Content copyright . Virtual Private Servers and VPS. All rights reserved.
Welcome to the virtual private servers home page! We will be providing information and resources to help users locate VPS packages and understand how a virtual private server can benefit your website!
So what is a virtual private server?
A Virtual private server spans the chasm between cheap, shared "web hosting" and provides enhanced speed and reliability. Essentially, a virtual private server shares a machines physical resources (the actual, dedicated server) by creating multiple "instances" of the operating system.
This means that a virtual private server is, effectively, it's own independent operating system that runs alongside many other operating systems of the same or different types (although same, usually). This virtualization is what allows a virtual private server (also called a virtual dedicated server) to be far and away, MUCH less expensive than a true dedicated server, and yet still provide a much faster, smoother environment than the (cheaper still), shared web hosting.
You can use a Windows Virtual Private Server for very nearly anything. It runs the Windows Server Operating System, which looks and feels much like the windows operating system you might be familiar with already. The main exception (and what makes Windows VPS Web servers work) is IIS (Internet Information Systems), which allows the server to communicate with the internet and act as a web server.
Most commonly, a Windows vps will be used for website hosting. Most of the "server-level" admin tasks will be done through RDP (remote desktop) and this allows you to administer the server. Website and Domain-related tasks can still be performed through a control panel (such as cPanel or Plesk), but the core Windows Virtual Private Server can still be used, fundamentally, for anything you wish, such as audio or video streaming services, for example.
Much like a Windows VPS, but running Linux, which the average user may not be familiar with. Linux has a long history, and the majority of the great free applications are open-source, which are predominantly php-driven. For this reason, most of the web applications that you will commonly find on most websites (Joomla! or WordPress for example) will run on a Linux Virtual Private Server very well.
The core operating system on a Linux Virtual Private Server is typically CentOS, but there are also alternative options (such as Fedora) that rarely effect what you can actually do with the Linux VPS. The operating system can sometimes come down to a matter of simple preference, or familiarity. CentOS has a lower over-head on the system resources, but some would say Fedora is easier to use. There are always trade offs!
The majority of the website and domain management tasks (such as database work) are handled through a control panel, typically (such as Plesk, or cPanel). It is entirely possible to run a server and do this work without the assistance of a control panel, but a good control panel makes a great difference when administering a VPS, especially Linux!