have four different operating systems running at the same time, completely independently of each other.  In datacenters all over the world, this technology has revolutionized how things are done.

In the old days, you might have a dedicated server sitting around using 100 GB of disk space, but only using 2-5% of a processor’s capability.  Not only is this extremely inefficient, as the Internet expanded, having a dedicated server for each client got to be a monumental task for IT teams.  Then the concept of virtualization was developed.

Let’s say you have five dedicated servers in the same situation as above, each using 5% of a processor’s capability and 100 GB of disk space.  With virtualization, you can take all five of those systems and put them in virtual environments on a single server each having a dedicated IP address.  That server would then be using 25% of a processor’s capability and 500 GB of disk space.  To handle  bursts of traffic, there is a buffer built in so if the processor starts getting used more than usual, it can handle the spike in  traffic.

Imagine the savings involved if you could cut out three servers and keep one as a backup.  You just took five individual computers and combined them into one and recommissioned one for redundancy.  This reduces hardware costs, electricity costs, cooling costs, backup power requirements, the amount of space you need in your datacenter, and so much more.  It only makes sense to virtualize servers where possible – this is why the technology has exploded in usage over the past three years.

A huge advantage is that the virtual servers are all independent of one another, so if you need to reboot, you can do so without taking other virtual containers offline.  Since the VPS isn’t aware of the hardware underneath it, it does not have to physically power off the server, it can just erase and reload itself into memory (which is much faster)!

Costs vs. Benefits

There are significant costs in going with a dedicated server, but you must take a look at your particular requirements to be able to make a good determination.  I can not stress enough that it is vital to always be looking forward up to a year in advance to anticipate changes you need to make.  I have been involved in too many projects where the system requirements were conservative and it later came back to bite, ending up costing more than it would have to over-estimate the expansion possibility.

This is only a brief overview of VPS web hosting and and what you need to get started. It is always advised to discuss your requirements with a web hosting provider. A reputed web hosting company would always guide you to choose the right plan for you or your business.