VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. It is a virtual server (disk space), which is provided to the user individually to host software, websites, and other information (CSS and JavaScript files, HTML documents).
Providers offer different variants of virtual private servers, more precisely, pricing plans.
For example, a large selection of offers can be found at https://www.hostzealot.com/vps/location-united-kingdom. And we’ll tell you how to choose the best pricing plan.
What Is A VPS
A virtual private server is a web hosting, a copy of its physical counterpart.
It performs the same functions and tasks. VPS model – hosting for individual use, which has more power and resources to solve a variety of tasks, if you compare it to shared hosting.
Today the virtual private server is one of the most popular options for hosting corporate websites and web applications. Let’s see why.
VPS owners are hosting companies that provide tenants with disk space on a server and technology to host web pages on the Internet.
Once a web page is hosted, every Internet user can get to it. To do this, the address (domain name) must be entered into the address bar of the browser.
When the user follows the link, the user’s computer connects to the server where the site is stored. On the server-side, the files stored on it come in for display in the browser.
The virtual version of VPS is a flexible, scalable solution capable of storing sites of any format and configuration.
It is a transitional option between Shared hosting and a dedicated server. In the first case, capabilities and resources are limited.
In the second case, the extensive features and resources are combined with the complexity of setting up and running, as well as the high price of services.
Specifications and functionality of VPS differ depending on the hosting and pricing plan. You can ask your provider for details on a specific virtual server.
Advantages Of VPS Model
To understand the benefits of VPS, you need to imagine how it differs from shared hosting and dedicated server.
- Shared hosting. All sites and applications stored on it use the same resources, including RAM, disk space, and CPU. Disadvantages – the amount of resources is limited, low security of sensitive data, and the performance of the site depends on the activity of “neighbors”.
- A dedicated server is a physical server with a specific amount of resources, the use of which is transferred to the tenant. The tenant also gets the management and maintenance of the hardware. An excellent option for sites with high traffic and large databases. Its drawbacks are high price and the need to keep the technical staff.
The principle of VPS is slightly different from the above models. Individual resources – disk space and RAM – are allocated for the work of the site.
The processing power of the central processor is proportionally divided by all the stored sites and applications.
That is, the tenant receives specific capabilities, so the work of the web resource “neighbors” do not interfere.
Depending on the pricing plan, user support is provided, so you can refuse to maintain your own technical department.
Advantages of VPS:
- Install and quickly run applications of all formats and sizes.
- Competitiveness of online projects, active promotion in the top search engines.
- Fast page loading with SSD drives.
- Creating backups in case of force majeure situations.
- More resources and privileges for users compared to shared hosting.
- High security compared to shared hosting.
- Cheaper compared to a dedicated server.
- Flexible settings (access with root level).
Successful promotion of the site in search engine results is influenced by such factors as competent optimization, compliance with Google recommendations on the speed of page loading, and application speed.
VPS model is able to solve problems, such as low speed, and downtimes in the moments of increasing traffic volume.
When Do I Need A Virtual Server?
The choice of hosting option depends on the needs of a specific tenant. If a company has several websites and other projects, online portfolios, and online presentations, it is worth paying attention to VPS.
VPS hosting is designed for users who are hosting large-scale projects that require specific server configurations.
A virtual private server can cope with a lot of traffic much better than conventional shared hosting.
About the transition to a virtual private server worth thinking about if you observe the following trends, or you plan to:
- Increasing traffic.
- Expanding the site (increasing the number of pages).
- Storing large amounts of data.
- Development and testing of new applications.
- Creating a resource for video surveillance systems, gaming, and phone sites.
- Switching to a VPS allows you to save money. After all, renting a virtual private server frees you from the need to buy expensive hardware.
Another reason to switch to a VPS is the constant failures of a shared hosting site due to a lack of resources.
For example, peaks of traffic at your neighbors can become a reason to temporarily shut down your site, which often leads to its exclusion from the search engine registry (search index).
How To Choose A VPS Rate?
The transition from conventional web hosting to VPS format is often associated with certain difficulties.
Webmaster will need special knowledge and skills in matters of administration and configuration of the virtual server.
To facilitate the transfer of the site, you should carefully choose both the provider and the pricing plan.
The type of operating system and available options are taken into account.
If it is possible to manage the site with the help of a system like CMS, even a novice webmaster can format the pages and change the settings, if necessary. Among the important features that will have to be periodically adjusted:
- Setting up the work of payment forms and making payments.
- Promotion in search engine results.
- Quickly customize pages using standard templates.
When choosing a rate must take into account the type of software to be placed (landing page, corporate website, online store, information resources, forums).
A pricing plan assumes a certain amount of resources and capacity to be provided.
Therefore, an important parameter that is taken into account when choosing a pricing plan is the amount of traffic or the number of users during a certain period of time.
Basic selection criteria:
- Type of storage (SSD or HDD). In the first case, we are talking about solid-state storage, which is faster and more productive than a conventional hard drive.
- The amount of disk space. When selecting this parameter, you need to consider the likely expansion of the project in the future.
- The size of the operating memory (RAM). Available options range from 1-32 GB.
- The characteristics of the processor (CPU). Available options are 2-24 cores at 2 GHz.
When choosing a rate take into account the expected load on the VPS, which is composed of the number of users per unit time (cumulative page traffic), the database size, the number of downloaded files, content management system (CMS).
