Servers are used to store all web based resources that a company or an individual might need to run online. Traditionally companies were forced to have their own individual servers and maintain them physically. Still widely used by large companies, this has long been shunned to its high costs. For small companies and individuals there is a much better choice; the use of Virtual private servers.
Virtual private servers demystified.
The whole concept of virtual servers may seem like a hard subject to understand but is actually a very easy subject to grasp. To begin with all the resources, irrespective of the owner will be held within one physical server. However, the server is divided into subsections; individual virtual machines that are capable of acting as independent servers. These virtual servers are divided by means of a virtual membrane known as the hypervisor.
The hypervisor is responsible for ensuring that data in the different virtual servers do not cross over. It is also responsible for crosslinking and defining of resource allocation. In dedicated physical servers, you get to have all the resources RAM, Storage capacity etc. dedicated to only one particular resource. On the other hand in VPSs, you get allocated your own storage space and RAM in a slot within a larger physical server. As such you can run your own operating system and also get access to root (or admin) rights to control the VPS just like one would on a dedicated physical server. This is quite handy for site owners who might have a lot of site tweaking to carry out.
Advantage of virtual private servers
1. Self-management: Most VPSs come ready with the ability to access root which allows the user of a particular server to customize the server to his or her own needs. The things one is able to do on a good VPS are included running your own programs to turning on and off your virtual servers within an instance and much more.
2. Ability to run mutual resource sites: Virtual servers allow you to run different resources sites on the same server which ends up cutting costs. For instance, if you have a program that is being run on the web you might need a similar program to use for testing in the same virtualized environment as well as a backup interface. The use of a VPS helps actualize this need.
3. Cost friendliness: The use of the VPS is cost effective due to the fact that you do not need to buy a physical server. Additionally, you are not required to keep on calling a technician to check up on your server. The only thing you need to pay for is the subscription to the service.
Disadvantages of virtual servers
1. Security: VPSs work by hosting numerous sites on the physical servers. As much as the hypervisor works to create a firewall of sorts there are instances where malware has affected more than one VPS. This, therefore, presents a challenge to most people wishing to make use of VPS.
2. Lowered performance: Performance is also another problem that one might expect to face. In physical dedicated servers, the user is granted access to all the resources on the server. However virtual servers breakdown this resources to fit the different users’ requirements. This, therefore, creates a reduction in performance.