Virtual private server or VPS hosting is one form of hosting suitable for those who already outgrown shared hosting. While shared hosting means that there are several sites residing on one web server without any guarantee of resources, there are fewer users in VPS that share the allocated processor power, memory and allocated hard drive space segments.  

Now, hosting might not be an easy topic for you to understand but its foundations can be quickly learned if you take the time to be familiar with them. If you are planning to opt for a VPS host but you are still unsure whether this is suitable for you needs or not, there are several basic things that you need to know first about this particular form of web hosting.  

Different Types of Virtual Private Server Hosting

There are basically two types of virtual private server hosting – managed and unmanaged VPS. 

Managed VPS

Website owners who have a smaller number of staff or have less technical acumen can take advantage of managed VSP. Through this form of hosting, the IT experts can handle some of the load for you as they keep your server running properly and take care of the virtual server on your behalf. Here are some of the things you can expect from these web hosting providers:

Automated backups 

You will be able to retrieve the earlier version of your site if ever something goes wrong with it.    

Initial server setup

During the launch of your website using VPS, several steps are involved for the server to be set up. These include installation of the server software, control panel, operating system, and applications. The managed host is the one who will take care of all of these. 

Monitoring 

VPS hosts can monitor and keep track of the early warning signs of malicious attacks and hardware failure.  

Security patches

The core server software and security patches for the operating system are all installed and updated for you.  

Updates

All OS and application updates and the server’s continuous fine tuning will be done in your behalf.  

Unmanaged VPS

When it comes to unmanaged VPS, web hosting will take over the installation of the operating system. Being the website owner, you will be the one to manage all the different aspects of your server including:

• Server configuration and maintenance including all the upgrades you like to see. 
• Installation of the software, control panel, and handling software updates.
• You will not get much support from the host in the event of a hardware failure or an outage. 
• Security threat monitoring, fixing error messages, and installation of security patches are all done for you.
• You will be the one who will set up the backup services of your website. 

Unmanaged VSP is only recommended for website owners with technical know-how and background. 

Always check with your chosen VPS hosting provider to know the specific levels of management they provide. Cost and flexibility are the main tradeoffs when it comes to unmanaged and managed hosting. 

Even though it is only natural that unmanaged services are more affordable compared to manage plans, there is still a catch here. You should have some technical knowledge for running and maintaining a server or you have to be ready to hire someone who can ensure that it runs smoothly and remains safe from any possible attacks. 

Advantages of VPS Servers

The main benefits of VPS servers is the fact that these can give you all the freedom to have your very own virtual machine in the same way you would from a more dedicated and expensive server that has a performance that lets you deal with moderate traffic with an occasional heavy spike. 

You can also customize it according to your specific needs because with a VPS, you will basically have an OS of your own. For instance, if you got your own server applications from Apache, MySQL, or PHP, you will be able to customize these to be sure that the serve will fit your needs and requirements. 

Check out the notable benefits of using VPS servers:

Cheaper 

VPS servers are far cheaper than dedicated servers.

Control

VPS servers give you the chance to supervise the hosting environment. Aside from that, if you are planning to install some applications that you will need for performing a system restart to finalize the installation, this can be easily done at any time with no need for you to worry that you might affect anyone else. Although you are sharing the VPS server with other users, you can still restart yours with no need to disrupt that of others. 

Dedicated resources

When you opt for a VPS server, you get a predefined RAM amount that is available to you every time you need it. This is unlike shared web hosting wherein other users are sharing the same server with you that can consume the RAM when you need it the most.

Scalable

Finally, with VPS, you will be able to buy the resources that you need and if this is still not enough, you can just increase the size as needed.  

The Bottom Line  

VPS style hosting is considered as the best way for you to keep pace with the success of a website that is going through rapid expansion and growth. This is the next best hosting plan that can offer you some kind of scalability. 

By opting for VPS, you will not just be able to enjoy a sizable amount of bandwidth and storage that is completely yours as this is also a more cost-effective solution that can meet the demands of busy websites. 

When trying to decide on the specific type of VPS hosting you will use, consider how hands-on you wish to be or if you can hire someone who can do most of the job on your behalf. Opt for unmanaged VPS if you prefer to run your own server. On the other hand, choose the managed version if you want someone else to handle software updates, automated backups, and server maintenance.