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Noroff Case Studies

VPS

Introduction

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting is a type of web hosting that provides dedicated resources for each website or application hosted on a server, giving users more control over their hosting environment.

Brief History

The history of VPS hosting can be traced all the way back to the early 2000s. It was developed as a solution to provide a hosting environment that was more flexible and customizable than shared hosting, and more affordable than dedicated hosting. Before VPS hosting, it was more common to use shared hosting due to it was a very affordable solution and ease of use. The other option was to utulize Dedicated Hosting that offered more resources, but it is quite expensive to use and unlike shared hosting, it requires a bit of technical knowledge. Here comes our saviour, the Virtual Private Servers! It provided as a middle ground for those who needed more resources and control than shared hosting, but didn’t want to pay the high costs of dedicated hosting. It offered dedicated resources, customization, and flexebility at an affordable price.

Features

Root Access Gives you complete control over your server and its configuration, allowing you to install any software you want and configure the server in any way you need.

Isolated Environment Each website will be running on its own server and will not be sharing resources with other websites. Resources such as CPU, RAM, and storage.

Customizability Can customize their server environment to meet their specific requirements, such as installing custom software, configuring firewalls, creating custom scripts and changing the OS.

Scalability It is highly scalable, allowing users to easily upgrade or downgrade their resources as their needs change.

Security It provides a higher level of security than shared hosting, as each website is isolated from other websites on the same server.

Strengths

  • VPS hosting is cheaper than a fully dedicated hosting plan that uses the entire real server.
  • Many VPS plans can be customized to suit your needs.
  • Many VPS plans are easily scalable. You can start with the least resources and gradually increase the hosting plan as your site develops to meet your new needs. In this case, you do not have to pay for additional resources that you do not need yet.
  • You have more control over the virtual server than shared hosting. You may have access to root and the ability to use scripts that may not be allowed in the shared hosting space.
  • For most technical problems, you will receive support services as much as shared hosting.

Weaknesses

  • For sites that do not require a dedicated server, VPS server costs are expensive. Of course, a VPS server is not as expensive as a dedicated server, but it is more expensive than shared hosting.

  • Some web hosts offer VPS hosting but do not allocate the resources appropriately. This may cause problems down the line if a particular site uses its resources at peak levels.

  • If sites on one server use all of their resources, server problems will occur that affect all sites on that server. One way to deal with this problem is to ask how many virtual accounts are on one server at a time when signing up.

Comparison

Shared Hosting: Shared hosting is the most common form of web hosting and works well for many new website owners. When you purchase a shared hosting plan, you’re sharing key resources like CPU, RAM, and hard drive space with other website owners using that same server. However, shared hosting offers limited flexibility, as users are often limited to the software and configurations provided by the hosting provider. Additionally, shared hosting may not be suitable for businesses or individuals who require more resources and control over their hosting environment.

Dedicated Hosting: Dedicated hosting is the opposite of shared hosting. Rather than pooling resources (and sharing the costs) with other website owners, you have one dedicated server that is reserved for your website only. However, dedicated hosting is the most expensive hosting option, making it inaccessible for many small businesses and individuals. Dedicated hosting also requires the highest level of technical expertise, as users are responsible for maintaining and securing the physical server.

Summary

VPS hosting provides a web developer with a flexible and customizable hosting environment that is more affordable than dedicated hosting. It offers dedicated resources, scalability, customizability, and a higher level of security compared to shared hosting. VPS hosting allows users to have complete control over their server configuration and provides an isolated environment for each website. It is a popular choice for businesses and individuals who require more resources and control than shared hosting can provide but don’t want to pay the high costs of dedicated hosting. VPS hosting is also scalable, which means users can easily upgrade or downgrade their resources as their needs change. While it does have some limitations, such as being more expensive than shared hosting, VPS hosting offers a good balance between affordability, performance, and flexibility.

Credits

  • Benjamin Arevalo (ImBenni)

References