VPS Hosting

It is important to ensure that you know how to use VPS hosting effectively since being able to do so will ensure that you are able to get value for money out of the VPS hosting package that you have purchased from your web hosting provider. VPS hosting is normally used by businesses with mission critical websites or by individuals whose requirements mean that they are unable to get what they need out of a shared or reseller web hosting package; because of this, those who have VPS hosting packages in such circumstances should try and make the most of their VPS servers since they are normally the best web hosting package that they can afford for their budget. Although the price of VPS hosting can range from low end VPS servers to high end VPS servers, you should ensure that you purchase the VPS which is at the top end of your budget since this will then allow you to make the most of the resources that you have assigned to it; however, making the most of a low end VPS hosting server may be quite difficult. As a web hosting provider it is up to you to ensure that you offer your customers high quality VPS hosting services which come with respectable resource assignments so that you can allow your clients to make the most of the VPS hosting package which they have purchased from you.

How VPS Hosting Works

How effectively you can use your VPS server depends on the architecture that has been deplpoyed by your web hosting provider to allow them to offer VPS hosting services for you. The operating system which you are using will also effect just how effectively you can use the virtual machine which you have purchased from your web hosting provider. VPS servers are usually hosted on physical hardware nodes, with more than one VPS being hosted per node; although this may not seem like the best solution, it does in-fact provides web hosting providers with a large profit and does allow them to easily expand their product offering if they wish to draw in more customers. The diagram below is a basic VPS virtualization diagram, although it is more specifc to web hosting companies who are using the Virtuozzo VPS daemon.

How to Make the Most of a VPS Package

There are many ways in which you can make use of a basic VPS server, the most basic being to make use of all the resources that you have assigned to your VPS server such as disk space and bandwidth so that you aren’t losing money on each VPS server you have. If you feel a VPS server up to capacity then you are able to ensure that the VPS concerned can remain profitable; you can then move on to upgrading your current server, or in the case that you are on the highest package, you can purchase another VPS server. You should also take into consideration the other features that may be offered with your VPS hosting package, i.e. you may find that your web hosting provider is offering free backup space which you can make use of to ensure that all the important data that your VPS hosting is backed up safely. You may also find that there are other useful features provided with your VPS hosting package, i.e. search engine coupons which you should be sure to use since you can make the most of these by helping your website in search engine rankings, and at the end of the day this will of course mean more visitors to your website. So in summary, the main measures you can take to make the msot of your VPS hosting package include:

• Making the most of your resources - to help make the most of any profit you could get from selling web hosting space off on your VPS server, you should ensure that you host as many accounts as possible on your server to maximise the amount of revenue you can receive from each VPS server since this will in-turn give you a higher profit per server after you have paid all of your web hosting bills - this should include ensuring that you keep enough disk space and bandwidth so that if your customers do wish to purchase extra bandwidth from you then they are able to do so without you running the risk of not being able to provide them with their extra capacity
• Use all of your packages features - this means that if your VPS hosting package comes with extras which you may not necessarily use, such as free backup space or search engine coupons, then you should make use of them since they are likely to benefit you in one way or another, and in most cases you will find that you have nothing to lose - for example, if your VPS hosting package comes with some sort of free backup space then you should take advantage of such an offer as it will allow you to back your VPS server up meaning that if it does crash then any important data which is hosted on it won’t be lost
• search around for the right provider - another way to get the best bang for the buck to ensure that you can effectively use VPS hosting is to search around the different VPS hosting providers there are to find the best deal that suits you based on your budget - this should mean that when looking for a VPS hosting package that will meet your needs, you should be taking into consideration the different VPS hosting packages that are offered  by web hosting providers as well as any additional features that may be on offer as well as the level of support that you will be able to receive for the amount that you are paying.

As you can see, with initial research into VPS hosting packages as well as the web hosting providers that are offering, you can instantly use VPS hosting effectively since this will allow you to get the best bang for the buck. However, it is then up to you to ensure that you can make the most of your VPS hosting server by making the best use of the resources which you have assigned to your server, and to also use the additional features that you may have accompany your VPS server.

But how do I know that I’m using my VPS server effectively?

You will know when you are using your VPS server effectively, and whether or not you have found the best VPS hosting package that is available to you based on your budget and your requirements from a web hosting package. You should initially make your mind up on what you expect from a web hosting provider and VPS hosting package; you can then apply this to your existing VPS server and then see whether or not you are getting the best deal for your money, and if you are then how you can improve your use of the VPS server to make sure that you are using it effectively. In other situations you may know that you are using your VPS hosting server effectively if:

• you are using the limits on your resources - in some cases you may find that if you are using up all of your monthly allowance of bandwidth or if you are nearing your limit on the amount of disk space that you are limit then you will have to purchase another VPS server to meet your needs - in this situation you will be using your VPS server effectively since it means that you are making the most of one server before moving on to purchasing another VPS server so that you can stay with the same web hosting provider
• you need to purchase extra resources - if you find that a program that you are running on your server is using up too many server resources, but that the application itself is vital to the running of the server, then you will probably upgrade your VPS server in order to continue the use of the application concerned.

In either situation you will know that you have made the msot of your VPS hosting server and that you are using VPS hosting effectively since you have to purchase extra resources in order to ensure that you can continue to use your VPS server.

In conclusion, VPS hosting can easily be used effectively which will mean that you may find that you have to upgrade your VPS server at some point in time, although in some cases you may be forced to upgrade to dedicated server hosting if you are already hosted on a high end VPS hosting package. VPS server hosting is becoming big business for many web hosting providers which means that they are able to lower their prices and increase their resource offerings; in this case you will find that by doing a little research, you are able to get quite a big bang for the buck.

What is Virtual Private Server (VPS) Web Hosting?

Virtual private server (VPS) web hosting is the affordable version of the dedicated web hosting server. VPS is actually a part of the shared web hosting server, but has special features that set it apart from the common shared web hosting features. The virtual private server is also known as VPS, virtual hosting server, or virtual dedicated web hosting server.

Advantages Of Having The Virtual Private Server Web Hosting

For those users who cannot afford the top-of-the-line dedicated web hosting server and its excellent professional features, the virtual private server is the next best choice that almost matches the dedicated web hosting server in many features. The virtual private web hosting server acts as a mediator between the dedicated web hosting server and the shared web hosting server.

In case of the virtual private web hosting server, the physical web server unit is divided into many web hosting servers and then distributed to many other web users.  It is even possible to run the virtual private server on its own dedicated system. Every virtual private web server has separate operating system and each one of these systems can be rebooted separately. The virtual private web hosting server, the physical web server is automatically restarted which then runs an application that boots each of the virtual private web hosting servers using a disk image.

In the modern days, the virtual private web hosting server has become vastly popular. This popularity is chiefly because of the development in various technologies and the virtualization of the softwares that are that help in the development of the virtual private web hosting server.

The virtual private web hosting server as stated earlier is similar to the shared web hosting server. Many users are present on a single web hosting server sharing the important features like the bandwidth, the disk space, the memory allocation, various applications, softwares, security programs and other features that are present on a web hosting server.

In the virtual private web hosting server, there are two types. They are they software based web hosting server and the hardware based web hosting server. The same kernel is shared between the different virtual private servers sharing the same web server. Technically, the VPS is a marvel of the modern technology because it uses a “virtualization” of the web hosting for its user and provides a space that cannot be influenced by other sites sharing the same web server.

The hardware based web servers divide the real hardware resources. For making any kind of changes, it needs restarting of the virtual machine. This type of web servers are usually more secured. This is the most commonly used virtual private web server.

In case of the dedicated web hosting, the main hardware web hosting server is divided into various parts, each one consisting of its own environment, the web server, disk space, the bandwidth, independent softwares, applications and other related tools.

The fact that the entire web hosting server into many parts is indeed a big advantage for the users present on the entire web hosting server. This is because, even if any single web hosting servers or any application gets corrupted, it has no effect on other virtual private servers. This way, even if there are several corrupted web servers present on the main physical web hosting server, it will have no effect on your web server and therefore on your website.

Also, unlike the shared web hosting server, even though there are many users that are present on the same physical web hosting server, they do not share the same applications, softwares, or the same directory. Each user present on the main web hosting server has own applications, softwares and other tools that are just needed for his website. The virtual private web hosting server has also number of advantages when the security and the performance of the web hosting server are considered.

There are many advantages of using the virtual private web hosting server. The virtual private web hosting server provides control, helps to make the web server secure, provides flexibility, reliability and stability. Some of the main advantages of using the virtual private web hosting server are mentioned below.

As the dedicated web hosting server, the VPS also enables the user to do many similar roles independently and without the high costs needed by the completely dedicated web hosting server. For example, the users of the virtual private web hosting server can install their own softwares, applications, and make use of some of the features of the dedicated web hosting servers. Such features include the database servers, the FTP servers, the mail servers and others.

There are many other advantages of using a virtual private web hosting server. However, the biggest advantages of this kind of web hosting server is that you get “root” level access to the main web hosting server. This allows you to install, delete or change any codes or softwares that you are using. With the help of this you can even create different accounts, set permissions and many other features, which are again similar to the dedicated web hosting server. However, in case of the virtual private web hosting server, all these features are available at a pretty low cost.

Also, a virtual private web hosting server is more secure than perhaps the dedicated web hosting server or the shared web hosting server. Since each user is on a different section of the main physical web server, it provides several benefits. For example, even if one portion of the web hosting server gets corrupted or even hacked, it does not have any effect on the rest of web hosting server.

However, there are some problems as well that you can come across while using the virtual private web hosting server. Some of them are mentioned below.

Disadvantages Of Having The Virtual Private Server Web Hosting

Some of the main disadvantages of using the virtual private web hosting server are mentioned below. One of the most important disadvantages is that it needs much knowledge about the programming and coding of various applications that are needed to run the web hosting server. It also needs many advanced technical skills to handle the web hosting server.

However, if you have chosen a top-quality web hosting server, they provide you fully detailed manuals and even the training sometimes about the various skills needed to handle the virtual private web hosting server.

Also, since there are many users present on a single web hosting server, one can even experience slowness of the web server. If there are many applications and softwares present on the main physical web server that are used by users, which can also affect the bandwidth and the memory allocation of the entire web hosting server. Because of this, it takes much time for the web pages to get loaded.

To Be Continued…

Basic cPanel VPS Security Measures

As server technology moves on and becomes more modern, the threats that face both Windows and Linux servers are becoming stronger meaning that they still pose a serious threat to even the most secure of web hosting servers. Many Linux based servers in the web hosting industry will be using the cPanel control panel so that clients of the web hosting providers concerned are able to manage their web hosting accounts, and so that the system administrators are able to manage the web hosting servers through a web browser. And as server technology moves forward and becomes cheaper, many users are upgrading their existing web hosting packages to VPS servers so that they can take advantage of the fact that they have their own resources; however, with this comes many users that are unable to secure their servers to such an extent that most attackers won’t be able to gain entry. Web hosting providers will in most cases offer you basic assistance when it comes to securing your server, but its the smaller things such as keeping your server software updated that can make a difference. However, whether you are good with managing servers or not there are still several different actions that you can take to ensure that your server is secure to an acceptable level.

The main steps that you will need to take to secure your cPanel VPS server to an acceptable level are really quite basic, and you may have software such as a firewall installed on your local desktop computer. If you are unsure as to any steps then your web hosting provider should have a support team that are able to install such security components for you. The main security components that you will be installing on your cPanel VPS will include:

• CSF Firewall
• RKHunter
• SIM (System Integrity Monitor)
• LES (Linux Environment Security).

We will also discuss the basic hardening of both PHP and Apache since if left unmodified both of these can be used to gain access to an insecure server. There are also measures that you can take to secure the MySQL database server.

Installing CSF, LES and SIM

CSF is a popular firewall in the web hosting industry since it integrates very well with the WHM side of the cPanel/WHM Linux control panel suite. When configured correctly CSF will block any IP addresses/hostnames that attempt to attack your VPS in any way; for example, you may find that a bot is trying to attack your server by trying to access a certain service using different username and password combinations - after a certain amount of failed logins, LFD (logon failure daemon) which comes with CSF will automatically block the attacking IP. Installing CSF really is a piece of cake; all you need to do for the basic installation is run the following commands in an SSH window:

• wget http://www.configserver.com/free/csf.tgz
• tar -xzf csf.tgz
• cd csf
• sh install.sh

Once you have done that, you will find that CSF has been successfully installed and can be managed through the WHM control panel. All you need to do is scroll down to the bottom of the left hand menu and select it from under the ‘Plug-Ins’ menu. However, in some cases you may find that your cPanel server already has another firewall combination install - APF and BFD; now, in order for CSF to work you will need to remove both of these, to do so you will need to run the following command from the CSF folder in your terminal window:

• sh remove_apf_bfd.sh

Once initially installed CSF will be running in what is called ‘testing’ mode which means that it isn’t doing its assigned job - protecting your server from malicious attackers. From here you will need to configure CSF yourself using the configuration file, and once you are happy with your modifications you only need to set the ‘TESTING’ variable in the configuration file from its current value of ‘1′ to ‘0′ which will then put the firewall into actions once it has been restarted.

LES and SIM aren’t as important to use as CSF may be, but both still have their uses when it comes down to the security of your server and the monitoring of it. The purpose of LES is to prevent any environment based attacks, i.e. attacks which may root from bugs or security holes that may exist in files that are hosted on your cPanel server. SIM is responsible for the monitoring of your system resources and the important programs that you may have running on your system and will notify you of any problems.

Installing and Configuring Rootkit Hunter (RKHunter)

Rookit hunter is probably one of the most useful applications that you can have installed on your cPanel VPS server. Although rootkits can’t be removed in most cases simply because they are installed into system files, RKHunter will still notify you of any rootkits that may exist in your system so that you can take the necessary steps to reload your cPanel server. Rootkit hunter is both easy to install and configure, and the best thing about it is that you can configure it to do daily scans to ensure that if any rootkits are discovered they aren’t able to affect your server too much. The main steps for installing RKHunter are:

• wget http://downloads.sourceforge.net/rkhunter/rkhunter-1.3.2.tar.gz
• tar -xzf rkhunter-1.3.2.tar.gz
• cd rkhunter-1.3.2
• ./installer.sh

Once you have RKHunter installed it may be useful to schedule it to do daily scans and to update itself on a regular basis so that you don’t have to. In order to schedule it to do a daily scan you should follow these steps:

• vi /etc/cron.daily/rkhunter.sh (press ’shift + I’ to make the file editable)
• (/usr/local/bin/rkhunter –update && /usr/local/bin/rkhunter -c –cronjob 2>&1 | mail -s “RKhunter Scan Details” email@domain.com) - (replace email@domain.com with your own email address)
• press ‘esc’ and then type ‘:wq’, and your file will be saved
• chmod 700 /etc/cron.daily/rkhunter.sh

By following the steps above you are able to configure RKHunter to run a daily scan which will then be emailed to you but the same script will also do a daily update check.

Securing the /tmp Partition

Some of the attacks and exploits that can take place against any Linux server normally take place within the /tmp directory which is why it is incredibly important that you secure this one directory/partition. If you are running cPanel on a dedicated Linux hosting server then you simply need to run the following command to secure /tmp:

• /scripts/securetmp

However, it is a different matter on cPanel VPS servers since the above script doesn’t work on most Virtuozzo based VPS servers. In order to mount/secure /tmp on a cPanel VPS hosting server, you will need to add the following line to ‘/etc/fstab’:

• none /tmp tmpfs nodev,nosuid,noexec 0 0

By mounting /tmp with noexec and nosuid we are able to ensure that no executables are able to run in the /tmp directory.

Securing Apache/PHP

There are certain measures that you can to ensure that any installations of PHP or Apache that you may have are secure. The most obvious measure you can take is to ensure that any installations that you have of either are up-to-date so that any security holes that there may have been in older versions have been healed on your own server. In terms of Apache you should ensure that you have specific modules installed such as mod_security which will prevent any web based injection attacks and mod_evasive which will prevent any web based brute force attacks.

Mod_security can be installed by recompiling Apache through the ‘EasyApache’ interface which is now included with all new cPanel installations. By re-compiling Apache you can also update PHP to the latest version that is available. Through EasyApache you can also re-compile PHP with SuHosin which will add another layer of security to any PHP scripts tha you may be hosting. Another important step to carry out is the enabling of PHP SuExec which can be done through the WHM control panel by following these steps:

• under the ‘Service Configuration’ section of the left menu select ‘Apache Configuration’
• select ‘PHP and SuExec Configuration’
• under ‘Alter Configuration’ set Apache SuExec to ‘On’

You should also disable certain dangerous PHP functions on your cPanel server to ensure that any unsecure PHP scripts that you are hosting won’t be able to compromise the security of your entire server. In order to do so, you should follow these steps:

• php -i | grep php.ini
• vi /usr/local/lib/php/php.ini
• in your PHP configuration file you should look for the ‘disable_functions’ line
• once you have found it, change it to: ‘disable_functions = “system,passthru,exec,popen,proc_close,proc_get_st atus,proc_nice,proc_open,proc_terminate,shell_exec ,highlight_file,escapeshellcmd,define_syslog_varia bles,posix_uname,posix_getpwuid,apache_child_termi nate,posix_kill,posix_mkfifo,posix_setpgid,posix_s etsid,posix_setuid,escapeshellarg,posix_uname,ftp_ exec,ftp_connect,ftp_login,ftp_get,ftp_put,ftp_nb_ fput,ftp_raw,ftp_rawlist,ini_alter,ini_restore,inj ect_code,syslog,openlog,define_syslog_variables,ap ache_setenv,mysql_pconnect,eval,phpAds_XmlRpc,phpA ds_remoteInfo,phpAds_xmlrpcEncode,phpAds_xmlrpcDec ode,xmlrpc_entity_decode,fp,fput”‘
• save the file
• restart Apache (service httpd restart)

You should also set a MySQL root password through the ‘Set Root Password’ option that is located under the ‘SQL Services’ menu.

Conclusion

Now that you have followed the basic steps to secure your cPanel VPS, you can be safe in the knowledge that malicious attackers are highly unlikely to be able to gain access to it in any way. However, it is still down to you to ensure that all the security software amongst other programs that you have installed on your VPS server is kept up-to-date. You should also monitor your VPS hosting server externally since then you will know if your VPS crashes but most importantly if anyone gains unauthorised access to it. If you are the only one using the server then you should also ensure that any PHP files of scripts that you are running are unaffected by any security features that you enforce but mainly that the actual coding itself is secure and can’t be injected.

VPS Hosting vs. Dedicated Server Hosting

If you are a business running a mission critical website or are an individual who is hosted websites on behalf of others and needs to be able to guarantee a certain amount of reliability, then you will most likely be considering a method of server hosting in order to use a web hosting service that is able to meet your needs and requirements. Server hosting services are designed for those who need a dedicated environment in which they can host their websites, and also need a greater amount of reliability since with server hosting services your websites are unlikely to be affected by server performance or the performance of other users websites. Although VPS hosting and dedicated server hosting have their similarities, the two different forms of web hosting are still different in many ways including how they respond to certain commands as well as overall server performance. Server hosting is able to provide you with greater uptime than if you were to use shared web hosting services, meaning that if you are hosting your business websites on a shared hosting package, there could be many advantages to be had if you move over to server hosting services. If you are also after greater performance, then you can even consider server hosting such as VPS hosting if you have a low budget.

The main pupose of a server hosting service is to allow you to expand your website operations, since many move up to server hosting from shared hosting simply because their websites have outgrown the limits that are in place on shared web hosting packages. There are many advantages with using a server of your own instead of a shared or reseller hosting package, and the main of these advantages is to ensure that you receive a better web hosting service which is what you need for your websites. Web hosting providers also strive to ensure that you have a good server hosting experience. Such server hosting advantages that you may notice could include:

• reliability - the performance of shared web hosting servers can be compromised by the users that they are hosting, which in turn can affect the performance of other user’s websites; server hosting services on the other hand provide you with a dedicated environment, but VPS hosting services can be affected by the performance of other VPS hosting servers hosted on the same node, but only slightly
• dedicated environment - with the use of a dedicated environment, you are able to install any programs of your choice without affecting the performance of other user’s websites, it also allows you to carry out custom configurations if you need to ensure that any websites that you are hosting are able to function correctly
• dedicated resources - with server hosting, you are given your own dedicated resources which are unable to be used by any other users - with VPS hosting you will find that the CPU is shared amongst all the VPS servers hosted on one node, although the resources that you are given with dedicated server hosting are yours to use only and no-one else can use them.

The mix of more reliable web hosting services as well as having your own dedicated environment and resources means that your websites are unlikely to be affected by the performance of other websites which would otherwise be hosted on the same server as yours in the case of shared web hosting services. At the end of the day, all most people want from their web hosting package is reliability and a good amount of uptime so that visitors are able to pass through as they wish; a web hosting package with true reliability is only possible with server hosting services.

Although VPS hosting is designed as a form of server hosting, it is priced to allow those who are unable to afford a dedicated server to purchase something similar which should cover their requirements; the pricing of VPS hosting also tends to be just slightly more than that of shared and reseller hosting. It’s not only the pricing of VPS servers which sets them apart form dedicated servers, but in terms of resources the CPU of the hosting node is shared amongst all of the hosted VPS servers - however, although the other resources such as RAM and disk space are guaranteed.

VPS servers tend to be of a lower specification that dedicated servers since the specifications of a VPS server are determined by the physical resources of the hosting node as well as how many VPS servers a web hosting provider wishes to fit onto a single hosting node. Dedicated servers on the other hand can be configured to any specification you want, high or low; there are many different options available for dedicated servers than there are for VPS servers - for example, you can have multiple hard drives in a dedicated server. Dedicated servers can also take a lot more RAM than VPS servers can, and also allow you to upgrade any of the resources that you have to higher amounts at any time.

When purchasing either VPS servers or dedicated servers, web hosting providers will expect you to have at least some knowledge on how to manage a server. Because of this, both VPS servers and dedicated servers are available with different levels of support meaning that you are able to purchase a server hosting package based on your specification requirements as well as support requirements. However, it should be noted that servers which come with a low level of support are going to be cheaper than servers which come with high levels of support for obvious reasons. There are three main different levels of support available, which are:

• unmanaged server hosting services - unmanaged server hosting services normally come in the form of unmanaged dedicated servers, and mean that you are expected to have full knowledge on how to manage a dedicated server and that you are only provided with support for any network problems that may have been created on the side of the dedicated server host that you have chosen to use
• semi-managed services - semi-managed servers regularly come in the forms of VPS hosting and dedicated hosting, and although you are expected to have some knowledge on how to manage a server, you can still call on your web hosting provider’s support team to carry out certain tasks for you on your VPS server or dedicated server
• managed hosting services - for businesses and individuals who need to be guaranteed a certain amount of uptime, managed hosting services are important since it means that a support team can take full control of their VPS server or dedicated hosting server, meaning that the support team concerned can be contacted if the server owner wants any modifications or tasks to be carried out on their server.

If you choose the right kind of VPS or dedicated server which comes with the right level of support for you, then you will find that your server is more reliable than any other form of web hosting that you may have used in the past such as shared hosting or reseller web hosting. Support is normally provided by the web hosting provider that you choose to use, and is normally in the form of the support team that they employ.

The choice of whether you purchase a VPS hosting server or dedicated server at the of the day is down to your needs and requirements, as well as you feel that you are able to get what you need out of your chosen form of server hosting. Although VPS hosting may have its advantages if you are moving over from a form of shared hosting, there will come a point where you will have to upgrade to a dedicated server because you can’t upgrade your VPS server anymore.

If you are just an individual with a few websites to host then by all means a VPS server will be more than enough for you, but if you want to achieve the best amount of uptime available and are after high server resources, then your only choice will be a high specification dedicated server. VPS hosting does tend to provide you with a majority of the advantages that come with dedicated server hosting but at a much lower price; but dedicated server hosting on the other hand will allow you to achieve the highest amount of uptime available - the main reason being that you are unable to be affected by the performance of other users websites and servers.

In conclusion, VPS hosting services and dedicated servers have their differences but the choice on whether or not one is more suitable for your needs than another is yours and yours only to make. Server hosting services are the most reliable forms of web hosting available when compared to shared and reseller web hosting packages, but if your needs don’t extend as far as needing server hosting then you would be better off purchasing a higher end shared web hosting package that will still be able to cover your needs.

Windows VPS

Windows VPS hosting provides businesses and individuals with a dedicated Windows web hosting environment without the need to pay for the high cost of a Windows dedicated server hosting. Because of the dedicated nature of VPS hosting servers, they provide users with a low cost alternative to a dedicated server therefore meaning that Windows developers can have the dedicated environment that they need at a fraction of the cost. Windows VPS hosting services are now offered by a majority of web hosting providers, which helps make the cost of Windows VPS hosting even less as web hosting providers try to lower their prices as far as they can go to maximize the number of people that they can attract. Managed Windows VPS hosting services can also be purchased for a bit more than an unmanaged Windows VPS hosting service, although a managed hosting service is only normally required if you feel that you don’t have the knowledge or skills to manage a Windows VPS server. Windows VPS hosting may not be as reliable as Linux VPS hosting, but as long as a Windows VPS hosting server is managed corrrectly then it can be as reliable as a proper Windows dedicated hosting server. Windows VPS hosting should only be considered if you absolutely need it, since a majority of websites and applications will function correctly on Linux VPS hosting.

Windows VPS is able to support the same sorts of components and utilities that you find come with shared web hosting, except you are able to manage them yourself on a much more advanced level. Along with that, there are many more advantages that Windows VPS hosting can bring you when compared to shared Windows web hosting services. However, it is important that you use these advantages to your own advantage so that you or your website can benefit from the upgrade to a Windows VPS hosting service. Other advantages that Windows VPS hosting can bring you include:

• extra resources - with Windows VPS hosting, you are provided with your own dedicated resources meaning that your websites and applications are able to run in your own dedicated environment without being affected by other VPS hosting servers hosted on the same node, and by not affecting the other VPS hosting servers that are hosted on the same Windows node as you
• dedicated environment - with a dedicated Windows hosting environment, you are able to install any programs or applications that you wish to without affecting the performance of other VPS servers hosted on the same node as you, and also allows you to make sure that your own websites will function and work correctly on your Windows VPS server
• support - you will probably receive a better level of support for your Windows VPS server than you would for shared web hosting, therefore meaning that there will be a support team there for you if you require help or assistance at any time.

The advantages that Windows VPS hosting has over Windows shared hosting are able to ensure that you receive a reliable Windows VPS hosting service. If you feel that these advantages aren’t going to benefit you in any way then you should consider sticking with Windows shared hosting.

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Managed VPS Hosting Service

VPS server hosting services provide businesses and individuals with a sense of dedicated server hosting within the safety of a shared web hosting environment. VPS server hosting provides users with their own dedicated environment in which they can do whatever they want with, knowing that they won’t be affecting the performance of other VPS servers that are hosted on the same hosting node unless they are using CPU intensive applications. Since VPS hosting services provide users with their own dedicated environment, some may not have the necessary knowledge or skills to be able to manage a VPS server properly which is where managed VPS hosting services come in. Managed VPS hosting services allow users to purchase a VPS of their choice, but then allow the support team of their chosen web hosting provider to manage it which normally includes installing regular updates as well as the inital setup and installation of the VPS hosting server. VPS hosting can cost a bit more than regular shared web hosting, but if you need a dedicated environment in which you can host your websites and applications then you will notice a big difference performance wise and will justify the small rise in cost on your behalf. Managed VPS hosting allows those that feel they don’t have the necessary knowledge or skills to leave their VPS in the safe hands of an experienced support team who will manage it on their behalf, and in that kind of situation, the rise in cost can also be justified.

Managed VPS hosting services are able to provide users with many advantages over shared web hosting, although VPS hosting is also a method of shared hosting itself in a sense. Although shared hosting may be suitable for those wishing to host small and simple websites, it is not enough to suffice for the needs of large businesses or individuals who are running mission critical websites. Such advantages over shared web hosting may include:

• reliability - although a web hosting provider may advertise their web hosting services as reliable, a shared web hosting package is prone to more downtime than any other form of web hosting since they are normally hosted together on one large server meaning that if a rogue account is setup then the reliability of the web hosting server could be compromised
• security - with a managed VPS hosting package, you can make your VPS as secure as you wish it to be, although your web hosting provider may offer secure shared web hosting, there’s is nothing to stop rogue accounts from being set up which could affect the shared web hosting server
• flexibility - with shared web hosting service you are stuck to using a basic control panel to help manage your web hosting account, but with VPS hosting you get full root/administrator access to your VPS allowing you to manage it the way you want to and to install any programs that you want on it.

If you feel that the advantages that VPS hosting has over shared web hosting may not be of any help to you then you should consider using a shared web hosting package since this will be much cheaper but still meet your requirements.

VPS servers come with many more features than a standard web hosting package, but for someone who isn’t in the know, all these different terms can be quite confusing therefore meaning that you may be put off from purchasing a VPS hosting server in such a case. Such features are normally related to the virtual hardware of your VPS hosting server, therefore making it important that you know what they are and how to keep an eye on them when needed. Examples of such features include:

• burst RAM - not being contempt with giving each VPS dedicated RAM, web hosting providers also give VPS hosting servers a certain amount of RAM that they can go into for a short amount of time if their VPS hosting servers are experiencing a high load, this is one feature that sets VPS hosting apart from dedicated hosting
• dedicated IP address - with shared web hosting services, your website is hosted on one IP address that is shared with all the other websites that are hostedon the same server, but with VPS hosting you get given your own IP address that you can host all your websites and applications on without having to worry about other users
• fair share CPU - as a computer does, VPS hosting servers need access to a CPU so that they can carry out all the calculations and tasks that they have been purchased for, in this case the CPU needs to be shared with all the VPS servers on a hosting node meaning that they all get the same share of the hosting node’s CPU.

Such features are important to understand since they can easily affect the running of your VPS hosting server. This is where managed VPS hosting services can help since you don’t need to understand what all these different terms mean if you have the support team at your web hosting provider managing your VPS server on your behalf.

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