Notes

Virtual Private Servers - the Basics

A virtual private server can be described as the next step after shared web-hosting on the way to your own dedicated server. Virtualisation plays a significant part in web-hosting, since servers are becoming more powerful and affordable in terms of CPU and memory performance. As a webmaster, virtual private servers offer you the benefits that a dedicated server can provide, but at a fraction of the latter's cost.



What are the most important indicators of the virtual private server?



- physical memory; - disk space; - CPU allocation; - bandwidth operating system;



Physical memory



Physical memory (RAM) determines the number of applications you can run on your VPS simultaneously, and how many users can access these applications at the same time. This is usually translated into "how many users can I have on my website without the site slowing down?". Naturally, the more memory the greater. However, most virtual private servers offer memory between the 512MB and 4096MB. Anything below that isn't able to perform much, unless you use a proxy server or a domain name server. Anything over 4GB is a good reason to consider dedicated hosting. A dedicated server will provide more performance than a VPS with the same specs. If your VPS has 4GB of memory, you may see the balance shifting toward a dedicated host.



Disk space



VPS packages typically provide 5-40GB of disk space. If you don't are planning to host a lot of large files (such as high resolution images or media files), this space allocation should be sufficient. Keep in mind that larger amounts of space will eventually cost more on a VPS plan than a dedicated server similar to memory.



CPU allocation



Another key factor is the way in which CPU time is assigned to your VPS. There are a variety of models to choose from, but they all have one thing in common: they ask about the CPU used by your VPS node. It makes a big difference if your node is running an E3-1230 or an old P4! Here's a brief overview of the most popular CPU allocation plans:



1. You have complete control over the number of cores the host's CPU is able to run on a guaranteed cores plan. While this plan gives you the most in terms of performance when compared to other allocations, it is also the most expensive since a large portion of a physical CPU's computation time is reserved for you alone regardless of whether you actually require it or not. 2. The allocation of MHz/GHz ensures you an amount of continuous CPU performance based on the CPU's clock rate. 3. This method allows you to make use of a specific number of cores of the VPS node's physical CPU. If your VPS plan says "2 cores fair share" it means that you'll be able to use 2 cores of the physical CPU on your VPS and that you can make use of these two cores in that you do not create an issue for other clients on the same node using these two cores. The service provider will define "fair share" differently, so be sure you study the fine print. 4. VCPU This is a combination of (2.) vCPU: This allocation is a mixture of (2.) and (3.). It could have allocations like "4 cores at 800MHz", or (.) Again, keep in mind to inquire about the type of CPU is used in your VPS node.



Bandwidth



VPS servers offer less bandwidth and traffic than dedicated servers. They are typically connected to a 100mbit/s connection (sometimes shared), with some providers providing gbit/s as a default or through an upgrade. It's tempting to buy as much as bandwidth as you can however, remember that anything that is too extreme is most likely simply a sales pitch. If you know the amount of traffic you'll be using, you should purchase the amount you'll need and your growth forecast to avoid unnecessary costs.
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Operating system



VPSs run any of the popular Linux flavors, including CentOS or Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora and Fedora. But, you don't have to be using Linux. Most providers will offer Windows based virtual private servers as well. These servers usually require additional licensing.



Summary



The benefit of a VPS is its compactness - you can pretty much do whatever you could also accomplish with a physical machine, yet enjoy the much lower cost of a VPS compared to paying for an entire server. The drawbacks of virtual private servers are in their contention ratio and scalability.



There will be a greater competition for resources between guest systems. Scalability is another problem. A VPS can't be scaled up without a end. The current hardware of everyday's high performing Intel or AMD architecture can't be scaled to the limit and a site that requires resources that were typically hosted by dedicated servers few years ago could benefit from the extra performance (albeit at a cost higher) from a dedicated machine with the same general specs such as CPU, memory, and storage space.


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