Linux VPS Server
Linux VPS Server
A Linux VPS server will offer you all the advantages of Linux hosting in your own dedicated environment in which you can install any applications of your choice which will allow you to customize your VPS to ensure that it functions in the way that you want it to. Linux VPS servers are now offered by many web hosting providers as it costs very little to start offering Linux VPS servers – the only cost that your web hosting provider needs to pay will be for the VPS hosting node, although if they choose to offer enterprise level VPS server hosting services then they may need to pay for virtualization applications such as Virtuozzo. Linux VPS servers can be used for a number of different purposes, for example you can install any application of your choice if you choose to have a blank Linux VPS server or you could have a web hosting control panel such as Plesk or cPanel installed which will allow you to manage your server from a web interface and to offer your own web hosting services to others. Depending on the web hosting provider that you choose to go with, Linux VPS server hosting can be the cheapest form of server hosting available; however, this will also depend on the specifications of your VPS server as well as what virtualization application your web hosting provider is using and whether you have opted for a web hosting control panel or not. It may be a good idea for you to have some previous experience and knowledge of managing a Linux VPS server as doing will help you in the long run; it is always recommended that you manage your Linux VPS server via SSH as this will allow you direct root access to your VPS server which means that you can execute more or less any command you wish to.
What’s the difference between a Linux VPS server and a Windows VPS server?
There are many differences between Windows and Linux VPS server hosting solutions, and it is these differences that make most people choose to purchase Linux server hosting instead of Windows VPS server hosting. Linux VPS servers are managed in a completely different way to how you would manage a Windows VPS server, since instead of having a GUI like you are provided with when you purchase a Windows VPS, you have to manage your Linux VPS server using the command line – this is called SSH; although this may prove to be a disadvantage for some people, it in fact makes it easier for you to manage your server as a lot more can be achieve with a smaller amount of resources used. Linux as an operating system also consumes less resources than Windows, making it easier for users with a low budget and low requirements to purchase cheap low-specification Linux VPS servers; however, the performance of such VPS servers can be called into question. You will also find that Linux VPS servers in general are much more secure than Windows VPS servers; the main reason for this is that Linux isn’t prone to viruses in the same way that Windows is, and it is a good idea to note that there is still a wealth of security software available for Linux VPS servers. In summary, the main differences between linux VPS servers and Windows VPS servers includes:
- Server management – with a Windows VPS you can easily manage your server using the standard Windows GUI which can be accessed via Remote Desktop, but for Linux servers you do have the option to install a GUI in the form of VNC although for most people the most convenient and easiest way to manage a Linux VPS server is via SSH which is also referred to by some as the command line – this makes Linux VPS servers different since most other server operating systems including Windows servers offer you a GUI whereas a majority of Linux VPS server management is done solely via the command line
- Resource consumption – as Linux doesn’t come with any GUI as such, the amount of server resources consumed by your average Linux installation is far less than what is used by a standard Windows installation – this means that you can make use of servers which are of a lower specification for using Linux but it is still a good idea to use higher specification servers in both cases as high specification servers are going to offer you a greater level of reliability and stability as you will have more server resources to make use of as and when you need to
- Security – Windows and Linux servers are both different in the way that they can be protected from malicious attacker as well as the level of threats that they have to deal with – Windows servers are far more prone to viruses and malicious attacks as they’re not as easy to protect, and since Windows is the most widely used operating system it is also the operating system which is targeted most by virus writers – Linux servers are much easier to secure since there is a wide range of freely available security software for Linux servers, and they aren’t as easily infected by viruses although once a rootkit has installed itself on your Linux server it is always a good idea to reload your server.
From a security and reliability perspective it is always a good idea to go for a Linux VPS as this will offer you the best value for money in both areas, and at the end of the day you want to be making the most of your money web hosting wise. Although Windows VPS hosting may look more tempting when it comes to the management of the server, you have to bare in mind that a lot more can be achieved when you are managing your Linux VPS via SSH as root than what could be done when managing a Windows VPS server as you are using the command line which allows you direct access to more or less everything on the server.
Advantages of Linux VPS Server Hosting
There are many advantages to using Linux VPS server hosting, most notably if you have upgraded your web hosting service from something a lot more restricted such as shared web hosting or reseller web hosting. The main advantage of using Linux VPS server hosting is the freedom that you get from having your own dedicated environment, as by having this you are able to install any application of your choice on your VPS server which will allow you to customize it and use it as you wish; however, you should always be careful as some of the programs that you want to use many not be suitable or allowed under your web hosting provider’s Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP). Another advantage of using Linux VPS hosting is that you will notice a significant performance increase; as you will have your own dedicated resources, your server is going to be more reliable as there won’t be anyone else to use up those resources instead – however, the performance of a Linux VPS server is still fairly ineffective when compared to the performance and reliability of a Linux dedicated server. You will also find that Linux VPS server hosting can be very beneficial for offering your own web hosting services as you should have a choice of web hosting control panels which you can use. In summary, the main advantages of Linux VPS hosting include:
- Dedicated environment – this can be very helpful if you are looking into running applications which aren’t available on standard shared web hosting services, and this is normally the case if you have developed a website which makes use of third party programs and applications that aren’t installed on most Linux web hosting servers by default – however, with a dedicated environment comes extra responsibilities as you have to secure your own server and are responsible for ensuring that any software which you install on your Linux VPS server is secure and up-to-date
- Performance and reliability – as you will have your own dedicated resources assigned to your VPS server, you are ensured a greater level of reliability and performance that you just can’t get on lower forms of web hosting such as with shared web hosting and reseller web hosting packages – this is what makes VPS server hosting so popular with businesses and individuals as otherwise you would have to pay for a Linux dedicated server if you wanted to have the reliability or performance that a Linux VPS server hosting service is able to offer you
- Offer your own web hosting packages – many people choose to use their Linux VPS servers to offer web hosting services to others at a cost, and by doing this you can easily make a profit out of web hosting – most web hosting providers offer a choice of web hosting control panel for their VPS server hosting services for an extra cost which is normally quite low – this means that you can get all the services that you need to start a small web hosting company from your one web hosting provider, and this will help to lower your overall start-up costs.
The advantages of Linux VPS server hosting show just why it has become so popular with businesses and individuals. As most web hosting providers offer Linux VPS server hosting for a low cost, it means that VPS servers are now affordable for more people than previously and this has meant that there has been a large uptake with VPS server hosting. Many web hosting providers are now offering Linux VPS hosting with a wide variety of web hosting control panels meaning that a good deal can be found if you do your research.
Disadvantages of Linux VPS Hosting
There aren’t many disadvantages to using Linux VPS hosting, since at the end of the day you are paying a low price for your own dedicated environment and dedicated resources which allows you to achieve a lot more than you could do with shared web hosting but for a cost that is only slightly higher than that of a high end reseller web hosting package. The main disadvantage of Linux VPS hosting is the management side of things, since unless you pay extra for a fully managed Linux VPS hosting service you will have to manage your own Linux server which could be inconvenient for you if you haven’t had any previous server management experience. Another disadvantage of Linux VPS hosting which some people may notice is how the hosting node’s CPU is split between the hosted VPS servers, since although you will receive dedicated amounts of RAM, bandwidth and disk space, the capacity of most hosting node CPUs isn’t big enough to assign a different amount to each individual VPS server. Another disadvantage that you could probably face with Linux VPS server hosting is the process limit put in place by your web hosting provider, and although it won’t affect most people it might affect some; it is in place to ensure that it is impossible for a single VPS to overload the whole hosting node. In summary, the main potential disadvantages of Linux VPS hosting include:
- Management – the management of a Linux VPS server may be inconvenient for some people as they don’t have the necessary skills to secure and manage their VPS server properly, but for such people there is managed Linux VPS server hosting which will allow you to have the management of your Linux VPS server taken care of by your web hosting provider without you having to worry about your server – this also means that you can call on your web hosting provider’s support team for any issues which you may be facing with your Linux VPS server as they should be able to sort them out in a short amount of time
- Hosting node CPU – although this is unlikely to affect most users, if your web hosting provider hasn’t put the right measures in place then it will be fairly easy for a single VPS server to overload the hosting node which will in turn bring down all the VPS servers that the hosting node itself is hosting – the main reason for this being possible is because most web hosting providers are unable to split the hosting node’s CPU equally between all the hosted VPS servers as by the time this was done each VPS server wouldn’t have anywhere near enough power to be able to function correctly
- Process limits – in order to aid with the above, most web hosting provider impose process limits which limit the number of processes which can be running on a VPS server at any one time – this is only likely to affect you if you are using your Linux VPS server for a number of different functions which require a number of different processes to be running at one time – if this is going to be a problem for you then your web hosting provider may be able to increase the limit for you if you have genuine reason but in most cases it would be better to upgrade to having 2 VPS servers or a dedicated server for your needs.
If you feel that such disadvantages are going to affect you then you should address them effectively; such as when it comes to server management you could always choose a fully managed Linux VPS hosting service which means that you won’t have to think about managing your own VPS server as this will be taken care of by your web hosting provider. If you feel that CPU allocations and process limits may have an affect on the performance of your website then you should refer to dedicated server hosting as this will give you full use of your servers resources.
In conclusion, Linux VPS server hosting is ideal for anyone who is looking into dedicated hosting but doesn’t want to pay the earth for a basic package which can offer them what they need from a dedicated hosting service. Linux dedicated server hosting allows both businesses and individuals great room for expansion as you will be provided with your own dedicated resources as well as a dedicated environment in which you can install any applications of your choice. If you feel that you aren’t quite ready for Linux VPS server hosting then it may be a good idea to wait back for a while and then upgrade when you see a good deal that suits your requirements but is cheap.
